Becoming a Tradition: Decade‑Long Draft Habit
Once again, the Green Bay Packers find themselves in need of defensive back help heading into the draft
By Luke Leavitt
The Green Bay Packers have entered almost every NFL Draft with the same narrative for over a decade: they need another cornerback. The snow melts, the schedule is released, and Packers supporters everywhere begin discussing who defensive back the team should target this time. It has become a yearly ritual of spring in Wisconsin.
What's funny? The data supports it. Every year, the Packers have continuously spent draft money on defensive backs, particularly cornerbacks.
Looking at the Packers’ draft classes from 2018 through 2024, the pattern is unmistakable. They have selected at least one defensive back in every single draft, often multiple. For example:
- 2018: Jaire Alexander (CB, Round 1) and Josh Jackson (CB, Round 2)
- 2019: Darnell Savage (DB, Round 1) and Ka’dar Hollman (DB, Round 6)
- 2020: Vernon Scott (DB, Round 7)
- 2021: Eric Stokes (CB, Round 1) and Shemar Jean‑Charles (DB, Round 5)
- 2022: Tariq Carpenter (DB, Round 7)
- 2023: Carrington Valentine (DB, Round 7) and Anthony Johnson (DB, Round 7)
- 2024: Javon Bullard (DB, Round 2), Evan Williams (DB, Round 4), Kitan Oladapo (DB, Round 5), and Kalen King (DB, Round 7)
Whether it is due to the modern NFL landscape changing over time and gradually needing to adapt to speed on the opposing side. Or perhaps multiple defensive coordinators in the last decade, from Mike Pettine to Joe Barry, Jeff Hafley, to now Jonathon Gannon.
Injuries have been a constant:
- Kevin King missed large chunks of multiple seasons
- Jaire Alexander has had multiple multi‑week absences
- Eric Stokes has barely played since 2022
- Depth players like Shemar Jean‑Charles and Ka’dar Hollman struggled to stay healthy or consistent
Development is not a given:
Cornerback is one of the hardest positions to project from college to the NFL. Even high picks can bust, and late‑rounders can surprise.
The Packers have experienced both:
- Hits: Jaire Alexander,
- Misses: Josh Jackson, Quinten Rollins
- Incomplete due to injuries: Kevin King, Eric Stokes
- To be Determined: Carrington Valentine
Having drafted 20+ defensive backs since 2015, more than any other position except offensive line. Green Bay has continually gone to the well hoping to hit the jackpot on the position, having more luck in doing so in the safety area rather than the cornerback room.
The question has become deserved, is this more of a development issue than anything else? Without a doubt, players selected in the first round playing the cornerback position put together enough tape and have been scouted closely enough to warrant such selection. The issue is, why isn’t the skill level progressing from that time?
Here’s to hoping Jonathon Gannon brings in a new energy that can get the most out of Packer investments on current defensive backs, and those Green Bay looks at this 2026 NFL Draft. He’s been around players who certainly have seen that gradual progression.
Gannon directly coached Indianapolis Colts cornerbacks from 2018-2020, his most hands‑on CB development role.
Kenny Moore II – Became one of the NFL’s best slot corners under Gannon, this group produced multiple top‑10 finishes in takeaways and interceptions during Gannon’s tenure.
With the Eagles, Gannon would lead the Eagles to the #1 passing defense in 2022 with the help of players like Darius Slay (’22 Pro Bowler) and James Bradberry (’22 2nd Team All-Pro).
Presumably so, Green Bay will target the defensive back area once again this month, likely a cornerback room with their current safeties being very well-rounded. No matter who Green Bay targets, the hope certainly should be in development that leads to the position no longer being one of need.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
__________________________
Luke Leavitt is a Contributor for Cheesehead TV, covering the Green Bay Packers. A Manchester by the Sea, Massachussetts native, Luke is a lifelong Packer fan, and 16-year shareholder. Keep up with Luke on X @LukeLeavitt7
__________________________
Comments (21)
WD
April 05, 2026 at 10:12 am
Agree, but who will be the starters in a 3-4 defense and specifically the nose tackle?
dblbogey
April 05, 2026 at 08:59 pm
Maybe we'll convert another wide receiver to CB. Maybe Mathew Golden could be a two way player. Sorry, I'm bored with all the pre draft off season speculation. Anyway, I'd love a big legit nose tackle. Some very large kid out of Iowa State named Orange is mocked to Green Bay in rd 3.
