Seven Veteran Cornerbacks Who Could Help Packers

Will the Green Bay Packers get through the offseason feeling good about their cornerbacks? If not, some quality veterans are available.

Patrick Peterson breaks up a pass that resulted in an interception during last year's Packers-Steelers game. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In June 2021, the Green Bay Packers bolstered a weakness at linebacker by signing De’Vondre Campbell. Could they eventually decide to do the same at cornerback, where some quality free agents remain available?

At Packers OTAs on Tuesday, the starting cornerbacks were Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes. Stokes, who missed most of last season due to injuries, and Carrington Valentine, who started 12 games as a rookie because of those injuries, figure to battle throughout the offseason and training camp for the right to start opposite Alexander.

But what if general manager Brian Gutekunst comes to the conclusion that the cornerback room needs a Campbell-style addition, either to challenge for a starting role or provide depth?

Sports Illustrated’s list of the top 10 remaining free agents includes two cornerbacks, and they highlight our best-available list of seven veterans.

No. 4 on SI’s list is four-time Pro Bowler Xavien Howard.

A second-round pick in 2016, Howard was first-team All-Pro in 2020, when he led the NFL with 10 interceptions and 20 passes defensed. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2020, 2021 (five interceptions, 16 passes defensed) and 2022 (one interception, 12 passes defensed).

The Dolphins released him in February after he had one interception and 12 passes defensed in 2023.

“Many Dolphins defenders weren’t pleased with how former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio used them last season,” noted SI’s Gilberto Manzano.

Howard will turn 31 on July 4. His completion percentages have gone from 45.5 percent in 2020 and 50.7 percent in 2021 to 59.7 percent in 2022 and 61.4 percent in 2023, according to Sports Info Solutions, though his 6.6 yards allowed per target was better than any of his Pro Bowl seasons.

No. 2 on the list is five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro Stephon Gilmore.

Gilmore, who will turn 34 before Week 3, has become something of a mercenary with one-year contracts in Carolina in 2021, Indianapolis in 2022 and Dallas in 2023.

While he’s not the same player he was with the Patriots in 2019, when he led the NFL with six interceptions and 20 passes defensed, he remains a quality performer. With the Cowboys last season, he had two interceptions and 13 passes defensed. Sports Info Solutions charged him with a 50.0 percent catch rate.

Calling it a surprise that Gilmore hasn’t landed somewhere, Manzano wrote: “Expect him to remain a starting cornerback somewhere for his 13th NFL season.”  

Steven Nelson, Adoree’ Jackson and Ahkello Witherspoon remain unsigned from NFL.com’s initial list of the top 101 free agents.

Nelson was No. 55 in the NFL.com rankings. The 31-year-old started 93 of a possible 99 games the last six seasons. With the Texans last season, he matched his career high with four interceptions and added 12 passes defensed. SIS charged him with a 57.1 percent catch rate but just one touchdown.

Jackson was No. 58. A first-round pick by the Titans in 2017 who will turn 29 before Week 3, Jackson with the Giants allowed catch rates of 49.1 percent in 2021 and 49.0 percent in 2022 but 57.6 percent in 2023, when he had one interception and eight passes defensed. Due in part to injuries, he hasn’t reached double-digits PBUs since 2018.

Witherspoon was No. 94. A third-round pick in 2017 who turned 29 in March, Witherspoon had started double-digits games only once in his career until last year. In 2023 with the Rams, he started all 17 games and allowed a catch rate of only 48.9 percent. He set career highs with three interceptions and 14 passes defensed, though SIS charged him with five touchdowns.

Also available are J.C. Jackson and Patrick Peterson.

At this point, the 28-year-old Jackson looks like a one-year wonder. With the Patriots in 2021, he had eight interceptions and an NFL-high 23 passes defensed. He parlayed that into a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers. At midseason last year, the Chargers traded Jackson back to New England for a bag of peanuts.

The past two seasons, he had one interception and 11 passes defensed. However, he allowed a 48.9 percent catch rate with six PBUs in his eight-game return to the Patriots.

Peterson, who will turn 34 before training camp, started 16 of 17 games last year for the Steelers and delivered two interceptions and 11 passes defensed. SIS charged him with a 46.8 percent catch rate, which ranked 12th among all corners with at least 10 starts.

With safety-corner versatility, he recently said he’d like to return to the Steelers.

Cornerback is a potential sore spot for the Packers, though Valentine could take a Year 2 jump after an encouraging rookie season and Stokes could return to his first-round form if his hamstring issues are behind him.

“What this offseason has afforded him is an offseason to really train,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Stokes. “It’s a lot different when you’re coming off an injury and you’re trying to rehab versus when you’re fully healthy and you can train the right way. When you look at him physically, his body looks different. He’s hitting some very fast speeds out there at practice. Obviously, we monitor all that, and I can tell mentally he feels like he’s in a great place.”

The Packers are betting on Valentine and Stokes. The only addition at cornerback this offseason was Kalen King, the third-to-last pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

“Obviously, Valentine played exceptionally well last year for us and Eric looks very good right now,” Gutekunst said after the draft. “We brought back Corey Ballentine, who played some really good football for us. So, I like our depth there. I feel pretty good about it. We wouldn’t have shied away from adding if it would’ve fell that way, but it just didn’t.

“At the same time, I didn’t feel an overwhelming need to be aggressive toward that position because I really like the guys in that room.”

More Green Bay Packers News

Packers OTAs: Injury updates | Christian Watson’s asymmetry | Big goals but torn pectorals | Jordan Love’s focus | Day 1 starters | Five storylines | Battles on defense | Battles on offense 

Latest news: Joint practices | Jordan Love and Davante Adams | PFF’s QB rankings | NFL’s fastest | Incredible roster fact 

College coaches: Edgerrin Cooper | Javon Bullard | MarShawn Lloyd | Ty’Ron Hopper | Evan Williams | Jacob Monk | Kitan Oladapo | Michael Pratt | Kalen King