Packers 2022 roster preview: Can Shemar Jean-Charles step up?

Shemar Jean-Charles didn’t get many opportunities on defense in his rookie season with the Green Bay Packers.

Chandon Sullivan was the Packers’ slot corner, but he signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency this spring.

Will there be more opportunities for Jean-Charles on defense in 2022?

2021 stats

Jean-Charles was active for 14 games but made no starts. According to Pro Football Reference, he only played 37 defensive snaps in the regular season. Most of his work came on special teams, where he played 231 snaps.

2021 season review

It’s hard to judge Jean-Charles’ performances on defense because he didn’t get many opportunities. However, when he was targeted, the numbers weren’t great.

Jean-Charles allowed all six targets to be completed in his coverage, giving up 70 yards, per Pro Football Reference.

It’s a small sample size, though, so it would be unfair to draw too many conclusions from this.

Jean-Charles did feature a lot on special teams, which is important for any young player.

Will he make the roster?

Most likely. Jean-Charles should make the initial 53-man roster and will compete for snaps in the slot this season.

What to expect in 2022

The Packers have three excellent outside corners in Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Rasul Douglas.

At this stage, it’s unclear who will play in the slot, or whether it will be a combination of the three.

Jean-Charles had plenty of experience playing there at college, but he will need to prove he is ready to step up into that role in the NFL. He will need to show improvements to his game over the summer at training camp and in the preseason.

He will be competing with Kabion Ento, Keisean Nixon, and Kiondre Thomas for the No. 4 CB spot. If one of the starters gets injured, the Packers will need to lean on their backups.

We’ll learn a lot more about where Jean-Charles is likely to be on the depth chart during the summer.