There are a number of players on the Green Bay Packers roster who are poised to break out in 2024. One of the players who could become a household name in the football world is cornerback Keisean Nixon.
Keisean Nixon moved into the starting lineup in 2023 as the team’s slot cornerback. While he had some ups and downs, he performed well enough that the job is unquestionably his heading into the 2024 season.
The Green Bay Packers revamped the safety position this offseason, signing Xavier McKinney in free agency and drafting three players in the first five rounds. Those kinds of depth additions could lead to Nixon moving around the defense, giving him a chance to showcase his skills even more.
“Along with his return game, we might even see some pleasant surprises when it comes to Nixon’s play in the secondary. The Packers made some heavy investments at the safety position this year, signing FA Xavier McKinney, and drafting three safeties within the first five rounds. With McKinney and rookie Javon Bullard expected to see heavy play time this year, I think this really opens the door for Nixon to be moved around a ton. He’s a great depth piece to have, and with Jaire Alexander battling an injury every so often, and Eric Stokes battling an injury every so always, Nixon will still probably see a lot of time on the field when he’s not returning kicks,” wrote Sammwichh on Acme Packing Co. of SB Nation.
Given some of the injury concerns in the Packers’ secondary, having a versatile chess piece as Nixon is a nice luxury. If Jaire Alexander or Eric Stokes are forced to the sidelines again, Green Bay has the safeties to now help in slow coverage duties, enabling Nixon to move to the perimeter.
Where people are most excited to see Keisean Nixon is on special teams. For the last two seasons, he has been named to the All-Pro team as a kick returner. He led the NFL in kickoff returns, return yards and yards per return. With kickoffs nearly going extinct, the NFL has adopted the XFL kickoff rules, which will make them a big part of the game.
Only the kick returner can move while the ball is in the air. Once he catches it, that is when action will begin. Keisean Nixon wasn’t afraid to take chances with returning the ball with the old rules; imagine what he can do now with more space to operate.
