A sign of a great free-agent signing isn't only the talent to upgrade a position of need, but also the jersey number they select. It's important. An All-Pro cornerback wearing a No. 44 jersey would never work.
Fortunately, new Green Bay Packers addition Nate Hobbs checks both boxes.
He has already won over the fans with his first comments as a Packers player, and there's no doubting his talent. Hobbs is among the best slot corners in the league but also offers value on the boundary. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley loves versatility in the secondary, and Hobbs provides that.
We know he can help the secondary, but could he choose a strong jersey number? Oh yes. He hit a home run.
Nate Hobbs' No. 21 jersey number brings back Packers-Charles Woodson flashbacks
The Packers have signed a free-agent cornerback from the Raiders who will wear the No. 21 jersey? Yeah, we've seen this one before.
Rewind to 2006. The Packers signed Charles Woodson, who had already started his Hall of Fame career by making three All-Pro teams with the Raiders. He quickly became a superstar in Green Bay, earning four more All-Pro honors and becoming one of the most important players in the team's Super Bowl run in 2010.
He is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
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OK, maybe we've set the expectations a little too high for Hobbs. Spoiler: he isn't Charles Woodson. But he can become another excellent free agency signing, and Brian Gutekunst has hit on plenty of them.
Woodson isn't the only franchise legend to wear the No. 21 jersey. Former Pro Bowler, All-Pro, two-time Super Bowl champion, and Packers Hall of Famer Bob Jeter wore No. 21.
Most recently, former first-round picks Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Eric Stokes held the famous number.
Now, it's Hobbs' turn. It worked out pretty well the last time a former Raiders cornerback came to Green Bay and wore No. 21. The Packers hope Hobbs can etch his name in Packers history for playing a pivotal role in a championship run, just as Woodson did.