Things are really starting to come together for the Green Bay Packers in the 2026 offseason. The decision to give contract extensions to both GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur gave the team renewed direction and confidence in the future, but the decision to hire Jonathan Gannon is breathing some new life into the defensive side of the ball.
While things didn't work out well for Gannon as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, it's important to remember how he got that job in the first place. He knows how to call a defense, and his last defense with the Philadelphia Eagles before going to the Cardinals ranked first against the pass and racked up 70 sacks, leading the league.
With Gannon now in the fold, the Packers' direction in the 2026 NFL Draft -- even without a first-round pick -- is abundantly clear. Green Bay traded its top choice to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the Micah Parsons package, making it all the more important to get it right when finally hitting the clock at No. 52 overall.
Green Bay Packers need to target cornerbacks with No. 52 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
It's no secret that the cornerback position will be in focus for the Packers this offseason. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Packers go after top-tier free agents at the cornerback position, and it wouldn't be shocking to see them double down after that and use their top pick in the draft on that position.
Gannon is a defensive backs coach by trade, and he's already going to love getting to work with the safeties the Packers have on the roster. But the cornerback position needs work.
Packers 2025 snap leaders at cornerback
- Keisean Nixon: 1,014
- Carrington Valentine: 780
- Nate Hobbs: 358
It's probably fair to say that, at least on paper, this isn't the cornerback group you're writing home about. Nixon had arguably his worst year in coverage for the Packers, allowing a QB rating of 105.1 in his coverage with six touchdowns allowed and 11.6 yards per catch. Those numbers were all the worst he's had in four seasons with Green Bay.
Valentine was credited with giving up seven touchdowns and a QB rating of 121.2 into his coverage.
The play of Hobbs this past year was on par with the rest of the guys, but he may not even be on the roster next season.
If the Packers can get their hands on San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson, it might be the best-case scenario with Gannon on board. Johnson is one of the best ball-hawking corners in this class with six career interceptions (four this past season) and five forced fumbles.
There are plenty of other cornerback prospects to like in this draft class, including five or six that could end up going in the first round. But the overall depth of this class is going to give the Packers an enviable number of options on Day 2 of the draft, where they should be able to make the no-brainer move of snagging a starting-caliber cornerback for Gannon's defense.