With uncertainty around star cornerback Jaire Alexander, the Green Bay Packers are faced with a fork-in-the-road moment in their cornerback room.

Keisean Nixon outperformed expectations moving outside after spending 2023 in the slot and rightfully secured a starting role next season on the boundary. But the Packers still have questions to be answered for their other boundary corner spot, even if Alexander were to return.

Unfortunately, the Eric Stokes experience has enough writing on the wall at this point, and he doesn't seem likely to be around long term. And while Carrington Valentine certainly brings a lot of promise to the table still, the Packers could very well afford to dabble in a premier corner in the draft who could compete for a starting role.

Worst case, two starting caliber cornerbacks battle for one job, the best man comes out as starter, and the top of their depth is a player who will still play meaningful snaps but is waiting in the wings to take over at a moments notice.

The Packers without Jaire are otherwise fairly slim at cornerback depth, so regardless of who ends up starting, they could use a jolt to the top of their depth chart. 

Javon Bullard will need to make strides in coverage, but his contributions playing up at the line of scrimmage have more than earned him a starting slot role next season. It's unlikely Green Bay is looking to bring in someone to compete for Bullard's snaps.

Given the need at outside cornerback, there are two players in this year's class who would make the most sense for Green Bay to target early, who will compete for a starting role, and worst case, will still get plenty of meaningful snaps right off the bat.

Trey Amos - Ole Miss

At 6'0, 190 pounds, go ahead and check the Packers' boxes for measurables with Trey Amos.

Originally a product of the Sun Belt Conference, Amos made the jump to the SEC and casually went on to be a top corner in arguably the most competitive conference in college football.

Right away, what's noticeable about Amos is how he effectively uses his size and length to his advantage, specifically in press coverage and at the catch point.

This past season, Amos allowed a measly 54.5 passer rating when targeted, registered an 85.6 PFF coverage grade, and brought in three interceptions.

Making the case more compelling for Amos is that last season, the Packers deployed cover 3 zone coverage 33.4% of the time, more than any other coverage they used. Ole Miss is also a zone-forward defensive scheme, which has made Amos very familiar and comfortable playing in cover 3. In fact, it's where Amos is at his best.

The week-to-week consistency Amos brings, as well as against stronger opponents, offers more assurance on the type of player Green Bay would be getting. He plays physically, is able to hang with the bigger receivers, and has shown he can shuck run-blocking attempts to go stick his nose in to make a play.

However, Amos might need safety help at times because he doesn't flash much for elite closing speed when he gets beat. That said, safety help isn't an issue for the Packers, and he's still been plenty sticky in man coverage. 

In fact, per PFF, he's allowed below a 19% completion percentage on throws of at least 20 yards downfield for his career.

Which, yes, it has been a long career. Amos is a fifth-year senior, but that also means he should be closer to reaching his talent ceiling, which plays well into the Packers' interest in more "urgency" to win now. Fresh off a first-team All-SEC season, his best ball could be right around the corner for his future team.

Amos will need to ensure he isn't giving up leverage early in a route, which has been where he's tended to slip up when his physical play style gets him in trouble.

But being the ballhawk corner he is, and should the combine not be a total flop, Amos is absolutely a player worth considering in the first round of the draft. Don't be surprised if he's the Packers pick at 23, as he's likely long gone before they're on the clock again.

Maxwell Hairston - Kentucky

Similar to Amos, Maxwell Hairston brings All-SEC hardware of his own to the table. Having collected two All-SEC honors in his last two seasons, Hairston's efforts across his body of work and at the Senior Bowl have drawn a large crowd. 

Right off the bat, the three house calls in the last two seasons jump off the stat sheet, sitting comfortably next to the six interceptions over the same timeframe.

Similar to Amos, Hairston's roughly 400 snaps in zone coverage will comfortably translate into the cover 3 heavy scheme Jeff Hafley runs. If any team is going to get the most out of Hairston right off the bat, despite only 20 college starts, the Packers schematically are ideally positioned.

What makes Hairston unique in this class, and where he's most aligned with what the Packers hold near and dear in the draft, is versatility. Hairston is most impressive in zone coverage but has shown real comfort running with receivers in man and as an effective blitzer. Making him arguably one of the most scheme-versatile cornerbacks in the class.

Despite his smaller size—5'11", 179 pounds at the Senior Bowl—which may hurt the Packers' ranking of him on their board, Hairston plays much bigger and is quite impressive in making open-field tackles. He's also been effective at punching above his weight class, having forced two fumbles last season and three in his past two campaigns. 

Hairston also has the advantage of being a converted wide receiver, which allows him to play cornerback with a higher IQ. He anticipates routes extremely well, has hardly been penalized, and has shown off an ability to undercut throws as well as anyone in the class.

An overall compliment to his game is that teams were flat-out not throwing Hairston's way as much in 2024. His knack for always being around the football and understanding how to leverage the sidelines well as a boundary cornerback is dangerous to toy around with.

The concern around Hairston is the shoulder injury that cost him much of his 2024 season and seemed to have a very Jaire-esc effect on his tackling. That shouldn't instantly disqualify Hairston by any means, as no two people are the same, but adding a little muscle to his frame would go a long way, especially with his liking for a physical style of play.

Hairston would be tremendous value for the Packers in round two, but it wouldn't be a total shock to see him sneak into day one, albeit less likely.