Kiondre Thomas Keeps Eye on 53-Man Prize

First-year cornerback Kiondre Thomas has delivered back-to-back strong performances in the preseason.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For Green Bay Packers cornerback Kiondre Thomas, it’s the 53-man roster or bust.

Playing 45 defensive snaps in Friday night’s preseason victory over the Saints, Thomas didn’t allow a single completion in four targets. That came on the heels of allowing one completion for 8 yards at San Francisco, according to Pro Football Focus.

On the final series against New Orleans, he broke up one pass and helped preserve the victory with three excellent snaps of red-zone coverage. Plus, he delivered solid run support and added a tackle on special teams.

“I think I had a pretty good game,” Thomas said as other reporters gathered around safety Micah Abernathy. “I think the defense played well as a whole. We held them to 10 points, wasn’t it? I think we all did a good job of doing our jobs and not letting the ball going over our heads.”

The Packers are locked and loaded with Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas atop the cornerback depth chart. Veteran Keisean Nixon and 2021 second-year player Shemar Jean-Charles appear to be the next men up. If the Packers keep six, that battle will come down to undersized speedster Rico Gafford, who has run with the second unit throughout training camp, and Thomas, who has mostly been with the threes.

Packers cornerback Kiondre Thomas breaks up a pass to Kirk Merritt during the fourth quarter on Friday. (Tork Mason/USA Today Sports Images)

The Packers signed Thomas in January. At 5-foot-11 3/4 and with 4.44 speed in the 40, he’s got a nice blend of size and speed. It might help his cause that he’s significantly taller than Nixon, Jean-Charles and Gafford.

An undrafted rookie last year out of Kansas State via Minnesota, Thomas spent training camp with the Browns but failed to make their roster, then played 28 snaps of special teams for the Chargers in four gameday elevations.

“Man, it’s just hard work and preparation,” Thomas said of his strong preseason. “I feel like I didn’t play the way I needed to my rookie year. In the offseason, I got in the lab and put my head down and got back to work. That’s all I can really do. That’s all I know how to do.”

He focused on “everything. Special teams, being a better corner. Every day, no days off, really grinding.”

According to PFF, 43 corners have played at least 30 coverage snaps in the preseason. Thomas ranks fourth with 39.0 snaps per reception and third with a 16.7 percent completion rate. (Jean-Charles, with no receptions and two targets in 60 coverage snaps, leads those lists.)

So, that daily grind seems to be paying off, right?

“We’ll see,” Thomas said. “I can’t really tell you right now. If I don’t make the 53, then I don’t think it paid off.”

Packers-Saints: Six Positive Performances

Jordan Love, Tyler Goodson and Micah Abernathy were among the standouts for the Green Bay Packers against the New Orleans Saints on Friday.

QB Jordan Love

As Mark Twain said, there are “lies, damned lies and statistics.” That phrase would describe Jordan Love’s performance in the Green Bay Packers preseason victory over the New Orleans Saints on Friday night.

Love’s stat line was as dreary as the weather for a big chunk of the game. He completed only 12-of-24 passes for 113 yards overall, and just 3-of-8 passes for 20 yards after halftime.

But Love was victimized by five drops, including deep balls to Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure that likely would have pushed his yardage total over 200 yards. Obviously, 17-of-24 for 200 yards changes the narrative.

“I’ve gotten more comfortable being decisive and being able to let it rip and not kind of waiting and being hesitant for a play to open up,” Love said. “I think it just comes from being comfortable with the offense, understanding where the receiver’s going to be, what plays are good vs. certain coverages and continuing to be decisive. I think I’ve definitely been taking some steps in that direction.”

Love threw three interceptions last week – two of which were partially his fault – but wasn’t close to turning over the ball against the Saints. One play stood out.

On Green Bay’s opening drive, Love faced a third-and-goal from the 6. For a brief second, it appeared he sensed a lane to run. When that closed, he extended the play to his left. With nowhere to go, he considered trying to run to the right but the Saints had that escape route cut off. So, Love threw a pass that only running back Patrick Taylor could catch. Taylor was out of bounds and the Packers had to settle for a field goal. Still, it was a veteran move to not try to make something out of nothing.

“I thought there was a lot of good,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I know the numbers don’t necessarily reflect probably how I feel. I saw a guy that was not only making some off-schedule plays, running around, there were a couple of times we weren’t great in protection and he stood in the pocket and was throwing on rhythm.

"I thought the ball he threw to Doubs that was a 20-something-yard completion on our sideline, I thought that was a tough read and the outermost receiver wasn’t really quite out of the area yet, so it was a cloudy read. He hit (Juwann) Winfree on a high cross, he hit a couple of high crosses for big explosive gains. And then on the keeper that he threw to Samori down the sidelines, that ball has to be caught. Unfortunately again, we had too many drops.”

Here are five more Packers-Saints positives.

