Find someone who loves you the way Brian Gutekunst loves the Green Bay Packers' cornerback room.
Packers fans saw this coming a mile off. After moving on from Rasul Douglas at last year's trade deadline, Gutekunst needed to upgrade the depth in the offseason but passed on several opportunities in the 2024 NFL Draft. Before the draft, Gutekunst spoke about his confidence at the position and the "peace" that re-signing Keisean Nixon gave him.
It sounded like a smokescreen. Unfortunately, Gutekunst was telling the truth.
A year after drafting Lukas Van Ness over Christian Gonzalez, who has become a shutdown corner for the New England Patriots, the Packers showed no interest in trading up for Quinyon Mitchell after he somehow fell into range. Gutekunst then passed on fan-favorite Cooper DeJean, who has been a revelation for the Philadelphia Eagles.
This season, Jaire Alexander has played well when healthy but missed three games, while Eric Stokes and Keisean Nixon have struggled. After standing pat at the NFL trade deadline, Gutekunst doubled down on his confidence in the cornerback room.
Brian Gutekunst's comments about cornerback room are infuriating for Packers fans
It's not just that the Packers didn't trade for a cornerback, it's that they seemingly had no interest. There were rumblings of interest in a pass-rusher, including Azeez Ojulari from the New York Giants, but cornerback? Nothing.
Speaking to reporters after the deadline, Gutekunst's comments about the Packers' cornerback room indicate why.
"Those guys have done a great job this year. been, for a rookie, he's just done an excellent job when he's been put in the nickel," said Gutekunst. "Keisean hasn't played a ton of outside corner for us, and he was kind of put in that position. I think he's done a really good job for us. He's got excellent instincts. He can take the ball away. I've been really happy with him out there as well."
OK, we'll agree on Bullard. He has played well in the slot, but the Packers' issue is at the outside cornerback positions.
While Gutekunst praises Nixon, he ignores the reason why they had to move him outside in the first place. The Packers benched Stokes after a run of poor performances, and while Nixon was a better option outside, he hasn't exactly proven himself as a long-term solution.
Per PFF, Nixon and Stokes rank 151st and 176th among 200 cornerbacks for coverage grade, respectively. Collectively, they have allowed 51 completions on 75 targets for 517 yards and six touchdowns, with quarterbacks earning a 114.1 passer rating when throwing their way.
READ MORE: Packers' genius reason for Preston Smith trade makes it home-run move
DeJean, who was available when the Packers hit the clock in the first round and was still on the board one pick before their second-round selection, has PFF's fourth-best coverage grade entering Week 10. He's a rookie and didn't make his first start until Week 6 due to injury, but he has made quite the impression in the Eagles' secondary.
The rookie has played primarily in the slot but offers the versatility to move outside or to safety.
Gutekunst noted that Nixon can take the ball away. While he does have good hands thanks to his return ability, the veteran only has 12 pass defenses and two interceptions on 1,889 career defensive snaps. History suggests he doesn't consistently make game-changing plays.
The Packers' general manager was never going to publicly criticize the cornerback room midway through the season, but his comments sound too familiar to what he said in the spring. His actions backed up what he said, with the Packers avoiding the cornerback position throughout the offseason.
Gutekunst is among the best decision-makers in the league, but his failure to address the cornerback problem (one he created by trading Douglas), both in the offseason and at the trade deadline, could come back to haunt the Packers when the games matter the most.