Packers: Position group rankings ahead of training camp
By Jesse Fry
6. Cornerback
Starters: Tramon Williams, Kevin King, Jaire Alexander
In the mix: Josh Jackson, Davon House, Herb Waters, Donatello Brown, Josh Hawkins, Demetri Goodson, Quinten Rollins, Lenzy Pipkins
The Packers have a nice balance of veterans and high-end draft picks at the cornerback position.
Tramon Williams will benefit the team in more than one way. Williams provides veteran experience and leadership. Davon House also gives the Packers veteran experience on the field and is a true pro off it. Jaire Alexander, Kevin King and Josh Jackson are all first- or second-round picks with tons of talent to mold.
The Packers have a solid trio of young players. King’s rookie season was cut short by a shoulder injury, but he showed upside when on the field. Alexander and Jackson are rookies with loads of potential. All three offer different skill sets to the defense.
King is a tall, long corner who can jam receivers at the line and keep up with receivers down the field. Alexander is on the smaller side, but has tons of speed to make up for his lack of height. Jackson’s ball-hawking skills might be the best coming out of college.
The cornerbacks and wide receivers are similar with veteran starters and talented youngsters. What separates the cornerbacks from the wide receivers is draft positioning. The three rookie wide receivers were all drafted in the fourth round or later. The young trio of corners were drafted in the first or second round.
After the young trio of draft picks, it’s talented undrafted free agents. Lenzy Pipkins is one to keep an eye on. At six-foot, Pipkins is another tall corner with 4.4-second 40-yard dash speed. Josh Hawkins is also one to watch. He has sub 4.4 forty-yard dash time with a 4.39. While not as big as Pipkins, he has played well and could provide valuable depth on defense and special teams.
An injury would be troublesome here depending on length and who it happens to. The Packers can’t survive playing nothing but rookies and undrafted free agents.