The Green Bay Packers have reportedly signed cornerback Gemon Green, just a few weeks prior to the 2024 NFL Draft.
SI.com’s Bill Huber reported on Wednesday, April 10 that the Packers signed Green.
“According to a source, Green recently was cleared following shoulder surgery,” Huber wrote. “His workout in Green Bay was his first opportunity since being healthy, and he obviously did well enough to merit a longer look.”
While it’s not a blockbuster signing, it’s the first notable move the Packers have made since signing veteran kicker Greg Joseph to compete with Anders Carlson in training camp.
Packers fans have their full attention on the upcoming draft, but general manager Brian Gutekunst continues to make moves around the fringes.
Who Is Gemon Green?
Green isn’t a household name at the NFL level, but college football fans may recognize the name.
Coming out of DeSoto, Texas, Green was a 3-star high school recruit back in 2018. He had dozens of scholarship offers, including ones from top programs like Oregon, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Instead, Green decided to head up to the midwest to play for the Michigan Wolverines. It took him some time to crack the starting lineup, but stayed the course without transferring and reaped the benefits by the end of his college career.
Green did not see action as a true freshman, then played a special teams role as a sophomore. He became a starting cornerback as a junior in 2020, and by the time he went pro in 2020 he left the Wolverines with 24 career starts and an All-Big Ten honorable selection in 2022.
After falling just short of a national title, Green declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. He had solid size at 6’1″ and 183 pounds, and posted a modest Relative Athletic Score (RAS) at 6.64 out of 10.
Gemon Green is a CB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 6.64 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 744 out of 2212 CB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/k5E9LgvhYf pic.twitter.com/3HwHShxOCe
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 14, 2023
Green ultimately went undrafted before signing as a UDFA with the New York Giants. He failed to make the final 53-man roster, and hadn’t signed with another team until the Packers brought him in ahead of the 2024 draft.
Now, Green will have an opportunity to compete for a reserve/special teams role at Packers training camp.
The Packers Might Draft a Cornerback
It may not be Green Bay’s biggest need, but Gutekunst may still consider drafting a cornerback early.
Jaire Alexander is hoping to return to All-Pro form in 2024, while Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine are the two frontrunners to win the opposite outside cornerback job. Keisean Nixon was re-signed to hold down the slot role.
Still, the Packers could use some competition on the outside, especially if the team doesn’t bring Stokes back in 2025. The team appears to be doing plenty of homework on Alabama prospect Kool-Aid McKinstry, even bringing him in for a top-30 visit.
McKinstry might not be the only corner the Packers are interested in. Other cornerbacks that have been brought in on top-30 visits include Jarrian Jones out of Florida State and Ja’Quan Sheppard from Maryland.
Green was brought in ahead of the draft. Still, don’t think that will keep the Packers from taking an upgrade to compete for a starting job in this year’s draft.