GregC
April 05, 2026 at 10:17 am
Is this more draft capital than most other teams spend on defensive backs? It looks about normal to me, at best. Maybe less than normal, considering how CB has been neglected since 2021. There is lots of attrition due to injuries with DBs. They are the smallest guys on the field with the exception of a few small WRs. They take a lot of punishment and are pretty much useless if they lose any of their speed or ability to change direction.
Canam73
April 06, 2026 at 08:42 am
I don't follow how other teams use their draft capital. But over the years from 2018-25 the Pack used 15 out of 80 picks on DBs, 18.75%. Typically the Pack carry at least 10 DBs on the 53, 18.87%. So by that metric they draft DBs exactly proportional.
A much better topic would be (as pointed out by a previous comment) the lack of a pick higher than a 5th used on a CB since 2021. That seems much more pertinent.
splitpea1
April 05, 2026 at 10:19 am
A good fit for Gannon and his zone schemes might be SDSU's Chris Johnson. There's a lot to like about this prospect, as he looks like he may be able to contribute rather quickly...Useful for special teams as well. There were some questions earlier about his speed, but they were erased by his strong combine showing.
Since'75
April 05, 2026 at 11:03 am
Kevin King is 'incomplete' because of injury?
That made me chuckle anyway.
When will he be graded as complete?
When he's done playing?
He was out of football at the age of 27, before Atlanta got desperate and signed him in 2024.
Where he played a whole...74 snaps.
That's 74 snaps, since early 2022.
Was he injured...sure.
When he was drafted, i mentioned he looked fragile.
Did he play poorly in the NFL...for the majority, absolutely.
I'll give him credit for a very good stat season in 2019.
But incomplete?.... he was a bust, no matter the reasons.
golfpacker61
April 05, 2026 at 11:55 am
I would throw out the 3 CBs we drafted with 7th round picks. That isn't drafting to build the CB room, that's basically a very weak hope & prayer. We could have selected some very solid CBs even into the 4th round last year but chose a WR instead.
GB has basically done nothing with the CB position since Eric Stokes in 2021, and it really shows. CB is the weakest position group on the team. We need 2 in the draft if we can afford the extra pick, and there should be some very solid UFDA CBs in this class. One I like is Josh Moten.
A mock with trades
66. Dani Dennis-Sutton-EDGE Penn State-Jacas gone so moved back for Dennis-Sutton
81. Jake Golday-LB Cincinnati-an unexpected bonus-starter in 2027
111. Charlie Demmings-CB Stephen F. Austin-first rebuilding block-could start
120. Isaiah World-OT Oregon-he fell because of ACL tear
124. Sam Roush-TE Stanford-easily better than Musgrave
146. De'Zhaun Stribling-WR Ole Miss-this guy is a stud-See ya Wicks
160. Trey Zuhn III-OC Texas A&M-can play all 5 spots
203. Eric McAlister-WR TCU-bonus Dbl up on WR
206. Zxavian Harris-DT Ole Miss-NT with upside
236. Domani Jackson-CB Alabama-Dbl up on CB with starting potential
Coldworld
April 05, 2026 at 02:42 pm
Stokes had a horrible injury, but by then we’d completely changed our approach to how we wanted our corners to cover. In doing so we dropped the system he was explicitly drafted to fit. Back in a more man role, he played pretty well last year, just not for us.
Some of this is neglect. Some of it is bad luck through long term injury and some of this is the HC electing to change the defensive approach to one that doesn’t suit what we had. Now we have to see how the new system fits with the guy Hafley wanted to be our number one. That’s not down to Gute, but restocking with true corner prospects who can contribute early is.
Bitternotsour
April 05, 2026 at 03:03 pm
Just for the sake of discussion, don't you think that when these various applicants interview for a coordinator job, they talk about how they'll use various players skillsets within the scheme they're planning on running?
