The lengthy saga surrounding Jaire Alexander and the Green Bay Packers is finally over. There was significant hope that a restructured contract could keep the oft-injured corner with the team that drafted him but ultimately those talks proved to be unsuccessful. The team's decision to part ways with the enigmatic corner now heaps a load of pressure on his former defensive teammates.
The reasoning behind the Packers' decision to move on from Alexander is crystal clear. Availability was a major issue for the former Pro Bowler. He only managed to play in 14 combined games over the last two seasons. His inability to get back onto the field during Green Bay's playoff run last season really seemed to irk head coach Matt LaFleur and his coaching staff.
The rationale behind keeping Alexander was equally as logical. He was the team's most talented cornerback when he was healthy and on the field. Any team with legitimate Super Bowl credentials like the Packers would like to have such a dynamic defensive back at their disposal for big games.
Packers to release CB Jaire Alexander. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/t7pWrBQ3Ur
— NFL (@NFL) June 9, 2025
Now it's time for GM Brian Gutekunst and everyone on the roster to turn the page. The Packers still have a lot of defensive talent to work with but their margin for error just got a lot smaller. The following three players will be under intense pressure to make up for Alexander's departure.
The Packers will need to figure where to put Nate Hobbs
Nate Hobbs was always going to play under pressure in 2025 as one of the franchise's most significant free agent signings of the offseason. Questions will now resurface in the media about where Hobbs will line up for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Hobbs started his NFL career on the outside before settling in at nickel. The Packers suddenly have a massive hole at outside corner. Hobbs could easily be the like-for-like replacement if Green Bay does not feel that Carrington Valentine is ready to fill Alexander's shoes.
Even if Hobbs stays put at nickel he will need to play like a Pro Bowler to help make up for whatever weaknesses Green Bay has on the outside. Their defensive scheme relies on above average cornerback play to give their safeties the freedom to make dynamic plays. Hobbs does not possess the upside that made Alexander a star but he is a good bet to be on the field more often. If he plays at a high level it will do wonders to keep his secondary on the right path.
Lukas Van Ness will need to create pressure
The Packers have been searching for a quality No. 2 edge rusher to play opposite Rashan Gary for years. That's why the franchise spent a first round pick on Lukas Van Ness back in the 2023 draft. It's time for the former Iowa start to pay off Green Bay's investment in his services.
Improving their pass rush is a major way in which the Packers can overcome the loss of a top-flight corner. Van Ness is not the only player capable of helping Green Bay in this regard but he's currently penciled in as the team's starter at defensive end. He'll need to rack up sacks and pressures if he wants to hold on to his spot in the starting lineup.
The Packers don't need Van Ness to turn into a superstar but they do need him to be an above-average No. 2 edge rusher if they want their defense to take a meaningful step forward. If he can flirt with double-digit sacks it could really help this defense take pressure off their mediocre cornerback talent.
Micah Robinson will need to learn quickly
Plenty of draft experts expected the Packers to use an early pick on a potential successor for Alexander at outside corner. Instead, they didn't address the position until Round 7 when they selected Micah Robinson.
The former Furman and Tulane star has good size for the position but he was a seventh-round pick for a reason. Robinson lacks the quickness to stay with good wideouts on short-range routes. He'll need to work hard to improve his technique before he can be playable at the pro level.
Subtracting Alexander from the depth chart could force him onto the field much sooner than expected. If Robinson finds himself playing meaninful downs as a rookie it could prove disastrous for the Packers' hopes of being a Super Bowl contender.
The hope in Green Bay has to be that they will move to sign another veteran to slide Robinson back onto the line between the active roster and the practice squad. If not, Alexander could face way more scrutiny than any late round pick should ever encounter.