NFL Free Agency Preview: Potential Cornerback Targets for Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers weren’t good enough at cornerback last season, even after signing Nate Hobbs in free agency.

Will general manager Brian Gutekunst give it another shot when free agency begins on Monday? In the last of our positional previews, here is a Packers-centric look at free agency in the defensive backfield, with the focus on the cornerbacks.

Any Packers Cornerbacks in Free Agency?

Nope. Bo Melton and Kamal Hadden are exclusive-rights free agents. Those players really aren’t free agents at all. If the Packers want to keep them, they will. They obviously will want to keep Melton. Hadden will be a bit more complicated.

Hadden earned a little playing time last season and might have been on his way to more. In Week 17 against Baltimore, the Packers benched Carrington Valentine and inserted Hadden into the lineup. However, he suffered an ankle injury and was carted off the field. After an injury-plagued college career, his free-agent status might be in limbo until he’s healthy.

Packers Free Agent Outlook at Cornerback

Last offseason, the Packers signed Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract, released Jaire Alexander and didn’t re-sign Eric Stokes. Thus, general manager Brian Gutekunst bet on the trio of Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Hobbs to hold up against top quarterbacks and premier receivers.

It predictably was a losing bet.

Nixon, who has played in all 68 games since signing with the Packers in 2022, competed his butt off. Had he not sat out all but the opening series of Week 18, he might have finished in the top five in passes defensed. He wound up sixth with 17 passes defensed and had the only interception among the team’s cornerbacks. He generally was an excellent tackler.

However, PFF charged him with seven touchdowns allowed, and no cornerback was guilty of more penalties than Nixon’s 12.

“I think I played really well this year, accomplished all my goals that I set always, like I always tell you guys,” Nixon said at the end of the season. “Set the standard for myself, but I think I played really good this year.”

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Deandre Hopkins. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was a fitting statement. Nixon’s not as good as he believes; he’s not as bad as you might believe.

Valentine covered pretty well, giving up a completion rate of just 56.4 percent, according to Pro Football Focus, but gave up more touchdowns (five) than he had pass breakups (four). He’ll never be a good tackler; only five cornerbacks had a worse missed-tackle rate than Valentine (22.7 percent; 10 misses).

During four seasons with the Raiders, Hobbs was a part-time starter with little ball production and an injury history. He played to that history with Green Bay. Either he wasn’t healthy enough or he wasn’t good enough to compete as a perimeter cornerback. He wound up being sidelined three times by knee injuries and broke up only two passes. That’s a pretty lousy statistical comparison.

Stokes, meanwhile, signed a one-year contract with the Raiders and returned to his rookie-year form. At least the team made the right call on Alexander.

Free Agent Cornerbacks Who Could Interest Packers

Added together, the Packers badly need help at cornerback. The draft class is excellent, but general manager Brian Gutekunst has a history of addressing key needs in the draft and in free agency.

Here is a look at a long list of veteran options, with all 17 being perimeter cornerbacks rather than slots, where the Packers are set with Javon Bullard. Completion percentages are from Pro Football Focus, with rankings out of 85 cornerbacks with at least 300 coverage snaps. (Ages as of Sept. 1 are in parentheses).

Alontae Taylor, Saints (27): A second-round pick in 2022, Taylor is probably the No. 1 cornerback available. In four seasons, he has only four interceptions but 52 passes defensed – more than 10 in every season – seven sacks and 21 tackles for losses. He’s played every game the past three seasons.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor breaks up a pass to Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

In 2025, he started 16 games and had two interceptions and 11 passes defensed. He was just 70th with a 69.7 completion percentage and allowed eight touchdowns (second-most), but only allowed 9.6 yards per catch. He has extensive experience on the perimeter and in the slot; most of his snaps in 2022 and 2024 were on the outside.

Jamel Dean, Buccaneers (29): A third-round pick in 2019, Dean in six seasons with the Bucs recorded 11 interceptions and 61 passes defensed. In 2025, he set career highs with three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He’s got a bit of an injury history and he’ll turn 30 early in the season but it’s hard to knock finishing third with a completion rate allowed of just 46.3 percent and first with a passer rating of 47.7. He’s an excellent tackler.

Josh Jobe, Seahawks (28): An undrafted free agent in 2022, Jobe started three games for the Eagles in 2022 and 2023 – new Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was the Eagles’ coordinator when Jobe was a rookie – and six games for Seattle in 2024.

In 2025, he was a critical piece for the Super Bowl champions. He started 15 games with one interception and 12 passes defensed. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 51.8, which ranked 10th. Is he a byproduct of Seattle’s front and/or a one-year wonder?

Jaylen Watson, Chiefs (27): A seventh-round pick in 2022, Watson started 14 games his first three seasons but 15 times in 2025, when he intercepted two passes and had six passes defensed. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 59.3, which ranked 35th, and played the most coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown. His passer rating allowed when targeted of 69.0 ranked 10th among corners and second among the free agents. Plus, he’s an excellent tackler.

Tariq Woolen, Seahawks (27): A fifth-round pick in 2022, Wooden has outrageous tools at 6-foot-4. He’d be a giant in Green Bay’s cornerback room, which is filled by players who are about 5-foot-11. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, when he intercepted six passes. In four seasons, he has 12 picks and 53 passes defensed – more than 10 in every season. He fell into a part-time role in 2025, though he still had one interception and 12 passes defensed. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 57.4, which ranked 27th. His tackling is about on par with Carrington Valentine.

