First Round to Late Rounds: Nine Cornerback Prospects for Packers

Defense wins championships, as the saying goes. Whether that is true or not is a conversation for a different day. One thing we do know is the Green Bay Packers love using those premium picks on that side of the ball.

Since 2011, the Packers have used as many first-round picks on cornerbacks (Eric Stokes, Jaire Alexander, Damarious Randall) as on offensive players (quarterback Jordan Love and linemen Derek Sherrod and Jordan Morgan).

Cornerback is a possibility again. Alexander’s status with the team is tenuous, at best, as the Packers have had trade discussions about him throughout the offseason. That leaves Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and free-agent addition Nate Hobbs atop the depth chart.

Whether it’s a Day 1 starter or depth – Hobbs has struggled with injuries during his career and three veterans were not re-signed in free agency – the Packers must address this position. Here are nine prospects, broken down into Round 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

Day 1

Will Johnson, Michigan

If we had done this exercise at the start of the offseason, Will Johnson would not have even made this list, being passed off as living in fantasy land.

Johnson was a Freshman All-American in 2022, a first-team All-American in 2023 and a second-team All-American in 2024. He won defensive MVP of the 2024 National Championship Game.

Johnson started his final season in Ann Arbor with a bang, securing two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in his first four games. Shoulder and toe injuries limited him to only six games, though, and a hamstring injury kept him from working out at pro day. He finally went through drills for scouts on Monday but didn’t run a 40. The injuries and questionable speed might push him down draft boards.

He is Dane Brugler’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 18 overall prospect in his draft guide for The Athletic. Would he be available at No. 223? If the Packers sense he’s able to be acquired, would they move up the board to get him?

Johnson’s ball skills would be a welcome sight to a cornerback room that had five interceptions from its starting cornerbacks a season ago, which includes two from Alexander. If he’s available when the Packers are on the clock, he’d be a difficult player to pass up.

Jahdae Barron, Texas

In the same mold as Cooper DeJean, Jahdae Barron could push past Johnson to be the first cornerback (not named Travis Hunter) off the board.

Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2024 as the nation’s top defensive back. He has thrived at cornerback (2024) and in the slot (2022 and 2023).

The question about Barron will be whether he can play on the boundary with his short arms. At 29 7/8 inches, it’s possible he won’t even be on their draft board.

If the Packers view Barron as a slot, it could be difficult to envision them taking him as an overhang defender, but stranger things have happened. He has ball skills similar to Johnson’s, with five interceptions and 16 passes defensed in 2024.

According to Brugler, he is the No. 3 cornerback and No. 30 prospect. That could make him available to the Packers at No. 23, though NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has him at No. 11 overall.

If he’s available, the decision could come down to what position they think he can play and how much they care about the length of his arms.

Trey Amos, Mississippi

The Packers have had good luck with a defensive back named Amos before. Could they try to use that namesake to fix a problem in a different position?

Trey Amos’ footwork is one of the best of this draft class, and he’s done well in both man and zone schemes. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was able to adapt his coverage preferences to the personnel that was available to him.

Amos’ versatility and ability to play in multiple coverages will likely be attractive to Green Bay. He is the No. 39 prospect for Brugler and No. 42 for Jeremiah. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds with 4.43 speed, he fits Green Bay’s size preferences and athletic profile.

Could they slide back a few spots, pick up an extra pick or two, and take Amos?

Day 2

Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Like Michigan’s Will Johnson above him and the next two cornerbacks in this story, Benjamin Morrison struggled with injuries.

Morrison was one of the leaders of Notre Dame’s stingy defense before a hip injury knocked him out for the second half of the season. He is scheduled to work out for teams on April 21.

He struggled with some inconsistency in coverage but made up for that with his ball skills. Morrison intercepted six passes as a freshman in 2022 and three more in 2023. In 2024, he broke up four passes in six games before the injury.

He’s a willing run defender, as well, which is important in Hafley’s scheme, especially if Morrison ends up in the slot at any point during his career.

Shavon Revel, East Carolina

Shavon Revel, like Johnson, may not have been available had he stayed healthy for the duration of the season. With two interceptions in the first three games, Revel looked like he was destined to cement himself as a top-20 pick before he tore his ACL in September. He will be ready for the start of training camp, his medical team has said.

The Packers will like his size (6-foot-1 7/8), length (32 5/8-inch arms) and ball skills.

The key question is whether the Packers, who notoriously are conservative on the medical side of things, would be willing to clear the way to use a premium pick on him. Brugler has him ranked No. 62 overall.

Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky

Maxwell Hairston was skinny as a rail coming into the offseason, measuring in at 183 at the Scouting Combine before bulking up a little bit, claiming, “I’ve been eating.”

Hairston’s most attractive trait is his speed. He was the fastest cornerback at the Scouting Combine with a 4.28 40-yard-dash time and a top speed of 24.25 mph, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

The concerns with Hairston come after the ball has been caught by the opposing receiver. He struggles with tackling. He also missed five games due to a shoulder injury. However, he had six interceptions in 20 games the past two seasons.

Day 3

Darien Porter, Iowa State

Ranked 12th at cornerback in Dane Brugler’s draft preview, Darien Porter has off-the-charts athleticism but is incredibly rough around the edges.

As a sixth-year senior, Porter finally got on the field with some regularity in 2024. He was fantastic with three interceptions and five passes defensed; Pro Football Focus charged him with only five completions allowed.

At 6-foot-2 7/8 with 33 1/8-inch arms and 4.30 speed, Porter is a big, moldable ball of clay. The Packers have not shied away from projects like that in the past. Until that clay is molded, his 970 snaps of special teams experience would be valued by the Packers if he falls into Day 3.

Nohl Williams, California

From a coverage standpoint, there is a lot to love about Nohl Williams. There is, however, one big elephant in the room.

Williams’ speed, or lack thereof. His 4.5 40-yard time could expose him to some of the speed threats that occupy the NFL. If he were a few ticks faster on the stopwatch, he’d likely work his way into the second day of the draft, but that is not the case.

From Green Bay’s perspective, Williams makes a lot of sense.

At 6-foot 3/8 and 199 pounds, he has the size the Packers want at the position. He’s productive. He’s physical enough to play man coverage and enough of a ballhawk to thrive if Jeff Hafley chooses to stay in a zone-heavy scheme.

If the Packers are comfortable with his athletic profile, this could be a fourth-round pick that turns into a productive player in the way Evan Williams did a season ago.

Jason Marshall Jr., Florida

Jason Marshall and the aforementioned Shavon Revels are the only cornerbacks who took a predraft visit to Green Bay.

At 6-foot 3/8 and 194 pounds with 4.49 speed, Marshall is big enough and fast enough for what the Packers have preferred. The former five-star recruit, which is something general managers put some stock into, played extensively all four seasons. He had zero interceptions his final two seasons but broke up 10 passes in 2023.

They believe in talent and pedigree. They’re also not shy about taking a chance on players with injury history; a shoulder injury limited him to six games in 2024.

Marshall may have to develop as a cornerback while becoming a special teams contributor.