When the Green Bay Packers finalized their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon, they decided to keep six cornerbacks (five after releasing Micah Robinson on Wednesday). However, there were a couple of surprises on the back end of the depth chart.
All these moves and this roster construction go a long way in solving the mystery of Nate Hobbs.
Green Bay chose to keep Kamal Hadden and Robinson on the initial 53-man roster over other choices like Corey Ballentine and Kalen King.
The Kansas City Chiefs took Hadden as a sixth-round pick in 2024 and later waived him that summer. Green Bay came swooping in and added Hadden to the practice squad, where he spent much of the season. The Packers activated him in Week 4 last year and in Week 9, but he only logged seven snaps, all on special teams. He didn’t play a single snap on defense.
File that information away for later.
Green Bay selected Robinson in the seventh round this April. He missed some of the early offseason programs while dealing with an injury, and he also missed the start of training camp. Despite being behind the eight ball from the beginning, Robinson scratched out a roster spot on Tuesday. This came after a preseason and training camp where it at least appeared that others, like King, had shown far more consistency.
On Wednesday, the Packers released Robinson after they added linebacker Nick Niemann to the active roster. The expectation is that Robinson will land back on Green Bay’s practice squad. Like Hadden, Robinson has never played a snap of football on defense in the regular season of an NFL game.
Then there’s Bo Melton. The fan favorite wrote one hell of a story this offseason by converting from wide receiver to cornerback on a full-time basis. At first, it seemed like a last-gasp effort to try to stay on the team. However, it ultimately worked out well enough that Melton earned a roster spot and could be Green Bay’s No. 4 cornerback entering the regular season.
Like Hadden and Robinson, Melton has never played a snap at cornerback in the regular season of an NFL game.
Now back to Nate Hobbs.
Hobbs had a meniscus tear that he addressed in early August with surgery. It was reported and subsequently confirmed by Hobbs that he could’ve rested and then played through it. Instead, he opted for the procedure to fully get his knee back on track in the hopes of being ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.
Hobbs noted his urgency in getting the procedure done so as not to delay his timeline and return to the field as soon as possible.
I get paid to do this, so anything that’s a concern on my body, I need to try to get on right away. I felt like it was something we needed to do. They gave me the option of whether I wanted to do it the next day or the day after, I’m like, “We can do this today. Let’s get ahead of starting to get back.”
After the procedure, the Packers announced that Hobbs would miss the rest of training camp. Since then, there hasn’t been a status update on Hobbs or any news about whether or not he will be good to go against the Lions in a little over a week.
The roster decisions spoke volumes.
It’s unfathomable to imagine Green Bay filled out its cornerback depth with three guys who have never played a snap at the position in the regular season if they thought Hobbs was in danger of missing the opener. Add that the Packers have a quick turnaround with a Thursday game in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders, and anyone who misses that first game for the Packers due to injury (we’re looking at you, Aaron Banks) could also miss the next contest.
Rolling with Melton and Hadden is fine. It’s clearly what the Packers thought was best. It’s also a peek behind the curtains as to how Hobbs must be doing.
There’s a bit of reckless speculation wrapped up in all of that. Still, if Hobbs were to miss the start of the season, you’re talking about Melton, who just switched from wide receiver a few months ago, having to play in some significant capacity early on. There’s no way that’s part of Green Bay’s blueprint.
If not Melton, then it’d be Hadden, who also hasn’t played a lick of cornerback in a real NFL game. And, like Robinson, he also missed some time this summer with a hip injury.
The other option is Robinson, a rookie seventh-rounder who missed a chunk of the offseason and can’t be close to comfortable enough to take the field for meaningful action. He’d have to be a game-day activation to the roster after being released on Wednesday, and that’s if he ends up back on the practice squad.
If Hobbs was trending towards missing the start of the season, why the hell wouldn’t the Packers keep Ballentine around? Ballentine had spent the last three years with the Packers, and his tenure included seven starts in the last two seasons. He played in 29 of the last 34 games, providing stability at corner when Green Bay found themselves in a pinch. Ballentine would be sure to hold down the fort in a limited but useful reserve role if Hobbs were to miss the start of the season.
Even King, who hasn’t played a snap at cornerback in the regular season, appeared to be more polished at this point than Hadden or Robinson, although King primarily resides in the slot.
Time will tell if Hobbs is ready for the start of the season, but the breadcrumbs Green Bay left with their roster decisions suggest he’ll be in uniform and on the field against the Lions.
