Do the Packers need to add another cornerback?

The Packers continue to improve on defense, but it remains unclear whether they have enough quality depth at cornerback to make it through the entire season.

This past offseason, the Green Bay Packers made numerous bets on defense. First, they hired Jeff Hafley, a college head coach who had never called plays in the NFL, to serve as their new defensive coordinator. They then fully turned over their safety room and brought in multiple new players at linebacker, materially altering the second and third levels of the unit. And, as part of Hafley's installs, Green Bay moved to an even front, requiring the edge defenders to adjust to playing with their hand in the dirt for the first time in years.

But while those moves have understandably garnered most of the attention, the one part of the defense that the Packers barely touched might ultimately determine whether the entire experiment succeeds or fails: cornerback. All five of the corners currently on Green Bay's 53-man roster spent at least part of 2023 with the team. General manager Brian Gutekunst waited until late in the seventh round to make a meaningful addition, and that player -- Penn State's Kalen King -- presently resides on the practice squad.

Clearly, the Packers thought they had the necessary corner depth to make Hafley's defense work. Jaire Alexander has played at an All-Pro level when healthy and, despite missing a critical Week 17 game last year due to a team-issued suspension, played arguably his three best games of the season following his return. Eric Stokes finally got a clean bill of health after missing most of the past two years with injuries. Meanwhile, the coaches praised Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, and Corey Ballentine throughout the offseason.

Considering Green Bay's Super Bowl aspirations, the lack of additions at cornerback presents a risk. Teams can't turn over every position in an offseason and must make compromises somewhere. Still, given the past performance and availability of the corners, do the Packers have enough quality players at the position to keep the defense functional for the entire season? If not, who could they target to bolster the position?

The case against adding a corner