OL Zach Tom

A fascinating practice week will start on Sunday. Early in camp, rookie Zach Tom got some first-team reps at left tackle. For most of camp, he’s at least been in the first-team mix at right tackle. At this past Sunday’s practice, he replaced Jon Runyan at left guard for most of practice.

While he’s been facing backups (or backups to backups), Tom is now 2-for-2 in preseason play. At offensive tackle, the name of the game is pass protection. And Tom hasn’t allowed a single pressure in the two preseason games. His play hasn’t been as strong as a run blocker, but he did have a couple quality back-side cutoffs to allow Tyler Goodson to rip off some effective runs during Green Bay’s first scoring drive.

So, what’s next? Under the assumption that Elgton Jenkins will be the starting right tackle, is Tom being groomed to be the unit’s sixth man – an important role, obviously? Or will be thrown back in at left guard or given a shot at right guard to see if he can outperform returning starters Runyan and Royce Newman?

“Especially if Zach doesn’t end up starting, he’s going to have to be in that role of backup tackle, guard, whatever it is,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Thursday. “Any of those are viable options any single day just to make sure he’s getting the reps he needs at every position.”

RB Tyler Goodson

General manager Brian Gutekunst on Thursday was asked what he was looking for from a third running back to join Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. The contestants: sturdy and steady Patrick Taylor or explosive undrafted rookie Tyler Goodson. Gutekunst’s answer practically shouted Taylor being that player.

“If we do have an injury, can they fill one of the roles that those other two guys are in right now?” Gutekunst said. “As you guys know, the big jump from college to the National Football League is usually in pass pro for these guys. They just haven’t been exposed to a lot of that, and being able to protect our passer is first and foremost.”

That’s understandable. But Goodson continues to impress at every turn. He carried 10 times for 42 yards (4.2 average) and added one catch for 10 yards. On Green Bay’s first touchdown drive, he had two runs of 9 yards, the catch for 10 and another run for 15. Meanwhile, the longest of Taylor’s seven runs went for 5 yards.

“He’s done a nice job,” coach Matt LaFleur said afterward. “A guy that can stick his foot in the ground. He’s got a burst. I think that was evident tonight. He made some nice runs, and then also one thing you see from him quite frequently in practice is he’s a guy that’s got good hands. A lot of it with our third running back is going to come down to how they do on special teams. That is an area where the third back has to be able to contribute. That’s really where the battle lies with all these guys right now.”

LBs Isaiah McDuffie and Krys Barnes

For years, inside linebacker was one of the Packers’ weak links. Not anymore. With De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker, the Packers should have a high-quality starting tandem. The depth, meanwhile, is outstanding.

Krys Barnes started the past two seasons. In 19 snaps against the Saints, he had two tackles and showed great instincts on a pass breakup that was almost an interception. Isaiah McDuffie didn’t play a single snap on defense as a sixth-round pick last year. He’s perhaps taken the biggest Year 2 jump of any player on the roster. In 24 snaps, had six tackles – two of which came on third down.

“Some guys come in as rookies and it doesn’t matter, draft status or where they were drafted, some guys just come in and handle things a little faster, some guys it takes a little bit more time,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said on Thursday. “And I think it’s a great lesson that I know I learned as a young coach that a lot of times when an individual comes in and struggles, a lot of times you’re like, ‘Oh, God, he can’t (play).’ It takes some guys a little bit longer.”

CB Kiondre Thomas

With Green Bay’s top corners on the bench, the Packers lined up with Shemar Jean-Charles and Keisean Nixon as the starters and Rico Gafford entering in nickel situations.

Will that change this week? While Gafford gave up a third-down conversion by giving entirely too much cushion, Kiondre Thomas appeared to pitch a shutout in the three or four balls thrown his way. He broke up one pass, had air-tight coverage in a goal-line series that helped clinch the win and provided some quality run support.

Asked after the game to assess his training camp, Thomas said the only thing that matters is making the 53-man roster. He’s putting himself in position. Being a bit bigger than Gafford, Keisean Nixon and Shemar Jean-Charles should work in his favor.

S Micah Abernathy

With Vernon Scott suffering a shoulder injury during the first half, the Packers have lost a staggering five safeties to injuries. With the depth chart obliterated, Micah Abernathy might make the roster by default.

Signed 10 days ago, Abernathy has taken advantage of his opportunity. He was one of the best players on the field with four tackles, including one for a loss, and a superb interception along the sideline.

Abernathy was a three-year starter at Tennessee who went undrafted in 2019. Earning a starting job for the USFL’s Houston Gamblers helped him resurrect his NFL dreams.

“I feel like I showed that I could play fast and I feel like I have a lot left in me,” he said. “I just got off a season. I feel like I’m in shape. I feel like I can play. I just wanted to go out there and prove that. I felt like I did, hopefully.”