Green Bay Packers: 5 Budget free agents to target for 2021
By Joe Kipp
2. Ahkello Witherspoon, CB
There’s no question the Packers need help at the cornerback position, especially after watching Kevin King’s performance in the NFC Championship game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past January.
While Jaire Alexander is cemented in as a starter, the other side of the field remains a huge question heading into next season. King is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent and it’s highly unlikely the Packers will not re-sign him. Behind King on the depth chart is Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman.
One route Green Bay could take is signing a free agent cornerback. Ahkello Witherspoon fits the bill as a budget free agent who still has plenty of room to grow as a player. Drafted in the third round by the 49ers in 2017, Witherspoon has been solid if not spectacular. He finally put it all together in 2020, but it remains to be seen whether he was a one-year wonder. He finished the season as PFF’s No. 6 overall cornerback (subscription required).
Witherspoon has the athleticism to keep up in man coverage and the length to play on the boundary. In fact, he’s very reminiscent of King. The biggest difference is that Witherspoon likely won’t cost as much as King, and he still hasn’t played his best football yet. Like many others on this list, a one or two-year deal could be in the cards for Witherspoon.