The Green Bay Packers’ defense is coming off a dominant performance against J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. The defensive front, in particular, controlled the game in the second half, holding the Vikings to four net passing yards and minus-one in the third quarter. Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt, Warren Brinson, and Isaiah McDuffie combined for five sacks on McCarthy and completely overwhelmed the second-year quarterback.
Green Bay’s cornerbacks contributed to the onslaught of sacks and defensive dominance. Minnesota’s wide receivers totaled just four receptions in the game, and coverage was extremely tight throughout the contest.
While Carrington Valentine has been playing very good football this season, his corner mate Keisean Nixon left with a stinger early in the game, and the relatively unknown Kamal Hadden replaced him. If Nixon is out for any length of time, especially with a short week leading up to the Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay’s already thin cornerback depth is about to be tested in a meaningful way.
If Nixon is unable to play against the Detroit Lions, Valentine and Hadden would be the presumed starters on the boundary, with Javon Bullard remaining in the slot.
There’s a chance that Nate Hobbs could be ready after missing the last few games. However, his initial prognosis was two games, and this past game was the third in a row he’s missed due to a knee injury. His status is uncertain. If he somehow heals in time to make his return, he would likely be on the other side of Valentine, and even though he was listed as an estimated participant in practice on Monday, we shouldn’t get our hopes up until we actually see it.
Since the Packers gave Valentine a full-time role once Hobbs got injured, he has run with it. He has the third-highest PFF coverage grade of any qualifying cornerback this year at 78.9 and has allowed barely more than 200 receiving yards on the season. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in tenacity and physicality – two vital traits for any corner.
Once Nixon left the game on Sunday, Valentine drew the responsibility of following Justin Jefferson for the remainder of the game. Jefferson finished with only four receptions for 48 yards on the day, with a long of 19 (with Nixon in coverage). If the Lions line up Amon-Ra St. Brown in the slot like they usually do, then Valentine will likely follow Jameson Williams for much of the day and try to take him out of the game as much as possible.
That brings us to Hadden, who would be thrust into the first start of his NFL career. Once Nixon left the game on Sunday, it was Hadden who came off the bench and logged his first career defensive snaps.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ former sixth-round pick had only appeared on special teams this year and drew the responsibility of covering Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor. He held up as well as one could expect. After the game, Matt LaFleur was asked about Hadden’s performance and gave a glowing review:
It’s an outstanding job. I’m really, really, really proud of his efforts. … Kamal has made as much progress as any player that we’ve had here. Just to see where he’s come from to where he is now. And I think it’s totally reflective in terms of how he’s approached coming in the building on a daily basis. He practices the right way. He approaches it the right way. I’m really proud of him.
To say he’s made as much progress as any player in LaFleur’s seven years as coach of the Packers is a meaningful statement. The 24-year-old has been with Green Bay since signing to their practice squad at the end of training camp in 2024. Thanksgiving Day on national television against a high-powered Lions offense in a pivotal NFC North matchup will be quite the time to make his first career start.
Even more concerning than Hadden going from zero career defensive snaps to a starter is the depth around him – or lack thereof. As of right now, if Nixon and Hobbs aren’t able to suit up, the Packers only have three other healthy true corners on the roster. Bullard is a hybrid safety/corner, so he’s not counted here.
That leaves Valentine, Hadden, and Bo Melton. The Packers cross-trained Melton, the receiver-turned-corner-turned-receiver-again, at corner this offseason. However, he has yet to play a snap at the position. Melton has played 36 snaps at receiver but has yet to be tested in a real game on defense.
However, he impressed in the preseason. Green Bay’s quarterbacks targeted him six times in 80 defensive snaps, allowing four catches for 38 yards throughout the summer. But there’s a big difference between summer reps and real game reps, especially coming down the stretch. Therefore, I wouldn’t expect Melton to see the field unless something catastrophic happens.
With only three healthy corners, the Packers are going to have to call up one – or likely two – corners on Thursday. Tyron Herring is the only other true corner under contract and would be the most likely option. A former undrafted free agent, he was released after training camp and caught on with the New England Patriots’ practice squad before being released and re-signing with Green Bay’s on October 29. He has yet to appear in an NFL game, but at 6’2”, 200 lbs., he has good size to play outside corner.
Johnathan Baldwin and Jaylin Simpson might be other options, although they are truly more safeties than corners.
Baldwin has lined up in the nickel corner role at times during his college career at UNLV. He also did this summer with the Packers in camp, as well as in the box and deep at safety. Green Bay guaranteed him a substantial signing bonus as an undrafted free agent, which shows they wanted him in their building badly, even though they can be stingy with guarantees for undrafted players. He could be an intriguing option in a pinch to see his first action.
Any way you shape it, the Green Bay cornerback depth is being heavily tested right now. At the very top, they have two players playing really good football in Nixon and Valentine. Another has been a free-agent bust and is still injured. That leaves Jeff Hafley relying on a combination of first-year players getting their first professional snaps and a converted receiver in the biggest game of the year.
