Packers CB Keisean Nixon: Love Him or Hate Him, He’s No. 13 Player in 2026

Packers On SI is counting down the Green Bay Packers’ top 25 players for the 2026 season. This series continues with our No. 13 player, cornerback Keisean Nixon.

The Green Bay Packers made a few big moves to address their cornerback position this offseason.

After quickly giving up on Nate Hobbs, they signed Benjamin St-Juste in free agency and drafted Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson.

However, as the saying goes, the more things change, the more things stay the same. Keisean Nixon is the Packers’ No. 1 cornerback until proven otherwise. While there’s room in the lineup for St-Juste or Cisse, Nixon is the overwhelming favorite to be the Week 1 starter against Justin Jefferson and the Vikings.

Why Keisean Nixon Is So Important

Nobody would confuse Nixon with being a premier cornerback. But, as we’ve said a few times this offseason, while Nixon might not be as good as he believes, he’s not as bad as you might believe.

Nixon tied for sixth in the NFL with 17 passes defensed. Last season, 95 cornerbacks played at least 249 coverage snaps (Hobbs’ number), according to Pro Football Focus. Nixon ranked 45th with a 61.0 completion percentage and 51st with 11.2 coverage snaps per reception allowed, so it’s not as if he was completely ineffective.

Nixon went from playing 273 snaps on defense during three seasons with the Raiders to 1,020 last season for the Packers. He’s gone from a special-teams player to an All-Pro kick returner to a starting nickel defender to a full-time cornerback.

He’s improved every step of the way and, even at age 29, probably will find a way to take another step this season – his final one under contract.

“Like I always said, I didn’t really feel like I was in the NFL until I got here,” Nixon said during OTAs. “So, it was my fourth year that was really my first year. My first three years, I didn’t really play, so I always tell people that like just adjusting year to year of every opp that I’ve got since I’ve been here.

“Went from being a kick returner to the nickel to just nickel to corner. I just feel like I keep trying upgrade. Every upgrade is a different scenario and just playing football, honing on my technique and my rules and stuff like that. Playing corner, I don’t have to play anything inside-outside. I only play corner, so now I can focus on all the techniques and how can I get better at just that position. I don’t got to worry about kick return. I don’t got to worry about nickel.”

Keisean Nixon’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) tackles Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As the coverage numbers mentioned above show, Nixon is a solid cornerback. Not that the Packers shouldn’t be looking to upgrade his middle-of-the-pack performance, but they could certainly do worse.

While one of the lowlights of the playoff loss was Nixon turning down a tackle at the goal line, he’s generally a feisty and efficient tackler. His missed-tackle rate of 4.9 percent was one of the best in the league last season. His missed-tackle count has declined from 15 in 2023 to 10 in 2024 to only four in 2025.

Plus, he’s as tough as a $2 steak – no, those don’t exist anymore. He started all 17 games last season and has played in all 68 games during his four seasons with the Packers.

His confidence and motor can work against him, especially in big games, with foolish penalties. No cornerback was guilty of more penalties than Nixon’s 12. Plus, only four cornerbacks gave up more touchdowns than Nixon’s seven. That’s a combined 19 touchdowns and penalties, the highest number in the league.

Even with seven seasons of NFL experience, he still hasn’t found the right side of that fine line between his motor running hot and his motor overheating.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Happens If Keisean Nixon Gets Hurt

Nixon’s history is that he won’t get hurt. If he does, the Packers have some on-paper depth with whoever doesn’t start from the group of Carrington Valentine, the returning starter, and Cisse and Jackson, who were taken in the second and sixth rounds.

Why We Ranked Keisean Nixon Here

Nixon relishes how he’s built his career – and he should. Going from undrafted to an every-down player is quite a feat.

“Just the comfortability of playing just corner,” he said. “The year before, I was playing corner but I was also playing nickel, like in those packages. And then just playing outside, I felt like I got better as the season went on just because of the reps. You get all the reps outside, it’s just a different beast. I feel like my body slimmed up. I got skinner just because I run more. It’s going good though, I really feel a lot out there.”

It’s going to be a battle royale to determine the starting cornerbacks. It’d be a huge upset, though, if Nixon wasn’t on the field for Week 1 as the Packers try to contain Jefferson and the rest of the Vikings’ elite receiver corps.

He’ll be up for the challenge. He might not be good enough to meet the challenge for 60 or 70 defensive snaps, but he won’t back down from it, either.

“I can play offense, defense, return punts,” he said. “I always feel like I was a real football player, but now I can focus on just being a corner and it’s been going really good. I think I had a really good last year and I’m sure I’ll have a great year this year.”

Every year, I rank every player on the Packers roster based on talent, importance, salary etc. I will again this year, too.

For now, let's cut right to the chase. Here is a quick-hitting look at the 2⃣5⃣ most important players for the 2026 season.⬇️https://t.co/ezDAkl7vmd
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 17, 2026

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