Keisean Nixon has had a mercurial run with the Green Bay Packers. Emerging as an All-Pro kick returner, Nixon has attempted to push aside his special teams success to make a run as a top cornerback for Green Bay. But after his first season in the role didn’t go as planned, his future is a mystery as he heads into the final year of his contract.
The plans for Nixon are bound to become clearer this month, and the upcoming NFL draft could go a long way to deciding which direction it could go. But according to Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber, it’s not looking promising, as the Packers will host Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee III for a predraft visit.
A cornerback known as “The Blanket” due to his coverage ability, Lee is the fourth cornerback to have a reported visit, including Stephen F. Austin’s Charles Demmings, Akron’s Malcolm DeWalt IV, and Karon Prunty of Wake Forest, per Jon Meerdink of Acme Packing Company. But no matter who the Packers are truly interested in, Nixon has a reason to be sweating out their plans with just under two weeks left until the draft.
Keisean Nixon Facing More Pressure as Packers Host Another CB Prospect
Nixon has nobody to blame for this situation. According to Pro Football Focus, he played his highest defensive snap count (1,091) last season and earned his second-highest coverage grade at 68.7. But he also was a magnet for big plays, allowing 55 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns with an interception and 13 pass breakups on 88 targets.
Penalties were also a problem, as the 13 (two declined) flags that went against him were tied with New England’s Carlton Davis for the most in the NFL last season. This number looks worse considering Davis played in three more games during his run to the Super Bowl and may refute Nixon’s claim that he “played really good” and “held his own” against top receivers.
With Nixon also failing to do what’s best for the team after it struggled to generate much on kick returns last season, the Packers could be looking at the 2026 season as a swan song. But it also could open the door for Lee, who could be on the Packers radar as a potential fifth-round pick, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
In his scouting guide, “The Beast,” Brugler praised Lee’s 6-foot-2, 189-pound frame and ability to cover in press-man coverage. But he’s also been inconsistent, which has him more of a Day 3 pick as opposed to someone who could come off the board earlier.
“Overall, Lee has more volatility on his tape than is ideal, but he is a long, explosive athlete with the coverage instincts to find the football,” Brugler wrote. “The uneven nature of his game might make it tough to lock down a starting job, but he should get plenty of chances.”
That chance may not come in Green Bay immediately, but it could come with time. If Nixon leaves after his contract expires, the Packers may be inclined to groom Lee as Nixon’s replacement. It could also come at the expense of Carrington Valentine, who is ticketed for a starting job but also had his problems last season.
Either way, it appears the Packers have an area in mind heading into the draft, and it could spell trouble for Nixon as he prepares for what could be his final season in Green Bay.