The Green Bay Packers needed a pass rusher to improve the defense. Green Bay acquired Micah Parsons in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys last week for two first round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
When Parsons was traded to the Packers, this helped the Packers Super Bowl odds and the Cowboys Super Bowl odds dropped. Green Bay's pass rush will be majorly improved with Parsons' presence on the field. However, will there still be issues with the defense even after the trade?
Green Bay Packers Insider Believes Team's Defensive Woes Could Still Arise Even After the Micah Parsons Trade
Even with the Packers getting Parsons on the roster, there will still be some questions with the defense. He no doubt helps the pass rush. However, there is a concern with the defense even with the addition of Parsons. Rob Demovsky of espn.com said,
"A few days ago, this would've been pass rusher, but then Micah Parsons entered the picture. There are still potential issues on defense, especially on the back end. They signed cornerback Nate Hobbs in free agency, and it will be him and Keisean Nixon as the base corners. Neither has ever been a true CB1, and the Packers moved on from theirs when they cut Jaire Alexander in June. Hobbs is recovering from early-August knee surgery. Next up on the depth chart are a former seventh-round pick (Carrington Valentine), a player who spent his first two seasons with the Packers as a receiver and moved to cornerback in June (Bo Melton) and a former practice squad member whose only NFL game experience is seven special teams plays last season (Kamal Hadden)."
Not having a true number one cornerback is going to hurt this defense. If there are games where Green Bay cannot sack the quarterback, the secondary could potentially get torched. Cutting Jaire Alexander no doubt hurts this football team, but he has been unable to stay healthy over the last couple of years.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has failed to address the cornerback position in the NFL Draft over the last two years. Green Bay has to face wide receivers like Justin Jefferson, D.J. Moore, and Amon-Ra St. Brown twice a year. With Nate Hobbs being the number one corner on the Packers roster, this could potentially be a hit or a miss.
As long as Parsons and others on the defensive line can get after the quarterback, they will take pressure off the secondary. However, there is a good chance that they may need to trade for a cornerback at the NFL trade deadline if this problem arises during the 2025 NFL season.