There aren’t many things that the Green Bay Packers are going to be able to confidently count on heading into the 2023 season. As training camp gets underway, they are hoping that some players will emerge and step up in the new roles that have become available.
But, one position that they shouldn’t have to worry about at all is cornerback. That is arguably the strongest unit on the roster, headlined by star Jaire Alexander. Whenever you have a player of Alexander’s caliber leading the way, you are in good shape.
Luckily for the Packers, their depth chart extends beyond Alexander. Rasul Douglas has been excellent opposite of him, stepping into the lineup for 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes. When healthy, Stokes has shown some real ability as the No. 2 behind Alexander, providing Green Bay with an excellent trio to lockdown the secondary.
Another thing working in the Packers’ favor is continuity. The cornerback position didn’t suffer a single loss this offseason. With everyone returning for at least a second season in defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s system, they should be able to play at an even higher level as they will have a higher level of comfortability playing.
That is partly why Rob Demovsky of ESPN believes that the cornerback group for the Packers will be even better in 2023 than it was in 2022. Health is the only thing that is getting in their way right now as Stokes recovers from multiple injuries that ended his 2022 campaign prematurely. But even with that, Demovsky likes what he sees.
“Even without Stokes, whose recovery from foot and knee injuries might prevent him from being ready at the start of the season, this group looks stronger. That’s because Douglas will return to his natural outside position after a failed experiment with him in the slot. Nixon will take over inside and Alexander will likely get to cover the opponents’ No. 1 receivers from the get-go rather than waiting until halfway through the season to make that adjustment like last year. Valentine, a seventh-round pick, looked good during offseason workouts.”
Being able to have your best cornerback matchup and travel with the opponent’s best wide receiver is a luxury not many teams are afforded. That will give the Packers a huge edge when it comes to game planning. Opposing offensive coordinators are going to have to go the extra mile to get their star pass catcher away from the sticky coverage Alexander provides.
If there is one thing that Green Bay excels at as well it is drafting and developing talent. Carrington Valentine already sticking out as a seventh-round rookie bodes well for their depth behind Shemar Jean-Charles, Corey Ballentine and Kiondre Thomas.
