Packers sign Northwestern State CB William Hooper after tryout
By Paul Bretl
Rookie minicamp took place over the weekend for the Green Bay Packers. Along with the 13 draft picks, 12 undrafted signees, and nine returning players who were participating, the Packers also had 14 players in for tryouts. One of those tryout candidates was Northwestern State cornerback William Hooper, who has now been signed to the 90-man roster.
Before rookie minicamp began, I put together a quick breakdown of each player who was in for a tryout. From coverage to tackling to special teams, Hooper had one of the more impressive stat lines of the group.
Northwestern State is an FCS program. While there, Hooper, who measures in at 6’0″ – 185 pounds, played over 1,500 career snaps, with the majority coming on the boundary. He was a very reliable tackler, making 70 of his 75 career attempts, which resulted in him grading out quite well as a run defender by PFF’s grading system.
In coverage, Hooper allowed a career completion rate of just 45% with two interceptions. His most impressive season came in 2022 when he was targeted 71 times but allowed just 27 completions (38%) and also recorded nine pass breakups. Not to be overlooked, Hooper has nearly 300 career special teams snaps as well.
In terms of playing time at the cornerback position, we know that Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas will be on the boundary, while Keisean Nixon will start in the slot. Once Eric Stokes is healthy, he will have to be worked back in as well.
However, the Packers have typically kept six cornerbacks on the 53-man roster, and those final two spots could be up for grabs. Corey Ballentine was a core special teams player from Week 10 and on last season. Shemar Jean-Charles is a former fifth-round pick but was often inactive during the latter portion of the 2022 season. Carrington Valentine was a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft and brings special teams experience.
Kiondre Thomas, Tyrell Ford, and Benjie Franklin do not have any NFL snaps.
With the signing of Hooper, the Packers now have two roster spots that remain open on the 90-man. My guess is that it is filled by another tryout candidate. As I wrote recently, while there are a few positions that could be addressed with veteran signings, I expect the Packers to give the young players the opportunity first.