A few weeks ago, while writing about the edge rusher outlook and whether the Packers would keep only five, I posed the question: would Kingsley Enagbare be on the outside looking in, or would Brenton Cox Jr. be the odd man out? That got me thinking about another roster battle at the bottom of the depth chart—this time at cornerback.

With the official release of Jaire Alexander, the Packers’ cornerback depth chart is now extremely top-heavy. Nate Hobbs, Keisean Nixon, and Carrington Valentine are undoubtedly the top three corners on the roster. The mix-and-match of who plays outside and who plays in the slot will be sorted out during training camp and the preseason. Safety Javon Bullard will also factor into that equation with his ability to play in the slot and provide matchup flexibility.

Behind those three, however, lies a wide-open competition. I see three players competing for one likely roster spot: Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, and Micah Robinson. All three share one key trait—they’re extremely inexperienced at the NFL level.

King and Robinson were seventh-round picks of the Packers—King in 2024 and Robinson this past year. Hadden, a sixth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024, was waived after rookie camp and signed to the Packers’ practice squad three days later.

Between the three, their combined NFL experience consists of just two games—both from Hadden in 2024, where all his snaps came on special teams. The former Tennessee Volunteer was elevated for Week 4 against the Vikings (three special teams snaps) and Week 9 against the Lions (four special teams snaps). King, despite spending the entire season on the practice squad, was elevated only once and didn’t see the field. It’s worth noting that Hadden received the call-ups over King, which likely comes down to special teams ability.

And that, in all likelihood, is what will decide this roster battle too.

The fact that King didn’t get a call-up even to test his special teams chops suggests the Packers may not view him as a contributor in that phase. Hadden, while limited, has at least logged a few NFL snaps. That said, King has drawn praise from the coaching staff for his growth. Defensive pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley had this to say earlier this offseason: “I don’t wanna speak too soon—knock on wood—but he’s looking really good out there.” The former second-team All-Big Ten selection from 2023 clearly has a fan in Ansley.

Micah Robinson brings some intrigue to this battle, primarily because of his college special teams experience. The former Furman-turned-Tulane cornerback played on both kickoff and punt coverage units and seems to understand that special teams will be his path to the field early in his career

“I want to play special teams. With my skill set, I want to show them they can put me anywhere on the field and also be a low-maintenance guy. Whenever they need me, just go out there and do what I have to do,” he said during rookie camp.

Robinson brings one elite trait to the bottom of the depth chart: speed. He ran a blazing 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst highlighted this post-draft, saying:

“He doesn’t have elite size, but his speed and his ability as an athlete to stay with guys—particularly from playing off coverage, which is so hard—and he’s got great ball skills… The foot quickness, the hips, and the speed kind of overrode that and made us want to take a shot on him.”

His coverage skills may need refinement, but his raw athleticism and ball skills are traits you can’t teach. Robinson also posted impressive grades during his final season at Tulane, earning an 80.7 coverage grade and a 90.0 run defense grade from PFF—both career highs. With Green Bay’s recent struggles at corner tackling, his physicality in the run game could be a welcome addition.

As competition ramps up, it’s worth noting that Kamal Hadden received first-team reps during minicamp when Nate Hobbs missed time for personal reasons. Hadden was the first to step in with the starters—possibly due to his slight experience advantage or simply because rookies are typically brought along more slowly. Kalen King was also limited due to an injury, seen wearing a forearm cast during media-access portions of practice. It’s unclear what caused the injury, but all reports indicate he should be ready for the start of camp.

A few other names could factor into this discussion: Kahzir Brown, Tyron Herring, Gregory Junior, Isaiah Dunn, and Jonathan Baldwin help round out the cornerback room entering training camp. Of that group, Junior has the most NFL experience, having played in 10 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2022–2023, recording 17 tackles and one pass defended. If the coaching staff wanted someone with game experience they could just plug in, he would be the one.

Rookie undrafted free agent Jonathan Baldwin is another intriguing candidate. The Packers don’t typically hand out significant guarantees to UDFAs, but Baldwin received $115,000 ($15,000 signing bonus and $100,000 base salary). Green Bay has a well-earned reputation for keeping at least one UDFA on the initial 53-man roster, so Baldwin could be a strong contender.

And then there’s Bo Melton—one of minicamp’s most interesting storylines. The reserve wide receiver was cross-trained at cornerback. Initially believed to be a short-term solution due to injuries to King and Robinson, head coach Matt LaFleur later clarified that this was something they’d been considering for a while. Reporters noted that Melton looked like a natural at the position. If Green Bay decides to go very light at corner, they could rely on their top three plus Bullard in the slot, with Melton serving as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option. They could then stash some of the rest of the group on the practice squad.

That said, I think the Packers will keep five true corners, with Micah Robinson making the initial 53-man roster. Rolling with just four is just too risky a proposition, and while Melton might look the part in helmet and shorts, that’s a far cry from covering Justin Jefferson or Amon-Ra St. Brown in live action. Robinson’s speed and upside may be too valuable to expose to waivers. King and Hadden likely return to the practice squad, ready to be called up as needed throughout the season.