With Jaire Alexander officially out the door, everyone in the Green Bay Packers' cornerback room is being asked to step up. And one overlooked name may be quietly climbing the ladder.
Keisean Nixon, who openly declared himself Green Bay’s CB1 after last season, will now be fully thrust into that role. When he arrived in 2022, Nixon was mostly known for his return skills, having barely seen the field defensively. In fact, the 290 defensive snaps he played that first season more than doubled his total from his first three years combined.
Last season, Nixon began in the slot before moving outside after Week 4. Now, he’ll continue his climb to the top of Green Bay’s depth chart. Whether he’s ready to handle full-time No. 1 duties remains an open question.
On the other side, Carrington Valentine and Nate Hobbs are battling for the second starting spot. Valentine may be better suited to stick outside, but the Packers want to see if their new free-agent addition Hobbs can make the transition from slot to perimeter.
Javon Bullard, the 2024 second-round pick, will likely man the slot once again. Though his rookie season was up and down, Bullard may have more upside than anyone else in the Packers’ secondary if everything clicks.
Unfortunately, beyond that group, the depth chart gets thin fast—and leaves more than a few question marks heading into the summer.
That’s where Kamal Hadden enters the picture.
Kamal Hadden Standing Out in Packers OTAs
Hadden, a sixth-round pick out of Tennessee in 2023, has quietly started to turn heads during offseason workouts. At 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, he has the frame NFL teams covet for boundary corners. He’s also two years older than fellow young corner Kalen King, giving him more time to physically develop for the demands of the pro game.
During OTAs, Hadden’s play caught the attention of none other than Nixon himself, who told reporters that Hadden has been “playing outstanding.” With mandatory minicamp underway, Hadden has a golden opportunity to keep building momentum as summer grinds on.
Coming out of college, the scouting report on Hadden painted him as a big, athletic, and versatile corner capable of playing in multiple schemes. His size and ball skills make it tough for quarterbacks to complete passes in his area, as he has a knack for getting his hands on the football.
Of course, there are areas that need polishing. His straight-line speed and agility are average, which could leave him vulnerable against faster wideouts. He also needs to sharpen his effort in run support, as he has occasionally shown a tendency to get disinterested when asked to help stop the run, something offensive coordinators will try to exploit.
But the tools are there, and so is the opportunity. If Hadden can carry this strong start through training camp, he may force his way onto the field sooner rather than later.