It certainly has been a wild couple of days for the Green Bay Packers and their fans. On Monday, the Packers released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander after months of speculation regarding his future with the team. After telling reporters that he was not sure if he was going to return in 2025, many believed that Alexander’s time with the franchise that selected him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft had come to an end.
Because of this belief, many fans and analysts assumed that the Packers would focus heavily on the cornerback position in both free agency and the draft. And while they did sign Nate Hobbs, formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders, they only took one cornerback in the draft, Micah Robinson, and they waited until the seventh round to do so.
There Are Serious Concerns Regarding the Green Bay Packers Cornerback Room
When news broke of Alexander’s release from the Packers, there were many fans who did not think the front office had made the right decision. After all, when he is healthy, Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL.
The problem, though, is that he has not been healthy. In fact, over the past two season, Green Bay’s defense has only had the two-time Pro Bowler on the field for 807 snaps, about 33% of the total plays.
In other words, the Packers have been pretty accustomed to life without the two-time Second Team All-Pro.
That being said, Alexander is not the only cornerback the Packers have lost this offseason. Earlier this year, Green Bay saw Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochelle all depart in free agency.
While Hobbs, Keisean Nixon, and Carrington Valentine are projected to be the starting defensive backs, the rest of their depth at the position is unproven.
Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst Defends Bo Melton Practicing with the Defensive Backs
On Tuesday, the first day that the Packers practiced without Alexander, media members observed wide receiver Bo Melton practicing with the defense as a cornerback. And while that bit of information went viral, it should also be noted that Melton practiced with the wide receivers too.
So what can fans make of this sudden development?
On the one hand, Kalen King was not able to practice due to an arm injury. The cornerback group was short-handed and, well, Melton’s brother is a starting defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals.
But on the other hand, Green Bay has 12 wide receivers on their roster, and only five of them are locks for the roster. If Melton wants to make the team, which he undoubtedly does, he needs to prove that he is versatile.
And as far as the front office is concerned, they have been throwing around the idea of having Melton try playing cornerback for quite some time:
“We’ve talked about this for a couple of years,” Brian Gutekunst said. “Just his skillset and how versatile he is. You watch him on [special] teams, and you’re like, ‘Wow, he could probably do some that.'”
While it is rare for a player to switch from offense to defense during his playing career, it has happened before. And, as mentioned, if Melton is going to make the team, he needs to prove how valuable he is.
