Future considerations paramount for Packers at cornerback

Cheesehead

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Mar 19, 2019
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Packers.com is taking a look at the Packers' roster, position by position, leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft. The series continues with the defensive backs.


GREEN BAY – The Packers have their entire defensive backfield from 2020, including reserves, intact for 2021.


But there's plenty to consider for the future at both cornerback and perhaps safety heading into this draft.


At cornerback, the leader of the group is fourth-year pro Jaire Alexander, who is coming off a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl campaign, the first such honors of his young career.


Alexander intercepted just one pass in the regular season (before picking off Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady twice in the NFC title game), but his lockdown coverage on opponents' top receivers produced a team-best 13 passes defensed.


He became the first Packers corner to earn All-Pro recognition since Charles Woodson in 2011, and just the third to be selected for the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons in the league, joining Herb Adderley and Willie Buchanon.


The Packers will undoubtedly exercise their fifth-year option soon on Alexander to keep him under contract for two more years while likely discussions on a long-term extension ensue.


But much remains up in the air after that. Fifth-year pro Kevin King is back after testing the free-agent waters and returning on a one-year deal, and third corner Chandon Sullivan is also returning on just a one-year restricted free agent tender, for now.


That puts cornerback high on the priority list for future planning, and the position could be an early/often draft target for the Packers this week.


King's 2020 season did not go as well as his career-best 2019 campaign, when he missed just one game and intercepted five passes. King missed five games last season, did not pick off a pass, and had a rough day in the NFC title game when he tried to play through a bad back.


Sullivan has been a steady performer in Green Bay for two seasons now, recording his first career pick-six last season and starting 10 regular-season games.


Several other young corner prospects fill up the depth chart, but the Packers are still trying to figure out what they have in them moving forward.
 
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