Depth still needs sorting out following release of Jaire Alexander

Mike Spofford

GREEN BAY It became official this week with the release of Jaire Alexander that the Packers will go into the 2025 season withKeisean Nixon,Nate HobbsandCarrington Valentineas their top three cornerbacks.

General Manager Brian Gutekunst has no qualms about that.

"Obviously the three guys combined have about 95 starts under their belt," Gutekunst said during Tuesday's minicamp practice, addressing the roster move with Alexander. "I feel really good about that.

"The three guys have proven their ability in this league. I like their makeup, their toughness, their ability to play, their versatility. So I'm excited about that group."

In addition to their experience Nixon is entering his seventh year in the NFL, Hobbs his fifth, and Valentine his third the Packers also like the potential to mix and match coverages as needed, with Nixon and Hobbs both capable of playing on the boundary or in the slot.

Throw in second-year safetyJavon Bullard, who also has played plenty of nickel corner, and it's really a strong quartet the Packers have a good feel for.

After that, there's a lot to be sorted out. Head Coach Matt LaFleur called the depth chart "a work in progress" with "a lot of wait-and-see" regarding the development of unproven players.

That group includes last year's seventh-round draft pickKalen King, as well as a sixth-rounder inKamal Haddenreleased by Kansas City and signed to Green Bay's practice squad in 2024.

Recent acquisitionsIsaiah Dunn(signed in January) andGregory Junior(May) have played sparingly in regular-season games with previous teams, whileMicah Robinsonwas drafted in the seventh round this year, withJohnathan BaldwinandTyron Herringbrought in as undrafted rookies.

That's a lot of bodies but not a lot of certainty as to what they might bring to the table. With the salary cap space created by Alexander's release, signing a veteran to add to the mix at some point can't be ruled out, either.

"We know that three of those guys have gone out and played significant snaps," said Head Coach Matt LaFleur, referring to the top trio. "And then we've got a lot of young guys that are just kind of unknown."

That's par for the course, according to Gutekunst, at a premier position that generally requires six or seven on the 53-man roster.

"Those guys have got to come through, right?" he said of the young players behind the regulars. "I think that's like every team. I'm excited to get those guys opportunities and see what they can do."

Alexander's situation dragged into the final week of the offseason program because the Packers were trying to give it as much time as possible to find a resolution, whether that be agreeing to a restructured contract or finding a trade partner willing to offer a draft pick.

Ultimately neither scenario materialized, and Gutekunst decided paying a top-flight cornerback salary for a two-time All-Pro who had missed more than half the season due to injuries in three of the last four years wasn't a risk worth taking.

"There's been a lot of games missed," he said. "That's a lot to pay for a guy who hasn't been able to get on the field. It's not his fault.

"It was no bad blood. It was one of those things where over the last couple years, it hasn't worked out exactly like we'd wanted to."

Now free to sign with any team, Alexander could wind up with a Packers opponent in 2025, possibly even a division rival. He's a more accomplished cornerback than anyone the Lions, Vikings or Bears have on their current rosters.

But that couldn't enter the equation. Gutekunst kept the focus internal and what it meant in the Packers' overall picture.

"You're more concerned about your own football team and how that affects us," he said. "If we take care of us, I'm not concerned about those kind of things."