The Green Bay Packers have a variety of needs that they need to address this offseason. Of course, the position that gets the most attention and discussion among fans is wide receiver as Christian Watson tore his ACL in Week 18 and the rest of the team’s players at the position struggled with drops in 2024. However, there are also significant needs on defense that need to be addressed as well.
Defensive line is one of these as Green Bay ranked near the bottom of the league in pressure rate. To put it plainly, the Packers need far more consistent play from their edge rushers and defensive tackles. However, they currently have plenty of young players at these positions that could take a performance leap in their second year in Jeff Hafley‘s system.
The other position on defense that needs attention is cornerback, where the Packers seemed primed to lose a couple notable players this offseason.
The Green Bay Packers May Lose Eric Stokes and Jaire Alexander
When the Packers selected Eric Stokes in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, they had high hopes that he would be a cornerstone of their defense for years to come. And while he had a productive rookie season, he spent the next two seasons of his career battling injuries. In 2024, he was serviceable, but far from the player Green Bay hoped he would be.
Due to his injury history, the Packers previously declined his fifth-year option, which means he will be a free agent when the new league year begins.
Jaire Alexander, too, has battled injuries for the better part of four seasons. He was limited to just seven games in 2024 and has played a full season’s worth of games just once since signing his massive contract.
But while injuries are understandable given the violent nature of football, what has been inexcusable has been the behavior of Green Bay’s star cornerback. In 2023, he was suspended by the Packers for conduct detrimental to the team, and this season there were rumors that the two parties were, once again, at odds.
Former Green Bay Packers OL TJ Lang Took a Dig at Jaire Alexander on Social Media
Former Packers offensive lineman TJ Lang is active on X (formerly Twitter), engaging with fans and posting about his former team. He asked fans what positions they thought Green Bay should address in free agency, with multiple users commenting cornerback as a major need.
Lang responded to one post with the following:
Definitely need at least 1 reliable CB that won’t take himself out of games. Edge is also a big need
— Teej. (@TJLang70) February 14, 2025
This is a reference to Alexander pulling himself out of the Packers’ game against the Chicago Bears in the middle of the season. He was attempting to return from a torn PCL, but did not feel he could move properly.
Ever since, the rumor has been that Alexander and the Packers have disagreed on how to best treat his injury. While no one knows if this is true, the star cornerback did tell reporters after the season ended that he had nothing good to say and that he is not sure if he will be back next year.
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