Door swings open for Packers to undo costly Quinyon Mitchell mistake

The Green Bay Packers may not have admitted it, but they desperately needed cornerback help last offseason. The Philadelphia Eagles agreed and made sure to land their top targets ahead of the Packers.

They selected Quinyon Mitchell three selections before Green Bay hit the clock in the first round. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman then traded one spot ahead of the Packers to land Cooper DeJean. We may never know whether the Packers would’ve drafted DeJean, but their decision to immediately trade down was interesting, to say the least.

Mitchell and DeJean made the PFWA All-Rookie Team and are finalists for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

While Mitchell went ahead of Green Bay, there was nothing stopping general manager Brian Gutekunst from trading ahead of Philadelphia in a reverse of what happened a day later. It was no secret that the Eagles needed cornerback help, and they made it their priority to find upgrades.

A year later, the Super Bowl-bound Eagles have an elite secondary, while the Packers’ glaring cornerback issue has become even more urgent. Eric Stokes hits free agency after a disappointing season, while Jaire Alexander faces an uncertain future in Green Bay.

Fortunately, the Packers could fix that problem in this year’s draft.

Packers should pay attention as Senior Bowl star draws Quinyon Mitchell comparisons

It’s Senior Bowl week, and the Packers love drafting players who perform well in Mobile, Alabama. Mitchell began to skyrocket his draft stock by turning heads at the Senior Bowl, and ESPN’s Jordan Reid expects something similar from Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas.

“Thomas will have a Quinyon Mitchell-like week that will result in his draft stock rising into the top-20 range,” predicts Reid. “He has plenty of length at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, and Thomas’ ability as a true press man corner will shine in one-on-one drills.”

There’s a lot to love about Thomas’ potential. He was a lockdown corner at Florida State — quarterbacks were scared to throw his way. According to Pro Football Focus, he only faced 33 targets in his coverage this year, giving up just 17 completions for 141 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. That’s a passer rating of 50.2.

As Reid notes, Thomas has great length and has experience playing a lot of press coverage. Jeff Hafley used more zone than expected this season, but if the Packers improve their pass rush and add a corner like Thomas, he could start lining up with more press-man looks.

Participating in the Senior Bowl is almost a prerequisite for getting drafted by the Packers.

Last year, they selected six Senior Bowl participants, including several high picks: Jordan Morgan, Javon Bullard, MarShawn Lloyd, Evan Williams, Kitan Oladapo, and Michael Pratt.

It was a similar story in 2023. Luke Musgrave, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Karl Brooks, and Grant Dubose played in front of Packers scouts in Mobile.

Thomas might not become a finalist for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year as Mitchell has. That would place unfair expectations on him. But if he tests well and puts in a strong Senior Bowl performance, he could secure a spot high on the Packers’ draft board.

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