Cornerback is the urgent priority for the Green Bay Packers. Insider intel points to the Packers targeting a top defensive back in Round 2 to bolster their championship hopes.
It's a plan that makes sense for the Green Bay Packers in the 2026 NFL Draft.
They have a massive need at cornerback. In fact, cornerback may be the one position that is standing between the Packers and lifting another Lombardi trophy.
Keisean Nixon may think he's a CB1, and much respect for having that kind of confidence, but the fact of the matter is that he is not. He's a decent CB2 on a decent team and a really nice CB3. Things aren't all that much better behind him, though.
Carrington Valentine is a former seventh-round pick and sometimes he plays above his station, but other times he looks exactly like a seventh-round pick.
Benjamin St-Juste is a nice free agent addition, but he's really there for depth more than anything else. Bo Melton is a converted wide receiver. Shemar Bartholomew is an undrafted free agent who has played in six games over two seasons.
Cornerback is a dire need, so it's no surprise that the insiders over at ESPN believe that the Packers are likely to go with a corner with pick No. 52, which is expected to be their first pick of the draft.
New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon needs help at several positions, but chief among them is cornerback," wrote Rob Demovsky. "And don't be surprised if the Packers pick more than one. GM Brian Gutekunst has never been afraid to double or even triple up at a position in the same draft. The Packers still like Keisean Nixon, but they need another equally -- if not more -- effective player to pair with him. The Packers could also use a defensive lineman or two who can play right away."
Again, it makes sense, but who will the Packers target at No. 52?
There are lots of options at corner in the second round, which is a great thing for Green Bay.
We've looked at a bunch of them here at PackersRoundtable. From Texas defensive back Malik Muhammad to Arizona State's Keith Abney II.
Either would work.
Notably, ESPN's Matt Miller sees the Packers going after San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Chris Johnson.
Aug 26, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Chris Johnson (21) celebrates after a stop against the Ohio Bobcats during the first half at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images."I'll echo the cornerback talk," he wrote. "The Packers have been widely connected to the second tier of corners in this class since the Senior Bowl. Chris Johnson (San Diego State) has plenty of fans in the team's scouting department, from what I've heard."
Johnson would also be a great fit for the Pack. He checks in at 6-foot, 194 pounds and was a two-year starter for SDSU. He earned All-America and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025 after notching four interceptions, eight passes defended, one forced fumble and 34 solo tackles for the Aztecs.
"He should compete for a starting role on day one, while also making an impact on special teams," Dane Brugler wrote in "The Beast" of Johnson.
If Johnson is there, look for the Packers to take the swing on him. If not, the safe bet is that they will go for a cornerback in the second round, and perhaps in the third as well.
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