It's been close to two weeks since NFL free agency began, and in that time, the Green Bay Packers lost far more players than they brought in, their only external signings being defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, and wide receiver/return specialist Skyy Moore. Green Bay also acquired linebacker Zaire Franklin in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for defensive lineman Colby Wooden.
Wooden obviously wasn't the only player lost via trade, as the Packers also dealt Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys. And in addition to releasing Elgton Jenkins and Nate Hobbs, they also lost Romeo Doubs (Patriots), Malik Willis (Dolphins), Quay Walker (Raiders), Kingsley Enagbare (Jets), Rasheed Walker (Panthers), Emanuel Wilson (Seahawks), and Zayne Anderson (Dolphins).
There are still some players left on the market to sign, but Green Bay is likely to get the remainder of the help it needs on the roster from the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which is set to take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
John Kosko of Pro Football Focus recently took the time to offer up his opinion on what the worst-case scenario would be for every NFC team as it pertains to the draft, and his choice for the Packers was this: Don’t address cornerback early in the draft.
Packers can't afford to miss out on the top cornerbacks in 2026 NFL Draft
Here was Kosko's reasoning on why the Packers need to add some cornerback depth:
"The Packers are currently thin on high-end, reliable outside cornerback talent capable of matching up against the NFC's top receivers. Failing to inject immediate juice into this position via the early rounds of the draft would severely limit the Green Bay defense's ability to pressure quarterbacks and defend successfully against quality opponents. Prioritizing an impact cornerback is essential for turning the Packers’ defense into a reliable unit and supporting their Super Bowl aspirations."
Yeah, we'll buy that.
Now, it's not as if the Packers are absolutely dreadful at the cornerback position right now with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine manning the perimeter, but they're nowhere near elite either.
The "addition by subtraction" theory actually works here, as releasing Nate Hobbs was undoubtedly the right move, especially with what Green Bay was paying him.
And the acquisition of Benjamin St-Juste could be one of the more underrated moves of this entire offseason for any team, as the five-year veteran had a solid 2025 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers in a backup role, with his 75.6 overall PFF grade ranking 12th among 114 qualifying cornerbacks and his 77.1 coverage grade ranking ninth. But the Packers will obviously need more depth.
The issue with getting one of the top cornerbacks available in the draft, of course, is the fact that Green Bay doesn't own a first-round pick, which went to the Cowboys in the Micah Parsons trade. So, barring a trade, the Packers won't make their first selection until well into the second round at No. 52 overall.
The good news for the Packers is that this draft features a fairly deep cornerback class, and they could conceivably still get a potential starter on Day 2. They'll undoubtedly draft a CB at some point, maybe even a couple, but we now just have to wait and see exactly when.