It's almost training camp time for the Green Bay Packers, so it's time to evaluate each position group on the roster.
Cornerbacks
External perception would indicate that cornerback was one of the most pressing needs for the Green Bay Packers to attack in the draft. After all, the team traded Rasul Douglas last year and didn't exercise Eric Stokes' fifth-year option.
But general manager Brian Gutekunst doesn't seem overly concerned with his group. He passed on the opportunity to draft players like Cooper DeJean, Nate Wiggins, and Kool-Aid McKinstry early on, and the Packers didn't take a corner until the seventh round, when Kalen King became the 255th overall pick.
"If we can stay healthy there, I like the way the competition in that room is shaping up," Gutekunst said.
Competition to start
Jaire Alexander is evidently the best weapon for the Packers in the group, but there will be competition basically everywhere else. Eric Stokes is the presumed starter opposite Alexander if healthy and that's what happened in the offseason, but Green Bay seems intrigued by last year's seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine after a strong rookie season.
"He played very consistent football for us," Gutekunst pointed out. "His best football is ahead of him. I think he needs to get a little stronger and I think he will. The positions we put him in this past season, he answered the bell quite a bit throughout; some of those were on short notice. To come in and compete like he did, you don't see a lot of that out of seventh-round players. He had a lot of belief in himself and when the opportunities came, he capitalized on them."
To passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley, Valentine is a big part of the equation to find the best possible group.
"Carrington's wired the right way. He fits right in with that group very well, with Ja and Stokes and Keisean, and Corey Ballentine, Robert Rochelle," Ansley said. "All those guys are all wired the right way. Credit to Gute and his staff for identifying those guys and they all have unique skill sets. They're long and they're fast. With that skill set, we have a lot to work with."
Nixon again?
In the slot, the Packers are comfortable rolling once again with Keisean Nixon — now, he's under contract for three years after a sequence of two one-year deals. But Kalen King and drafted safety Javon Bullard are also options there.
"We've just got to get these rookies up to speed as fast as possible and they had a great rookie minicamp," said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard.
Depth
Last year, Corey Ballentine also did a respectable job when needed, and now he's back to compete for a roster spot.
Beyond him and Kalen King, the bottom-of-the-roster options are Robert Rochell, Zyon Gilbert, and Gemon Green — mostly fighting to get a practice squad opportunity.
