The Green Bay Packers have long frustrated their fanbase by ignoring the cornerback position. Instead of trying to acquire or draft a true CB1, the Packers added Nate Hobbs last offseason, a move that blew up in their faces. Entering the season with the trio of Keisean Nixon, Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine didn't work, and the Packers are now back to square one, with a desperate need to fix their CB rotation.
Yet, GM Brian Gutekunst is still denying that Green Bay needs "wholesale changes" at the position. While he admitted that the Packers need more depth, he poured cold water on the expectation that the front office will make a splash by going after a difference-maker at cornerback.
Rams' McDuffie Trade Is the Type of Move the Packers Should've Made
Green Bay's NFC rivals are not as willing to ignore an obvious need. The Los Angeles Rams traded their first-round pick in the 2026 draft to acquire All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Rams were already projected to enter the 2026 season as a frontrunner in the NFC. With this move, they are seemingly going all-in to maximize their championship window in the Matthew Stafford era.
Not only is the news of the Rams getting stronger bad for the Packers, given they are their immediate rivals, but the two are also set to play in the 2026 regular season. Los Angeles had the best offense in the NFL last season, both in terms of yards and points, but their defense, especially pass defense, was its Achilles heel. With the McDuffie addition, they will feel very good about their chances to get over the hump next season and make the Super Bowl.
The Packers obviously don't have their first-round pick in the upcoming draft because of the Micah Parsons addition, but they still have plenty of assets to be active on the trade market. They have all of their draft picks available besides their first-rounder and are stacked with young, intriguing talent. Even if they didn't have enough to acquire McDuffie, the Packers certainly have enough to land a cornerback better than Nixon and Valentine.
Since Gutekunst seemingly believes that cornerback is not among the team's biggest needs, it's unlikely that he would use a Round 2 or 3 pick on a CB. That means that the Packers will likely have to make things work by adding a depth corner in free agency or by taking a Day 3 flyer on a lower-level prospect. If McDuffie helps the Rams go all the way next season, Packers fans will remember this offseason decision by Gutekunst & Co as one that got away.