6 Packers Who Could Be Cut Before Playing a Snap

4. Kalen King, cornerback

Everyone was fascinated to see what the Packers would do personnel-wise defensively with the arrival of new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

On top of the priority list was the cornerback position, which needed to be addressed for a variety of reasons. Former first-round pick Eric Stokes has barely appeared in 12 games over the last two years and is entering a contract year in 2024. The team’s big-money player at the position – Jaire Alexander – has missed time due to injury and found himself in hot water with the team last year.

Beyond those two guys, the Packers’ group at cornerback is rather uninspiring on paper. You’ve got breakout 7th-round pick Carrington Valentine as an option with some youth and team control, but Keisean Nixon? Corey Ballentine? It’s not a group that’s going to rank on top of anyone’s preseason lists.

But the Packers really bought into the group, because the only guy we saw them draft at cornerback was Penn State’s Kalen King in the 7th round of the 2024 class. King was expected to go a lot higher than the 7th round, so Green Bay may have a steal on their hands. But if he goes out and plays well, teams may forget why they dropped his overall ranking on their boards in the first place.

Of course, he could just end up making the Green Bay roster, but this team does value a number of players highly at cornerback not only for their defensive prowess but their special teams abilities as well. King is going to have to prove his worth to special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia or the rookie may never suit up for the Packers in a real game.