The Green Bay Packers will not have cornerback Jaire Alexander on Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings (7-8) due to a one-game suspension. With this suspension, this will be the 10th game that he has missed this season and the other nine were due to injury.
There is a way to get out of his contract before next season and that would be to trade Alexander. That will be on the table for sure this offseason, even though Jaire Alexander wants to be with the Packers for the long haul. If they were to trade him this offseason and that is a decision that general manager Brian Gutekunst would have to make, cornerback would be a position of need for them in the 2024 NFL Draft.
They have a boatload of draft picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. Green Bay would select 12th in the 2024 NFL Draft if the regular season ended today. Who are some of the cornerbacks the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The Top Cornerback that the Green Bay Packers Could Replace Jaire Alexander With is Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry
McKinstry is the top cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Green Bay could use help at the cornerback position. They traded Rasul Douglas at the trade deadline and Kelsean Nixon is more of a nickel player than a top cornerback. Kool-Aid McKinstry recorded 27 tackles, had seven pass deflections, and had zero interceptions this season.
He has given up only two plays of over 30 yards receiving in the past two seasons at Alabama. McKinstry would be a top cornerback for Green Bay right away.
Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Nate Wiggins is probably the second-best cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Throughout the season with the Clemson Tigers, he recorded 28 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, one touchdown, and six pass deflections. Wiggins is very athletic and that is what some teams look for.
Some of the strengths he has according to Pro Football Network written by Ian Cummings are:
“Long and lean cornerback with excellent efficiency of motion and disruptive range.
- Throttles up with searing closing speed and explosiveness on click-and-close reps.”
- Some of his weaknesses are according to Pro Football Network:
“Long speed, while exceptional, might not be quantifiably elite in the deep third.
- Has room to add more mass to his frame and improve his overall play strength.”
- Wiggins will be a name that the Packers do their homework on, but it would be hard to take him over Kool-Aid McKinstry unless he is already off the board and they went to go with Nate Wiggins instead.
Terrion Arnold, Alabama
Another Alabama cornerback that the Green Bay Packers will want to scout throughout the NFL Draft process. Terrion Arnold plays on the opposite side of Kool-Aid McKinstry and has been very busy this season. Arnold has recorded 61 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, five interceptions, and 11 pass deflections.
He has the talent to be a number-one cornerback not only for the Green Bay Packers but for other NFL teams as well. Green Bay internally may already be starting to find replacements for Jaire Alexander in the 2024 NFL Draft and beyond.
