Packers Training Camp Preview: CB Depth Chart, Big Battle, Doomsday Scenario

The Green Bay Packers weren’t good enough at cornerback last year. Keisean Nixon committed too many penalties. Carrington Valentine missed too many tackles. Nate Hobbs suffered too many injuries.

So, general manager Brian Gutekunst went to work. He released Nate Hobbs, signed Benjamin St-Juste and drafted Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson.

Will that be enough?

In Part 9 of our Packers training camp positional previews, we turn our attention to the cornerbacks. In case you missed them, here are the previews for the receivers, tight ends, offensive line, running backs and quarterbacks on offense, and the linebackers, edges, defensive tackles on defense.

Packers Cornerback Depth Chart

Keisean Nixon: Nixon was selected to the Pro Bowl last season. He tied for sixth in NFL with 17 passes defensed – he played only one series in Week 18 – but was guilty of a league-worst 12 penalties. Of the 101 cornerbacks who played more than 350 snaps, he finished 76th with a 105.2 passer rating allowed, according to PFF.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon is shown before the game against the Detroit Lions last season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Carrington Valentine: Valentine forced a turnover in four consecutive games in 2024. In 2025, he didn’t produce any until the playoffs. Of the 101 corners with more than 350 snaps, he finished 84th in passer rating allowed (109.4) and 96th in missed-tackle percentage.

Benjamin St-Juste: A third-round pick by Washington in 2021, St-Juste signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Packers in free agency. Last year with the Chargers, he played 356 defensive snaps. He ranked seventh in passer rating allowed (64.4) and second in missed-tackle percentage. After missing the offseason practices, he is ready for camp.

Brandon Cisse: The Packers used their first draft pick on Cisse after an excellent 2025 season against SEC competition at South Carolina. He took some first-team reps during the offseason practices and should be ready to compete for more action not long after the start of camp.

Kamal Hadden: Hadden briefly replaced Valentine with the No. 1 defense at Baltimore in Week 17, only to suffer an ankle injury that has him on PUP to start the season.

Jaylin Simpson: A fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2024, Simpson made his NFL debut in Green Bay’s Week 18 game at Minnesota. It didn’t go especially well with four catches allowed and two penalties. He’s the only defensive back on the team who is listed as a defensive back and not a cornerback or safety.

Shemar Bartholomew: The Packers signed him to their practice squad in December and he played in Week 18. He went undrafted in 2024 but played in five games for the Panthers as a rookie.

MJ Devonshire: A seventh-round pick by the Raiders in 2024, Devonshire has not played in a regular-season game. He signed with the Packers in May. At Pitt, he had seven interceptions and three pick-sixes in 2022 and 2023.

Domani Jackson: A sixth-round pick by the Packers in 2026 following an up-and-down couple seasons at Alabama – he had two interceptions in 2024 but just one pass breakup and was benched in 2025 – Jackson did not practice during OTAs and minicamp but is not on PUP to open camp.

Marlon Jones: Here’s our story on Jones’ incredible path to the Packers.

Marlon Jones Jr. wasn’t supposed to have signed with the Packers. His oncologist said as much after he was diagnosed with stage-3 lymphoma.

“I don’t believe in coincidence,” his mom said. “And somehow, some way, this team had one (roster) spot left.”https://t.co/aWjVfBw6u0
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) May 22, 2026

Biggest Battle for Packers at Cornerback

There aren’t many competitions for starting positions on the docket at training camp. Cornerback is the extreme exception with the hotly anticipated battle between Valentine, who started 30 games in his three seasons, St-Juste, who started 47 games in his five seasons, and Cisse, the team’s second-round pick who has a quality combination of size and athleticism.

“I knew him a lot,” said Keisean Nixon, who also played at South Carolina. “I used to talk to him while he was in college. Gave him little tips here and there. Played way better in college than I did. Not too many tips I had to give him in college, but he soaks it up like a sponge.

“He loves football. Some guys when they young, you don’t really know how they respond to the NFL. Some guys don’t really love football – they love what come with it – but he actually loves football, so I enjoy helping him out. Him and Domani.”

Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine breaks up a pass intended for Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Will Valentine, who will be playing for his next contract, rise to the occasion? Will St-Juste’s height, experience and tackling ability be too good to keep off the field? Or will Cisse’s upside be so tantalizing that the coaches are prepared to deal with some short-term pain for long-term gain?

The Big Question at Cornerback for the Packers

Will anything actually change?

The Packers made a lot of personnel changes at cornerback. Will changes on the roster mean changes in performance on the field? Or will this be a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine keeping their job as the starters.

Takeaways, presumably, will be a big part of the decision-making process.

The Packers finished tied for third with 17 interceptions in 2024. They finished 28th with seven interceptions in 2025. Only one of those came from a cornerback, though it was a huge one by Keisean Nixon to clinch the home win over Chicago.

The Doomsday Scenario for Packers

With the possibility that the Packers are going to lack a reliable pass rush, they’re going to need their cornerbacks to rise to the occasion.

But what if they’re not able?

Keisean Nixon has a history of growing into whatever role is given to him. At age 29, has he reached his peak?

St-Juste’s superb 50.0 percent catch rate allowed last season came on the heels of 63.6 percent in 2024 and 68.0 percent in 2023. So, which player did the Packers sign?

Rookie cornerbacks can either sink (like Josh Jackson in 2018) or swim (like Jaire Alexander in 2018). It’s not as if Brandon Cisse was a first-round pick and the second cornerback off the board. He was a second-round pick and the sixth cornerback off the board. There’s absolutely no guarantee he’ll be ready for primetime.

Valentine has covered well in his career, but three years of bad tackling almost ensures a fourth year of bad tackling. Offensive coordinators know where the bad tacklers are located and attack accordingly.

The Packers need much better coverage from their cornerbacks. If they don’t get it, the combination of suspect coverage and a sputtering pass rush will doom the defense.

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