It’s no secret that the Green Bay Packers need help in their cornerback room. With Eric Stokes joining the Las Vegas Raiders and Jaire Alexander’s future in question, the draft is the most logical place for the Packers to address this need.
This year’s draft has a deep cornerback class. That means the Packers can draft high-quality corners in the later rounds. UNC’s Alijah Huzzie is one of those players, and he could end up being the steal of the draft.
Huzzie started his career at East Tennessee State, an FCS school. In his time there, he posted 179 tackles, 30 pass deflections, and 12 interceptions. He played his way into transferring to an FBS school for his last two years.
He made the jump to the FBS level look seamless. In Huzzie’s final year at UNC, he allowed only 22 completions on 48 targets. He was a lockdown corner and a staple of UNC’s defense.
Huzzie’s best attribute is his route-recognition ability. Huzzie is a brilliant player who matches wide receivers’ routes exceptionally.
He also applies his intelligence before the snap; Huzzie’s just as good pre-snap as he is post-snap. Huzzie excels at getting the defense into the right place and basically quarterbacked UNC’s defense.
That’s not coachable and is a huge reason to draft Huzzie.
Huzzie also has insane closing speed, which complements his route recognition well. Even when a receiver burns him, he can close on the ball and prevent big plays.
Huzzie can almost completely mirror the receiver. Check out the play below against Colorado’s Jimmy Horn Jr.
When the ball is thrown, you can see how fast Huzzie can close on it. Given the route-running abilities of the NFC North’s wide receivers, like Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown, this will be a skill that the Packers need on their team.
Huzzie is slightly undersized at 5’10, 195 lbs. Although he played nickel and outside corner in college, his size and skillset make him more suited as a slot defender in the NFL. However, his experience playing outside corner is extremely valuable and speaks to his flexibility and athleticism.
Another downside of Huzzie’s game is that he can sometimes get burned on double moves. He can also be slightly jumpy when he sees a receiver come back to the ball. However, he’s fundamentally sound, allowing NFL coaches to develop him.
Not only is Huzzie excellent against the pass but also excels at stopping the run.
Huzzie frequently made big plays around the line of scrimmage. In 2025, he even posted two sacks. His tackling ability is also underrated. He’s solid with his technique and doesn’t miss often.
Huzzie also excels at returning punts. Although the Packers don’t need a punt returner with Jayden Reed on the roster, Huzzie could become a depth option. It also showcases his ability to help on special teams, which will endear him to Green Bay’s coaching staff.
Most NFL prospects perform well at the showcase events, and Huzzie was a top performer at the Shrine Bowl.
Unfortunately for Huzzie, he’s become known for interviewing at the same time as Travis Hunter. Of course, all the reporters flocked to Hunter. Huzzie thanked the one reporter who came over to interview him.
If that doesn’t show you how good of a guy Huzzie is, I don’t know what will.
Huzzie is projected to be drafted late and offers too much value and utility for the Packers not to take a flier on him.
