Packers 2025 Season Report Card: Grading Keisean Nixon, Cornerbacks

Not unexpectedly, the Green Bay Packers’ cornerbacks failed to stop opponent passing games in 2025.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon reacts against the Arizona Cardinals. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ top three cornerbacks in 2025, Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Nate Hobbs, combined to give up 14 touchdowns while intercepting only one pass.

Woof.

Part 9 of our annual Packers report cards feature the cornerbacks. General manager Brian Gutekunst dumped Jaire Alexander, said good-bye to Eric Stokes, said hello to Hobbs and handed Nixon an expanded role.

It didn’t go well.

Our grades are done on a salary-cap curve because of the importance of finances in building a winning roster.

Note: All salary-cap figures are from OverTheCap.com. Advanced stats are from Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.

Keisean Nixon

2025 cap charge of $6.84 million ranked 19th at the position.

All credit to Keisean Nixon. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He worked his way from special-teams player to nickel defender to All-Pro kick returner to every-down cornerback. You might not like his brash attitude but there’s something to be admired about maximizing every ounce of ability. Since signing with the Packers in 2022, he’s played in every game.

In 2025, Nixon started all 17 games and tied for sixth in the NFL with 17 passes defensed, which beat his previous career high by 10.

With all that as a backdrop, a Super Bowl defense can’t have Nixon as an every-down cornerback – or at least without a true stopper on the other side, which, of course, the Packers don’t possess.

According to Pro Football Focus, 98 cornerbacks played at least 240 coverage snaps. He was basically in the middle of the pack, ranking 44th in completion percentage (60.0), 43rd in yards per completion (11.4) and 43rd in coverage snaps per reception (11.8). Because he gave up seven touchdowns – only four cornerbacks gave up more – and had only the game-saving interception against the Bears, he ranked 72nd with a 104.6 passer rating allowed.

With a motor in constant jeopardy of overheating, no cornerback had more penalties than Nixon’s 12. He added another in the playoffs. On the other hand, he tackled exceptionally until the playoff game. His missed-tackle rate of 5.3 percent (four misses) ranked sixth.

Naturally, he was happy with the results.

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

He added: “I can play with anybody, no matter who matches up out there. I can cover everybody. I had a whole gauntlet of receivers all year. I definitely held my own. Packed the stat sheet the last two years, playing inside, outside, being versatile. I definitely showed what I can do, for sure.”

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Cap dynamics at cornerback are interesting. He had a top-20 cap charge in 2025. In 2026, when his cap charge is set to grow to about $7.17 million, he’s scheduled to be 38th. At the end of the season, Nixon said he’d be looking for a new contract. Honestly, you can’t blame him. He’s a flawed player but who else do they have?

Grade: C-minus.

Nate Hobbs

2025 cap charge of $5.99 million ranked 23rd at the position.

Nate Hobbs was the team’s big addition at cornerback. The Packers gave him a four-year, $48 million contract, which is a rather ridiculous amount given that in four seasons with the Raiders he started 38 of a possible 68 games and intercepted three passes.

True to form, Hobbs couldn’t stay on the field. He played in 11 games with five starts. He missed the start of the season, a stretch of games at midseason and the end of the season with knee injuries. He had zero interceptions and two passes defensed, with the final pass breakup coming when he banged knees with Baltimore’s Zay Flowers to end his season. He gave up two touchdowns.

Of 98 corners to play at least 240 coverage snaps (Hobbs played 245), he was 73rd in completion percentage (68.0), 28th in coverage snaps per completion (13.0), 82nd in yards per completion (14.1) and 90th in passer rating (125.3).

He missed three tackles and finished 23rd with a missed-tackle rate of 10.0 percent.

Hobbs’ cap charge will grow to about $12.84 million in 2026. That’s more than double, though he’s still scheduled to be 23rd.

“People might hate me for saying this, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “It’s already written, bro. What y’all can expect from me is a fight. And I don’t even want to talk about it. I’m actions person and that’s what I want to do is give straight actions, but I can’t do that right now, obviously. All I got is my words right now and I’m about to stand by that, but I will stand by that.

“But there’s a fire in me and I promise you guys and Packer Nation I’m going to be one of the best players on this defense next year.”

Grade: F.

Carrington Valentine

2025 cap charge of $1.06 million ranked 136th at the position.

Carrington Valentine ended last season with a four-game streak with at least one takeaway. In 2025, he didn’t have any in the regular season. In 17 games (11 starts), Valentine had zero interceptions and four passes defensed. He gave up more touchdowns (five) than he had breakups.

Fittingly, the interception he had in the playoff loss to the Bears came on fourth down and cost the Packers a bunch of field position.

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) leaps to catch a pass against Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Of 98 corners to play at least 240 coverage snaps, Valentine was 25th in completion percentage (56.4), 22nd in coverage snaps per completion (13.7), 66th in yards per completion (12.8) and 81st in passer rating (109.4).

Good offensive coordinators know who can’t tackle. Only five corners had a worse missed-tackle rate than Valentine (22.7 percent; 10 misses).

Valentine is a bargain for the price. If only he brought any physicality to the party.

Grade: B-minus.

Bo Melton

2025 cap charge of $1.03 ranked 146th at the position.

Bo Melton was one of the great stories of the offseason as he switched from receiver to cornerback during the minicamp. He earned his spot on the 53-man roster with a strong preseason on defense. By late in the season, Melton frequently practiced at both positions during the same week.

Ultimately, the story was missing a final chapter. Melton played 185 snaps on special teams, 96 snaps on offense and zero snaps on defense. When push came to shove, Kamal Hadden was the next man up at corner. And then it was Trevon Diggs. Melton might have gotten his chance in Week 18 but suffered a shoulder injury during an outstanding punt-coverage snap.

Melton caught 16 passes in 2023. He caught half that number in 2024 and half that number again in 2025. He caught 4-of-13 targets (two drops) for 107 yards and one touchdown, averaged 24.6 yards per kickoff return and had a key role in Daniel Whelan blowing away the team record for net punting.

Melton might not have contributed much but he saved a roster spot, which counts for something.

Grade: C-plus.

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