Packers: Predicting cornerback depth chart in 2021 season
The Green Bay Packers needed to make changes at the cornerback position, and they did.
General manager Brian Gutekunst didn’t sign a free-agent corner from another team but brought back two regular starters from last season, Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan.
The Packers then turned to the draft to get stronger at the position by picking Eric Stokes in the first round then Shemar Jean-Charles in the fifth round.
Here’s my prediction for the initial cornerback depth chart in 2021:
Packers CB depth chart predictions in 2021
- Jaire Alexander*
- Kevin King*
- Chandon Sullivan*
- Eric Stokes
- Josh Jackson
- Shemar Jean-Charles
* = starter
Initially, I think the Packers will stick with their top three from last year. All-Pro Jaire Alexander will start every game, but defensive coordinator Joe Barry could go with the experience of King early on so Stokes isn’t thrown into a starting role right away.
The same is true in the slot. Sullivan had a solid season in that role, taking over from Tramon Williams in 2020, and that should continue early on.
However, as the season goes on, it will come as no surprise if Stokes earns a starting job on the outside and Jean-Charles in the slot ahead of Sullivan. Another scenario could see Stokes and King on the outside with Alexander moving inside.
I have the Packers keeping six cornerbacks on the 53-man roster, and I’ve gone with Josh Jackson as a backup. He will face competition from Ka’dar Hollman and Stanford Samuels over the summer, and it’s a tough one to call.
The good news is that the Packers have added talent at the cornerback position, which was one of the biggest needs in the spring. There will be competition for starting jobs, which is never a bad thing, and the Packers will be in better position should they get hit with injuries at cornerback.