Stokes is/was a fine prospect. That injury just outran his contract and there was no obvious compelling reason to assume he'd beaten his bad luck. The front office isn't necessarily hellbent on throwing good money after bad (coaching decisions notwithstanding).
Bitternotsour
April 05, 2026 at 03:08 pm
Stokes for example is exactly the kind of player I like to see the Packers take a chance on. Highly regarded in college/highly recruited. Great program. Drafted high by another team, some untimely injuries and finds themselves out of a job. A one-year flyer on a guy with high upside.
Sadly, it's what Marshawn Lloyd might become for another club, the kind of player I hope Gutekunst and co. can find and convince to join the Pack.
In the meantime let's all hope his injury bugs are behind him and he contributes big-time this year...
golfpacker61
April 05, 2026 at 06:43 pm
I read an article saying CB Kelee Ringo-Eagles might not make the team this year. Ringo was a 3rd round pick in 2023 also out of Georgia. 6'2 200 4.3 speed so he is like a CB made in a lab. He hasn't been able to beat out other CBs and the Eagles have loaded up at that position including our guy DeJean.
The article says they may cut him loose. We could wait or if we are really interested we could offer pick 255 for him because he has more talent than any CB we can select with that pick. Or a 2027 7th then we still have our 2 7ths this year. We should load up on a couple of these high ranked CBs that haven't worked out for their first teams. $1.145 million is what it would cost. Cheap and maybe we unlock his talent.
dblbogey
April 05, 2026 at 09:02 pm
Signing Hobbs with the idea he could suddenly be an injury free outside corner was a really dumb decision by the brain trust. Don't get me started on Banks.
LambeauPlain
April 06, 2026 at 08:57 am
How do you feel about Banks?
Spock
April 06, 2026 at 11:15 am
"Don't get me started on Banks."
LOL
GreenandBold
April 05, 2026 at 12:08 pm
When the last early pick was 2021 and even that pick was injured and didn’t pan out this is the result . Corners are too valuable to ignore until the late rounds . Hopefully Gannon can get more out of Nixon and Valentine than his predecessor . Need a great corner pick in the draft .
stockholder
April 05, 2026 at 12:23 pm
IMO- you can go back to 1999
when Gute was hired within.
So maybe this argument should contain
Sam Shields
Truman Williams
Micah Hyde
or Casey Hayward
Randall, or House
and maybe FAs
Amos and Douglass
So here we go again
Need over the Gems.
And it doesn't take much thinking- knowing;
who the conference CBs of the year are.
Injuries , Blown coverages, money,
Lack of make up speed.
All good reasons to constantly
return to Need.
Giving up ground that separated us
from are nearest competitor.
These reckless selections over the years
have cost the packers more than 1 super-Bowl.
CB has turned into a Brain fart.
Coldworld
April 05, 2026 at 03:18 pm
Are you saying that Gute should be held responsible for TTs drafts? If so I think that’s pretty insulting to TT and those above Gute in the hierarchy over that time, many of whom have gone on to success elsewhere. TT was very much the architect and arbiter of all football matters until at least 2016.
stockholder
April 05, 2026 at 03:30 pm
CBs- yes.
Rodgers - No
TT took the higher rated player
that dropped.
Gute isn't TT.
And if they do take a DB.
Stukes is the right choice.
dblbogey
April 05, 2026 at 09:04 pm
He has Gute Derangement Syndrome.
LambeauPlain
April 06, 2026 at 09:10 am
I really liked Eric "Big Red" Stokes who was totally misused by Barry and derailed by injuries. He's a man corner forced to play out of his skillset in soft zone.
To say Stokes has hardly played at all since his rookie season is only true while a Packer. After signing with the Raiders he played in and started 16 games. NFL.com labeled him "unsung" hero of the Raiders for allowing only .6 yards per snap (first in the NFL!). Overall, Stokes was 18th out of 114 cornerbacks last season.
He earned a 3 year extension with the Raiders and his career is finally back on track at age 27. Another Packers young DB traded or left to walk and found success with his next team.
SicSemperTyrannis
April 06, 2026 at 08:34 pm
Agreed, Stokes is amazing. Hopefully he still has a good career.