Packers All-Decade Team: Aaron Rodgers leads the way

Cornerbacks

Like wide receiver, the Packers have seen some talented cornerbacks come through Green Bay. The decade started with a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer and will close with a promising prospect who looks like he might be an All-Pro for years to come. Everyone in this group also played together for one year in 2012.

Charles Woodson (2010-2012)

Charles Woodson was one of the most instinctive football players to ever play the game. Woodson had a feel for the game that was on another level. He could read the route, time the blitz, fit the hole. He knew when to punch the ball. He simply did it all.

Woodson could line up outside or inside and played safety when injuries hit, but his most effective position was as the slot defender. From there, Woodson would read the quarterback like a book and time his jump on the route or on the blitz.

Either way, when Woodson was on his game, he affected the quarterback in every aspect. Woodson had 10 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, seven forced fumbles and 204 tackles in that time frame. Woodson also was named to two Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 2011 after leading the league in interceptions.

Tramon Williams (2010-2014, 2018-Present)

Tramon Williams has the type of story and history everyone can get behind. He was an undrafted free agent who worked his way up from the practice squad into the starting lineup, into a Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ. Williams was also something else: reliable. During his time with the Packers, expanding two different stints, Williams has only missed one game. That’s unbelievable, yet true.

In the Packers’ run to the Super Bowl, Williams was the shutdown corner taking away the team’s best receiver on the way to the title. He saved the wild-card game in Philly with a pick in the end zone, turned the game form a close contest into a blowout in Atlanta with a pick-six right before the half and led the team in the regular season with six interceptions.

Wiliams returned to the Packers after three seasons away from the team. He is not the same player he was when he left, but he is still a very good player who has helped stabilize the secondary. Williams has 20 interceptions with one of them returned for a touchdown. He also forced four fumbles in the decade.

Sam Shields (2010-2016)

A wide receiver in college, Sam Shields had a lot to learn about playing cornerback. Luckily for Shields, he had two amazing teachers in Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson. Both players took Shields under their wing and aided a fast rise up the Packers depth chart from undrafted free agent to shutdown corner and Pro Bowler.

After the Packers let Woodson go, Shields was often the player asked to match up with the team’s best receiver and was rewarded with a big contract after the 2013 season. Shields was the Packers’ best corner for the next two seasons before concussions ended his time with Green Bay. Shields picked off 18 passes in his time with the Packers.

Casey Hayward (2012-2015)

If there was one blunder the Packers would like to have back, it’s gotta be misreading the situation at cornerback following the 2015 season. The Packers felt they had good talent with Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall finishing solid rookie years and let Hayward leave for a modest deal with the Chargers. Since then, Hayward has become a multi-time Pro-Bowler and led the league in interceptions in 2016.

Hayward gave the Packers signs he could become that player. After being drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft, Hayward had six interceptions in his rookie year. Injuries derailed his sophomore season but he was back healthy in a very talented secondary for 2014. Hayward had three more interceptions with two touchdowns, one via interception and the other on a fumble recovery. In all, Hayward finished with nine interceptions with two touchdowns.