Brian Gutekunst has made a name for himself during his Green Bay Packers GM tenure with his ability to find value on the margins. Whether it's through late-round draft picks, such as Zach Tom, Isaiah McDuffie, or Romeo Doubs, or free agency signings like Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs, the Packers' lead decision-maker has built a reputation as a savvy talent evaluator.
Even the best general managers, however, can miss. Green Bay's 2025 free agency class is the perfect example of that through the first four weeks of the season. The most notable bust of them all is cornerback Nate Hobbs.
Nate Hobbs Signing Isn't Working Out for Packers So Far
Hobbs already missed the majority of the training camp, coming off a knee surgery. This extended into the season, where he missed Week 1 against the Lions. Considering that he has missed at least four games in each of the last three seasons was already alarming, and this absence raised eyebrows in Titletown.
Now, with three games under his belt, those raised eyebrows have turned into frowns, as Hobbs has failed to deliver on the expectations that come with his four-year, $48 million deal.
In Week 4 tie against the Cowboys, Hobbs gave up two touchdowns in coverage, allowing four catches for 55 yards, and a 135.4 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus. It was the worst performance of the season from the 26-year-old, receiving a 61.0 overall defensive grade and a miserable 51.6 coverage grade. He also was evaluated for a concussion on Sunday night, giving him another bump in the road health-wise since his arrival.
Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Company highlighted that among the 63 cornerbacks with as many snaps as Hobbs, only 12 have a worse expected points allowed per snap, according to NFL Pro's data.
When the former Raiders defender signed that deal, many in Green Bay were hoping that he would be a clear upgrade over the frustrating Jaire Alexander. Instead, he has been a disaster, especially in coverage.
In Hobbs' defense, the Packers are playing him on the outside, rather than at nickel, where he has thrived as a Raider earlier in his career. He has significantly more experience in the slot, having played 808 snaps there over the last two seasons, compared to just 215 on the outside. The Packers, however, have been playing him almost exclusively as an outside corner, trusting Javon Bullard and Evan Williams at nickel.
Barring a serious shakeup in the secondary, Hobbs will likely have to continue on the outside due to the lack of options in Green Bay. If things don't improve soon, the decision to invest such significant resources into Hobbs will go down as one of the biggest mistakes preventing the Packers from becoming a truly elite team.