Keisean Nixon working with Packers offense in individual drills

During Saturday’s training camp practice, instead of working out with the cornerbacks during individual position drills, Keisean Nixon was on the other side of the field working with the Green Bay Packers offense as a pass catcher.

Nixon, of course, has a playmaking presence with the ball in his hands that was on display in 2022 when he was named an All-Pro return man. He was one of just three kick returners to find the endzone last season and the only one with over 1,000 return yards, despite not taking over the return man role until about a third of the way through the season. On punts, Nixon’s 12.7 yards per return were the second-most, according to PFF.

If Nixon were to see snaps on offense this season, in all likelihood, you aren’t going to see him running routes like Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs. Instead, he will be used as a gadget-type player, getting him touches behind the line of scrimmage in space, where he has the opportunity to make plays or on screens.

With Jordan Love at quarterback, motion figures to be a much more prominent element in the Packers’ offense, giving a gadget-like player a larger role. Utilizing motion will give the motion man the opportunity to get the ball in space with a head of steam, hopefully generating some big plays, but it also forces the defense to make last-second adjustments, which can cause confusion, along with hesitation, when the ball is snapped. All it takes is a split second for a passing lane to open or a blocker to get into position. Other players who could fill this role include Jayden Reed and Tyler Goodson.

Head coach Matt LaFleur was asked back in March about using Nixon on offense, an idea Nixon approached him with as early as last season. While LaFleur is open to using Nixon in that capacity, he must first show that he can handle his already increasing workload of nickel responsibilities to go along with his role as a return man.

"“Kei’, he’s a dynamic player,” LaFleur said via Packers.com. “I was joking with him, I said, ‘Hey, you never know, there might be some opportunities offensively.’ And I know he was fired up to hear that. For us, it truly is. If he can handle it, I’ve got no problem putting him in there in some situations on offense. But got to make sure that we take care of that nickel spot first and foremost and continue to progress as a returner.”"

Once Eric Stokes returns, we will have to see how the Packers balance playing time with their top four cornerbacks, but for now, Nixon will be starting in the slot. In a relatively small sample size in 2022, with Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas on the boundary, Nixon was targeted heavily in the slot but held pass catchers to a modest 10.4 yards per catch with one interception and one pass breakup.

At this time of the year, the Packers are getting deeper into their installs, so the fact that Nixon was practicing with the pass catchers isn’t nothing, but we also aren’t at the point where we can say we will see him in this role. Step one, however, is that Nixon takes care of his primary responsibilities first.