GREEN BAY – Jaire Alexander might be the star of the Green Bay Packers’ secondary, but the Pro Bowl cornerback probably won’t be the “Star” of new defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s scheme.
As good as a cover man as Alexander might be – and make no mistake, the 2018 first-round pick enters his fourth NFL season as one of the league’s best – it seems highly unlikely that Barry would move Alexander inside to the slot, the spot Barry calls the “Star” position. It’s called that because the defense highlights that position as a primary playmaking location, one that soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson manned under Dom Capers from 2009 through 2012.
And while Alexander is a star player, the Packers need him to cover opposing No. 1 wide receivers, and moving him inside full-time would weaken the Packers on the outside. That doesn’t mean Alexander won’t see action at the “Star,” just as the Los Angeles Rams used their No. 1 cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, there periodically last season while Barry was on the Rams’ staff. But someone else likely will have the gig most of the time.
“Last year when I was in Los Angeles, Jalen, he kind of part-timed it. We were able to put him in there in certain gameplans or certain calls or certain situations,” Barry said. “I foresee that being the same thing here.
“That nickel/’Star’ position is such a unique spot, and it’s become so popular and so really vital in today’s football just because of all the sub-defenses that you have. So, we’re going to rep a lot of guys and a lot of guys may get opportunities. Obviously, you can only put 11 people on the field. … We’re just implementing our system, making sure our guys understand, ‘OK. We are in a situation where we have five DBs on the field, (here’s) what the two corners’ jobs are, what the two safeties’ jobs are, what the nickel-star position’s job is.
“Then, when they have an understanding of the philosophy, you can have multiple guys understand that position and play it.”
Who ultimately gets the call remains to be seen – the earlier contenders are Chandon Sullivan, who manned the slot last season, and safety Darnell Savage, whose versatile skill set makes him an intriguing option. But whoever gets the call will have to be able to toggle between various calls and responsibilities, Barry said.
“It’s a unique position because you’ve got to be able to play man, you’ve got to be able to play zone,” Barry said. “And when I say zone, you’ve got to be able to play like a linebacker almost. You’ve got to be involved in the run game and the run fits. We’ll ask our nickel to be involved in the pressure package, too. So it’s a unique position, but we’ve got a bunch of guys that are learning it just like they’re learning every aspect of the back end.”
Added defensive backs coach/defensive passing game coordinator Jerry Gray: “I think we’ve got about four or five guys and we’re going roll them through. We’ve got some good players here and that’s going to give us a chance to see how many guys can actually really dominate at that position. And eventually after it’s over, before the season starts, I think we would hone in on one or two of those guys.”
Here’s a closer look at the defensive backs as the Packers prepare for training camp, which is set to begin in full when veteran players are scheduled to report on Tuesday.:
Depth chart
20 Kevin King: CB, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, 26 years old, fifth year from Washington.
23 Jaire Alexander: CB, 5-10, 196, 24, fourth year from Louisville.
31 Adrian Amos: S, 6-0, 214, 28, seventh year from Penn State.
26 Darnell Savage: S, 5-11, 198, 23, third year from Maryland.
21 Eric Stokes: CB, 6-0, 194, 22, rookie from Georgia.
39 Chandon Sullivan: CB, 5-11, 189, 24, fourth year from Georgia State.
37 Josh Jackson: CB, 6-0, 196, 25, fourth year from Iowa.
29 Ka’dar Hollman: CB, 6-0, 196, 26, third year from Toledo.
48 Kabio Ento: CB, 6-1, 187, 25, second year from Colorado.
22 Shemar Jean-Charles: CB, 5-10, 184, 23, rookie from Appalachian St.
34 Stanford Samuels: CB, 6-1, 187, 22, first year from Florida State.
25 Will Redmond: S, 5-11, 186, 27, sixth year from Mississippi State.
36 Vernon Scott: S, 6-2, 202, 23, second year from TCU.
41 Henry Black: S, 6-0, 204, 24, second year from Baylor.
38 Innis Gaines: S, 6-1, 202, 22, rookie from TCU.
40 Christian Uphoff: S, 6-3, 209, 23, rookie from Illinois State.
Burning question
King is back – but how long will he be a starter?
The last time Packers fans saw Kevin King, he was involved in the two plays that had the greatest impact on the team’s NFC Championship Game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – giving up a 39-yard Tom Brady-to-Scotty Miller touchdown just before halftime, and being flagged for pass interference on a third down pass late in the fourth quarter, allowing the Buccaneers to run out the clock and advance to the Super Bowl.
Nevertheless, the Packers brought King back on what is essentially a one-year, $6 million deal, and he figures to start opposite Alexander – at least until Stokes, the team’s first-round pick, shows he’s ready to be a starter. That said, Gray believes that King, if healthy and at the top of his game, is a top-level starter in his own right.
“I think a lot of good football players have to go through something in order to become great. When I talk to Kevin, I talk to him about ‘Where do you want to go?'” Gray said. “The good thing is that Kevin is healthy, he’s ready to go. He wants to work. I think as defensive backs, you’ve got to have the shortest memory in the game. I don’t think he has to carry that (performance) around.”
On the rise
Alexander
As good as Alexander has become, he still is only scratching the surface. He was near dominant in the NFC title game, and having earned his first Pro Bowl selection and a second-team All-Pro nod last year, it could be just the beginning for him. Certainly, the way he finished the season was a sign of things to come, as he allowed only six completions in 17 targets for 33 yards in the final four games, including the postseason.
“I thought he had a great last game,” Gray said. “I will look and say ‘OK, where do you want to compete and where do you want to be?’ I’ve told him is his biggest problem is going to be him. ‘Right now, you’re sitting on the top of the mountain, you’re one of the top corners in this league, how do you get back there?’ He has to fight being an All-Pro right now. And that means, ‘Can I go out there and do it again?'”
Player to watch
Stokes
Among the reasons the Packers chose Stokes with their first-round pick was his rare combination of size (6-foot-0) and speed (4.29-second 40-yard dash). And Stokes showed off that speed during offseason practices, including on one memorable play where he was beaten downfield down the sideline but had the recovery speed to break up the deep ball. His coverage skills remain a work in progress, however, and the Packers’ hope is that he won’t need to use that recovery speed all that often. They’d also like to see him be more disciplined with his hands.
“It’s not a concern to me,” Gray said. “I’ve got a couple of things that I’ve done in the past. I’ve put boxing gloves on guys. Guess what? You can’t grab then, so you have to learn how to cover with your feet. Then the sky’s the limit. That’s the one thing that young guys are going to fight at the beginning because they’re used to grabbing. I’ve got to create a new habit.”
Key competition
Who are the next men up at corner, safety?
If Savage does get the call at the “Star” position, then Gray and Barry will have to figure out who’ll line up at safety alongside the veteran Amos. Both Scott and Black showed things as rookies, and it will be interesting to see if Barry holds Redmond in as high of regard as former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine appeared to.
Meanwhile at corner, Jean-Charles is an intriguing prospect as a rookie fifth-round pick who showed excellent ball skills in college, while 2018 second-round pick Josh Jackson may benefit from a new coordinator after seemingly falling out of favor with Pettine.
“I think it’s more confidence than anything (with Jackson),” Gray said. “Josh is going to be fine. The biggest thing we’ve got to make sure we get with Josh is (an understanding of), ‘Hey look, there’s a lot of good football players here, it’s going to be (about) competing.’ We’re going to compete every play. Even in practice we’re going to compete and we’ve got to make sure those guys are ready to go when they get a chance. But again, I wouldn’t discount Josh.”
