Packers 2020 pre-draft preview: Cornerback depth a concern

It’s important for the Green Bay Packers to add another cornerback in the draft.

One area the Packers could strengthen in the 2020 NFL Draft is the secondary.

It’s an area the Packers have invested a lot of early draft picks in the past, but only a couple have made an impact as starters.

But how much of a priority should cornerback be in next week’s draft?

Free agency recap

The Packers could still decide to re-sign veteran Tramon Williams, but it’s yet to happen. The 37-year-old showed he can still play throughout the 2019 season, so re-signing him shouldn’t be out of the question. Maybe the Packers will wait until after the draft to make a move, or perhaps they’ve already decided they are ready to move on. Time will tell.

Need in the draft?

Medium.

At the time of writing, Williams hasn’t been re-signed. Therefore, he needs to be replaced. That leaves a vacancy at the slot cornerback position, while also meaning the Packers need to improve their depth at the position.

Draft outlook

Something else to consider is that starting cornerback Kevin King will become a free agent following the 2020 season. That should give GM Brian Gutekunst another reason to draft a cornerback. If they don’t work out a long-term deal with King and he walks next offseason, they’ll need a cornerback ready to step in as a starter.

Relying on next year’s draft to find a starting cornerback would be a risk. If they can draft one this spring, the added year of experience could pay off in 2021.

In the short term, Gutekunst needs to restock the depth at cornerback. As things stand, the starting trio could be Jaire Alexander and King on the outside with Chandon Sullivan in the slot, with Josh Jackson the top backup.

That’s fine if they all stay healthy, but an injury or two would leave the Packers in a tough spot, and given how important the cornerback position is, Green Bay needs to draft one this year.