Packers Interested in Signing Playmaking Cornerback

In three seasons with Ansley, Samuel played in 46 games with 43 starts. In each of the three seasons, he had two interceptions and double-digits passes defensed.

According to Stathead, Samuel in four seasons allowed a catch rate of 59.5 percent. In four games in 2024, he allowed a career-worst 66.7 percent catch rate but a career-low 7.6 yards per target.

Using Stathead’s data, 93 cornerbacks started at least 22 games from 2021 through 2025. That’s the number of starts for Valentine since entering the NFL in 2023. Here’s how Samuel ranks with Nixon, Hobbs and Valentine. (Note: The numbers are skewed a bit because of the extensive slot histories of Nixon and Hobbs.)

Completion percentage: Samuel, 39th, 59.5. Nixon, 86th, 66.7 percent; Hobbs, 90th, 70.1 percent. Valentine, 70th, 63.2.

Yards per catch: Samuel, 82nd, 13.0. Nixon, 6th, 9.8. Hobbs, 10th, 9.9. Valentine, 54th, 12.2.

Yards per target: Samuel, 78th, 7.8. Nixon, 20th, 6.5. Hobbs, 40th, 7.0. Valentine, 72nd, 7.7.

Passer rating: Samuel, 60th, 92.3. Nixon, 59th, 92.0. Hobbs, 87th, 104.5. Valentine, 53rd, 91.2.

Missed tackles: Samuel, 83rd, 13.3 percent. Nixon, 47th, 9.6 percent. Hobbs, 53rd, 11.7 percent. Valentine, 48th, 9.7 percent.

The numbers show Samuel is a playmaking cornerback though not necessarily a lockdown corner. He’s also a bad tackler.

Samuel has been almost exclusively a perimeter corner. He’s played 40 snaps in the slot.

The Packers’ primary defensive back grouping has had Nixon and Hobbs as the corners with Javon Bullard in the slot. Hobbs, however, was replaced in the starting lineup by Valentine the last two games, and that will continue with Hobbs out for at least a couple games with a minor knee injury.

Without the benefit of offseason practices of training camp, this would not be the time to try Samuel in the slot. His tackling issues and lack of heft probably wouldn’t make him a good fit there, anyway. 

That means one player between Nixon, Hobbs and Valentine would be the odd man out and someone would have to move to the nickel position. Nixon and Hobbs have extensive slot experience, but not this season. According to PFF, Hobbs has played 38 snaps in the slot and Nixon has played three.

Samuel’s father, Asante Samuel Sr., was a fourth-round pick and the 120th overall selection in 2003. He finished his career with 51 interceptions, including league-high totals in 2006 and 2009. Asante Samuel Jr. was a second-round pick and the 47th overall selection in 2021.

They were not particularly close.

“People say, ‘Oh, he’s the son of Asante Samuel, so of course,’” Samuel Jr. said after he was drafted. “That’s kind of giving to his legacy and taking away from mine.… For some people, it’s like I’m trying to live off his name.”

The younger Samuel is a bit short at 5-foot-10 1/8 and undersized at 180 pounds, as measured at the 2021 Scouting Combine, but he ran his 40 in 4.41 seconds. His Relative Athletic Score was 7.46. He had four interceptions and 33 passes defensed in 32 career games at Florida State. That penchant for breaking up passes followed him to the NFL.

https://x.com/MathBomb/status/1382672553517350921

“I’ll never be the biggest, or even the fastest guy on the field, and I know that,” Samuel told Yahoo! after opting out of the remainder of the 2020 season. “I know my technique has to be great all the time. Playing with leverage. I see undersized cornerbacks playing against big receivers and they win because they play with technique.

“I am never going to make my [lack of] size a reason to fail. A lot of people out there are way smaller than me.”