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Kiondre Thomas Keeps Eye on 53-Man Prize

First-year cornerback Kiondre Thomas has delivered back-to-back strong performances in the preseason.
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – For Green Bay Packers cornerback Kiondre Thomas, it’s the 53-man roster or bust.

Playing 45 defensive snaps in Friday night’s preseason victory over the Saints, Thomas didn’t allow a single completion in four targets. That came on the heels of allowing one completion for 8 yards at San Francisco, according to Pro Football Focus.

On the final series against New Orleans, he broke up one pass and helped preserve the victory with three excellent snaps of red-zone coverage. Plus, he delivered solid run support and added a tackle on special teams.

“I think I had a pretty good game,” Thomas said as other reporters gathered around safety Micah Abernathy. “I think the defense played well as a whole. We held them to 10 points, wasn’t it? I think we all did a good job of doing our jobs and not letting the ball going over our heads.”

The Packers are locked and loaded with Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas atop the cornerback depth chart. Veteran Keisean Nixon and 2021 second-year player Shemar Jean-Charles appear to be the next men up. If the Packers keep six, that battle will come down to undersized speedster Rico Gafford, who has run with the second unit throughout training camp, and Thomas, who has mostly been with the threes.

Packers cornerback Kiondre Thomas breaks up a pass to Kirk Merritt during the fourth quarter on Friday. (Tork Mason/USA Today Sports Images)

Packers cornerback Kiondre Thomas breaks up a pass to Kirk Merritt during the fourth quarter on Friday. (Tork Mason/USA Today Sports Images)

The Packers signed Thomas in January. At 5-foot-11 3/4 and with 4.44 speed in the 40, he’s got a nice blend of size and speed. It might help his cause that he’s significantly taller than Nixon, Jean-Charles and Gafford.

An undrafted rookie last year out of Kansas State via Minnesota, Thomas spent training camp with the Browns but failed to make their roster, then played 28 snaps of special teams for the Chargers in four gameday elevations.

“Man, it’s just hard work and preparation,” Thomas said of his strong preseason. “I feel like I didn’t play the way I needed to my rookie year. In the offseason, I got in the lab and put my head down and got back to work. That’s all I can really do. That’s all I know how to do.”

He focused on “everything. Special teams, being a better corner. Every day, no days off, really grinding.”

According to PFF, 43 corners have played at least 30 coverage snaps in the preseason. Thomas ranks fourth with 39.0 snaps per reception and third with a 16.7 percent completion rate. (Jean-Charles, with no receptions and two targets in 60 coverage snaps, leads those lists.)

So, that daily grind seems to be paying off, right?

“We’ll see,” Thomas said. “I can’t really tell you right now. If I don’t make the 53, then I don’t think it paid off.”

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