The Green Bay Packers cornerback room is full of questions as training camp approaches. They lack a legitimate number one cover corner and don’t have a lot of proven NFL depth. GM Brian Gutekunst did address the cornerback position this offseason. He signed Benjamin St-Juste in free agency and selected Brandon Cisse in the second round of this year’s draft and added Domani Jackson on day three. And yet, there is one area that the cornerbacks need to improve upon which isn’t getting as much attention as it should, and it has nothing to do with their ability to cover receivers and that is tackling.
Neither of the Packers starting cornerbacks last season were particularly good tacklers. Both Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon struggled in this area. So did the now departed Nate Hobbs although injuries limited Hobbs’ playing time and effectiveness.
Valentine likes to play press coverage and be physical off the snap of the ball. In fact, he was listed in the top five among qualified NFL cornerbacks last season by allowing just 2.0 yards of separation when targeted. But he is not known as a good tackler. According to pro-football-reference.com, Valentine missed eight tackles last season and had a missed tackle percentage of 20.5 percent. That was the worst rate on the Packers.
While Valentine was never known as a good tackler, Keisean Nixon has demonstrated he’s a capable tackler, but he has often lacked the will to sacrifice his body and actually make tackles.
The worst example of that came in the Packers playoff loss in Chicago in January. With the Packers leading, Nixon had a chance to tackle Bears running back D’Andre Swift before he reached the end zone. Instead, Nixon got out of the way and Swift scored a touchdown. The Packers lead was cut to 21-16. That touchdown helped swing the momentum of the game in Chicago’s favor.
Unfortunately, in the modern NFL with high salaries and free agency, players make “business decisions” to avoid making tackles. While fans don’t appreciate that choice at any time, a playoff game against your biggest traditional rival is definitely not the time to make a “business decision.” Needless to say, fans were angry and frustrated at Nixon’s apparent lack of effort.
Statistically, Nixon was better than Valentine when it came to tackling. Pro-football-reference.com credited him with four missed tackles in 2025 and a missed tackle percentage of 5.3 percent. The previous season, he whiffed on nine tackles and had a 9.3 percent missed tackle rate. It’s been an issue throughout his career and at the age of 29, it’s highly unlikely that Nixon will suddenly become a sure tackler.
One reason Gutekunst signed St-Juste as a free agent is his size. The former University of Minnesota star stands 6’3” and weighs 200 pounds which makes him big for a cornerback. Last season, St-Juste made 27 total tackles and was not credited with any missed tackles by pro-football-reference.com. He also contributed on special teams. It is possible St-Juste could give the Packers depth and better tackling at the position.
It remains unclear how much Cisse will play on defense as a rookie although he appears to be the heir apparent at the position once he gets up to speed in the NFL. He stands 6’0” and weighs 190 pounds. According to scouting reports, he is a willing tackler and played the run well in college. He did need to improve his ability to wrap up and finish tackles rather than just putting a shoulder on a ball carrier.
Many great cornerbacks have not been great tacklers. But good teams should have at least one regular cornerback who can be a reliable tackler and help defend the run. No doubt, the Packers need an upgrade in this area in 2026. We’ll see if the changes Gutekunst made this offseason help the team in this area.