One of the biggest areas of focus in the 2025 offseason for the Green Bay Packers was the cornerback position. The Packers moved on from not just one but two former top picks when they cut Jaire Alexander after letting Eric Stokes walk in free agency.
Needless to say, there was a ton of discussion over the fact that the Packers passed on corners in the 2024 NFL Draft, and a little bit of outrage when they passed on them in 2025 as well.
As it turns out, general manager Brian Gutekunst knew what he was doing all along. The decision to cut Alexander not only paved the way for the Micah Parsons trade (financially) but also helped everyone see that a more viable alternative to Alexander was hiding in plain sight.
Keisean Nixon has been a huge revelation at CB for the Packers in 2025
Nobody wants to see any players struggling with injury, but it won't surprise anyone to learn that Alexander has not been available for the Ravens. He played in the season opener, and that's it so far. In one game, Alexander allowed three catches on three targets for 87 yards when he was the closest in coverage.
Keisean Nixon, on the other hand, has been downright awesome for the Packers so far in 2025.
The former All-Pro return specialist is well on his way to setting a career-high in passes broken up, already with five on the season. His career best is seven, and that came just last season.
Nixon just turned 28 this year, so he's having a bit of a late bloom as an NFL cornerback. But for the Packers, it's better late than never.
Nixon allowed a QB rating into his coverage of just 78.9 last season, and this year, he's sitting at a solid 91. He hasn't allowed a touchdown so far in three games, and he'll really be put to the test in the Packers' Week 4 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Although the Cowboys won't have superstar receiver CeeDee Lamb, they do have George Pickens ready to take on a bigger workload. Pickens has the ability to win contested-catch situations and make ridiculous plays on the ball, so this will be the next great opportunity for Nixon to prove the Packers were geniuses for giving him a bigger role this season.
The grass is greener where you water it. The Packers have believed in their player development process, even for castoffs of other teams like Nixon. And their patience, along with some persistence, has clearly paid off.