Cor’Dale Flott, Giants (25): A third-round pick in 2022, Flott is an intriguing combination of youth and experience. He started a career-high 14 games in 2025 and produced one interception and 11 passes defensed. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 54.0, which ranked 17th, and gave up only one touchdown. His passer rating allowed when targeted of 72.8 ranked 12th among corners and fourth among the free agents. He has only three picks in his career.

Greg Newsome, Jaguars (26): A first-round pick by the Browns in 2021, Newsome played in 17 games (16 starts) with the Browns and Jaguars. He has four interceptions in five seasons. Newsome had a career high 14 passes defensed in 2023 and nine in 2025, when he gave up five touchdowns. He’s played in the slot and perimeter, with almost all his snaps in 2025 coming on the outside. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 65.8, which ranked 55th, and is a poor tackler.

Nahshon Wright, Bears (27): Wright started a total of three games for the Cowboys in 2021 through 2023 and played in just one game for the Vikings in 2024. For the Bears in 2025, he was a Pro Bowler with five interceptions, 11 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 63.9, which ranked 50th, and gave up seven touchdowns, tied for fifth-most. The 6-foot-4 corner is either a late bloomer or a one-year wonder.

Montaric Brown, Jaguars (27): A seventh-round pick in 2022, he set career highs in 2025 in starts (12), interceptions (two) and passes defensed (12). He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 54.0, which ranked 17th. His passer rating allowed when targeted of 73.5 ranked 14th among corners and fifth among the free agents. He had six tackles for losses in 2024.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas (26) intercepts the ball against New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Rasul Douglas, Dolphins (31): Douglas was a monster for the Packers with nine interceptions and 26 passes defensed in 2021 and 2022. The Packers traded him to Buffalo in 2023 and he spent last season with the Dolphins. In 15 games (13 starts), he intercepted two passes and had 13 passes defensed. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 54.7, which ranked 19th. His passer rating allowed when targeted of 72.6 ranked 11th among corners and third among the free agents.

Asante Samuel, Steelers (26): Samuel, a slightly undersized perimeter corner, played in four games for the Chargers in 2024 and missed most of 2025 following spinal-fusion surgery. He was cleared at the end of the season and the Packers hosted him on a visit, but he opted to sign with Pittsburgh. In six games (three starts) he broke up one pass. He allowed a 77.8 percent catch rate but that was just 7-of-9 passing A second-round pick by the Chargers in 2021, he had two picks in each of his first three seasons with a total of 35 passes defensed. He’s not a good tackler.

Eric Stokes, Raiders (27): Stokes had a superb rookie season as Green Bay’s first-round pick in 2021, but injuries took the starch out of his game. From 2022 through 2023, he played in 29 games with 18 starts and somehow didn’t break up a pass. Not one. In 2025 with the Raiders, he started 16 games and broke up five passes. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 56.0, which ranked 21st, and his 9.3 yards per catch was ninth. His only interception came as a rookie.

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes (22) tackles Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

James Pierre, Steelers (29): The rangy cornerback who went undrafted in 2020 has spent all six seasons with Pittsburgh. He’s made only 13 career starts, with five of those coming in 2025, when he intercepted one pass and finished with 11 passes defensed – as many as his first five years combined. PFF charged him with a 42.4 percent completion rate, which would have been the best in the league had he played enough snaps.

Cobie Durant, Rams (28): A fourth-round pick in 2022, Durant in four seasons has seven interceptions and 26 passes defensed. He matched his career high in 2025 with three picks in 17 games (15 starts). He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 58.6, which ranked 32nd, and gave up five touchdowns.

Cam Taylor-Britt, Bengals (26): A second-round pick in 2022, Britt tallied seven interceptions and 26 passes defensed in four seasons. In 2025, injuries limited him to eight games (two starts) and zero interceptions with five breakups. He was charged with a career-worst 66.7 completion percentage in 2025 and 10 touchdowns in 2024.

Marshon Lattimore, Commanders (30): The Commanders in 2024 went for it at the trade deadline by acquiring Lattimore from the Saints. It didn’t work. He played in only two games for them in 2024 and nine games in 2025. The good? He ranked 18th with a completion rate allowed of 54.5 percent. The bad? He’s played in only 35 of a possible 68 games the last four seasons with zero interceptions in 16 games the last two seasons.

Jack Jones, Dolphins (28): A fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2022, Jones with the Patriots, Raiders and Dolphins has played in 59 games with 38 starts in four seasons with eight interceptions and 33 passes defensed. He had three picks and 16 passes defensed in 2024 and one pick, seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 2025. He was charged with a completion percentage allowed of 64.8, which ranked 53rd.

Any Packers Safeties in Free Agency?

Zayne Anderson was scheduled to be a restricted free agent. The Packers opted to not give him a tender, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

Anderson started two games in 2024. The safety group stayed healthy in 2025, so almost all of his action in 14 games came on special teams. Anderson and running back Chris Brooks tied for the team lead with 14 tackles in kick coverage and recovered two fumbles. He was a big reason why Daniel Whelan finished among the league leaders in net-punt average.

Packers Free Agent Outlook at Safety

The Packers are strong at safety. Xavier McKinney, who was first-team All-Pro in 2024 and second-team All-Pro in 2025, Evan Williams, who led the team with three interceptions in 2025, and Javon Bullard, who took a big step forward in Year 2 in the slot, are under contract through the 2027 season. So is Kitan Oladapo, a physical player on special teams.

Free Agent Safeties Who Could Interest Packers

With the top four players under contract for two more seasons, perhaps the only safety the Packers will target in free agency will be Zayne Anderson.

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