While the Green Bay Packers' defense as a whole has been one of the best in the NFL through the first eight weeks of this 2025 campaign, it certainly hasn't been perfect. And to that end, it's crystal clear that the weakest link of Jeff Hafley's unit is the cornerback position.
It's not that every cornerback on the Green Bay roster has performed poorly in every game the Packers have played thus far, but consistency has undoubtedly been an issue.
Just to get this out of the way early, $48 million free-agent acquisition Nate Hobbs has been an absolute bust and has already been benched. Oh, he did take four defensive snaps against the Steelers this past Sunday night, but that's obviously not what Green Bay had in mind with that signing. Thankfully, Carrington Valentine has stepped up and has easily been the best corner on this roster in the first half of the season. But even his consistency has to be questioned at times.
As for Keisean Nixon, he started the season on a solid note with strong performances against the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders but has certainly regressed since. Aaron Rodgers targeted him something fierce, and he easily would've been one to blame had Jordan Love not engineered a second-half comeback to get Green Bay the win.
With the trade deadline looming, the Packers could make some calls, but many of the corners who might be available may cost a little more than what Green Bay is willing to give up in terms of draft capital. An option that nobody really seems to be talking about, however, wouldn't fall into that category, and it's certainly a name Packers fans know well, that being none other than Rasul Douglas.
The Packers would be wise to reunite with cornerback Rasul Douglas
Douglas, of course, spent parts of three seasons in Green Bay before being traded to the Buffalo Bills at the midway point of the '23 campaign. And for the most part, his run with the Packers went well, as he racked up 174 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles, 32 passes defended, and 10 interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes, in 36 games.
With his tenure in Buffalo coming to an end after the 2024 season concluded, there were plenty of people hoping the Packers would reunite with Douglas this summer following the release of Jaire Alexander. But that obviously never came to fruition, and the New Jersey native ultimately signed a one-year, $1,572,500 contract with the Miami Dolphins in late August.
The Dolphins' season is effectively already over, as they're 2-6 through their first eight games. So, it's not as if they'd want to keep Douglas for some sort of playoff push. Plus, you saw the contract terms above, so there would be no risk at all for the Packers in a reunion, as all they'd lose would be a late Day 3 draft pick.
READ MORE: Jordan Love's emotional message after upstaging Aaron Rodgers says it all
And here's the thing. Even if Douglas was only playing average football, Green Bay would still benefit from making this trade with Miami. But here's the thing. Douglas is playing fantastic football this year, and nobody really knows it because all of the attention goes to the struggles of Tua Tagovailoa and the offense.
Of the 113 cornerbacks with enough snaps to be eligible in PFF's rankings, Douglas ranks 14th with an overall defensive grade of 74.5 and his 73.9 coverage grade ranks 10th. Of the 35 passes thrown in his direction this season, he's only allowed 20 receptions for 183 yards and just one touchdown. And on passes thrown his way, quarterbacks have only earned a cumulative 81.0 passer rating.
He's got five pass deflections, a forced fumble, and even picked up the third sack of his career in Week 4 against the New York Jets.
This is a no-brainer call for the Packers to make and seeing Rasul Douglas in the Green & Gold again would certainly bring some joy to Cheeseheads everywhere.