List of trade candidates brings intriguing CB options for the Packers

The Green Bay Packers don't have as strong of a cornerback situation as they probably thought during the offseason. General manager Brian Gutekunst decided not to add an external cornerback to compete for a starting job, and the lack of depth got exposed on Sunday, against the Minnesota Vikings, when Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine […]

Wendell Ferreira NFL News Writer
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New York Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson (22) catches the ball during a pre-game warm-up.
Kevin R. Wexler – The Record / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Green Bay Packers don't have as strong of a cornerback situation as they probably thought during the offseason. General manager Brian Gutekunst decided not to add an external cornerback to compete for a starting job, and the lack of depth got exposed on Sunday, against the Minnesota Vikings, when Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine couldn't play.

Obviously, any team would suffer without two of its top four cornerbacks, especially without a star player like Alexander. But it's curious that the Packers didn't even draft a cornerback until the seventh round — Kalen King, who's now on the practice squad.

The only active cornerbacks on the 53-man roster are Alexander, Valentine, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon, and Corey Ballentine. The team also has King, Robert Rochell, and Kamal Hadden on the practice squad.

This week, Over the Cap did a really useful exercise of evaluating which players are realistic trade targets. The focus is on players who are playing under expiring deals with bad teams (1-3 or 0-4).

So the list brings us some interesting options at cornerback, and the cost that the Packers would absorb making a deal at the trade deadline — if they do it right now, it would be slightly more, since the acquiring team absorbs a proration of the player's weekly base salary.

Five CB options for the Packers

*Cost to acquire and snaps are data collected from Over the Cap. Passer rating when targeted is from PFF.

1) Adoree' Jackson, New York Giants

  • Cost to acquire: $1.16 million
  • Snaps: 20%
  • Age: 29
  • Passer rating when targeted: 85.4

Jackson is an undersized player, so probably not exactly the type the Packers would prefer in a vacuum. But this is a different circumstance, with the team wanting a short-term solution to gain depth. The former Tennessee Titan is a good coverage boundary player, and he's cheap.


Tre'Davious White, Los Angeles Rams

  • Cost to acquire: $1.93 million
  • Snaps: 97.7%
  • Age: 29
  • Passer rating when targeted: 147.8

White is a former All-Pro player — first-team in 2019 and second-team in 2020. He's obviously not in his prime anymore, and that's why the Buffalo Bills decided to release him in March. He's not been good with the Los Angeles Rams, but the entire Rams defense has been bad, so there's a chance White could perform better in more favorable conditions. The good news is that White is still a durable player, and he's been on the field for almost every defensive snap this season for the Rams.


Jonathan Jones, New England Patriots

  • Cost to acquire: $6.98 million
  • Snaps: 64.6%
  • Age: 31
  • Passer rating when targeted: 106.6

Jones is older and more expensive, so a deal here would probably have to include the Patriots accepting to retain a significant part of his contract. Jones has a solid track record as man cornerback, which could be appealing to Jeff Hafley's defensive structure.


Troy Hill, Carolina Panthers

  • Cost to acquire: $941k
  • Snaps: 53.8%
  • Age: 33
  • Passer rating when targeted: 96.3

Hill is a useful defensive player, and the problem for him and the Packers is that he is mostly a slot piece. The Packers already have Keisean Nixon as a starter, Kalen King on the practice squad, and safeties Evan Willims and (to a lesser degree) Javon Bullard can play in the slot as well. The advantage is that the Panthers could be really motivated to acquire draft capital for an older player, and that his salary is low.


Mike Hilton, Cincinnati Bengals

  • Cost to acquire: $4.85 million
  • Snaps: 67.6%
  • Age: 30
  • Passer rating when targeted: 78.9

Hilton is probably the least likely option here for several reasons. He's older and relatively expensive, the Bengals might not be as inclined as the other teams to make a move, and he is also a slot-only defensive back. But he has been a solid piece, and would most likely be an upgrade over Keisean Nixon.