The lack of numbers in the short term and the lack of stability in the long term make the need at cornerback glaringly obvious for the Green Bay Packers entering the 2026 NFL draft. Even general manager Brian Gutekunst was willing to acknowledge the team's need to add players at the position via the draft and undrafted free agency.
"That's probably the group, that from a numbers perspective, where we're gonna need to add the most numbers," Gutekunst said Tuesday at his pre-draft press conference.
Later, Gutekunst said it again: "We need to add some numbers there."
In terms of a general manager spelling out a plan pre-draft, Gutekunst's comment on the cornerbacks is about as revealing as it gets. The Packers are going to add at corner in the coming days.
While the Packers return starters Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine on the perimeter and Javon Bullard in the slot, and Benjamin St-Juste arrived via free agency to add depth on the perimeter, the current numbers make the need clear. Green Bay has only six perimeter cornerbacks under contract on the 90-man offseason roster, and only one -- St-Juste -- is under contract past 2026.
The Packers haven't picked a cornerback higher than the seventh round since 2021, and the corner they picked in last year's seventh round -- Micah Robinson -- is no longer in Green Bay. While Nixon (as a low level free agent signing) and Valentine (as a seventh-round pick) have done well given their avenues of acquisition, the cornerback position is long overdue for a draft investment.
A double dip in draft picks is possible, especially considering the depth of likely fits in the middle rounds. The Packers also had several late day 3 or undrafted free agent types in Green Bay for pre-draft visits.
Mark Oldacres of Packers Wire laid out his 13 best fits at cornerback here.
The Packers only have eight picks and won't come on the clock until pick No. 52 in the second round, creating some unpredictability entering the draft. But one path is easy to envision. The Packers will use at least one pick, and maybe multiple picks, to add numbers and begin rebuilding the cornerback position long term.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers GM acknowledges need to add cornerbacks in 2026 draft