Seven Items on Packers’ Scouting Combine Itinerary

The Scouting Combine isn’t just about the 40-yard dash. Rather, it’s time for general manager Brian Gutekunst to have direct communications involving key decisions.

INDIANAPOLIS – Tuesday kicks off one of the most important weeks of the year for the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL. It’s the Scouting Combine, which is much more than an opportunity to see 300-plus NFL Draft prospects run 40-yard dashes. It’s an opportunity for general manager Brian Gutekunst to conduct business with the agents of some of his most important players.

Here are seven items that could be on Gutekunst’s agenda.

CB Jaire Alexander

For what it’s worth, Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur said last year’s suspension helped “reset” the relationship between the Packers and the former All-Pro cornerback.

No doubt the mercurial Alexander was an interested observer as LaFleur picked a new defensive coordinator to replace Joe Barry. Is he onboard with Jeff Hafley’s “vision-based” coverage principles – aka playing a lot of zone – when he’d rather play man-to-man coverage against the opponent’s No. 1 receiver?

LB De’Vondre Campbell

When the season ended, a reasonable guess was the Packers would move on from Campbell, the former All-Pro whose production waned as his salary increased. His salary-cap number will soar to about $14.2 million in 2024 while the cap savings are a rather trivial $2.6 million. With Hafley employing a 4-3 base defense, the Packers will line up with three off-the-ball linebackers rather than only two. Will that give Campbell a reprieve?

DT Kenny Clark

To deal with the salary cap, the Packers restructured Clark’s contract the previous two offseasons. That left Clark with a whopping $27.49 million cap charge in 2024, which includes a $15.55 million base salary and $10.49 in prorated bonus money.

The 2024 season is Clark’s final year under contract. Handing the Pro Bowler a contract extension would be a win-win from Green Bay’s perspective by reducing the cap charge and locking him up for at least a few more seasons.

CB Keisean Nixon

Nixon earned All-Pro honors for a second consecutive season as a returner and, highlighted by his interception of the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, turned in a decent season as the team’s full-time slot defender. Do the Packers need an upgrade in the slot or is Nixon a must-re-sign?

“This (expletive) means everything to me, man,” Nixon said after the playoff loss to San Francisco. “I feel like I grew so much as a person, more than just a football player. The moment I signed my contract and put that ‘G’ on my helmet, man, it mean(t) everything. They pour everything into me in this organization and I pour everything back into them and two All-Pros later.”

RB Aaron Jones

Jones took a pay cut last offseason so he could stay with the Packers. The 29-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season, so the Packers no doubt would love to take a bite out of his $11.1 million base salary. On the other hand, his importance to the team was amplified during a franchise-record streak of five consecutive games of 100-plus rushing yards.

“I think that’s always a tough one,” LaFleur said of Jones after the season. “Shoot, the product looked pretty good to me. He certainly had an impact on the game and an impact on our offense, an impact on our team with our late-season push. I don’t know if we do all that without him.”

S Darnell Savage

Safety is a critical position in Hafley’s defense. The Packers are incredibly thin at the position with Savage, Rudy Ford and Jonathan Owens all hitting free agency. Playing under the pricey fifth-year option in 2023, Savage is coming off a dismal season. Injuries limited him to 10 games and he broke up only one pass in the regular season. His tackling was typically hit-and-miss.

However, he’s young (will turn 27 at the start of camp), athletic and has put some impressive play on tape. Maybe Hafley thinks he’s got the scheme to resurrect a once-promising career.

Workouts, Measurements and Interviews

Ah, yes, the actual football part of the Scouting Combine.

The original purpose for the Combine was to make it a one-stop shop for medical tests. The measurements, of course, are critical. The Packers don’t draft short players at any position, for instance. The physical tests, such as the 40-yard dash, are a vital piece of the puzzle, too. Teams can hold 60 formal interviews of 15 minutes each to get a feel for a player’s character and football intelligence.

Also important are the position drills. Defensive linemen and linebackers will get things started on Thursday, followed by defensive backs and tight ends on Friday, quarterbacks, receivers and running backs on Saturday and offensive linemen on Sunday. The Packers have holes at positions for all four days (linebackers on Thursday, defensive backs on Friday, running backs on Saturday and offensive linemen on Sunday).

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