Paul Bretl | 7/24/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — It doesn’t seem to matter who you ask about new Packers’ cornerback Nate Hobbs; whether it’s Matt LaFleur, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, or others, you hear the same words used to describe the person and player–Hobbs is confident, full of energy, and a dog.
“Nate’s a dog, man,” said Bullard after Wednesday’s practice. “Nate comes with it every day. The energy, the swag, the enthusiasm, and just pure want to. Nate’s a guy that’s definitely going to make our team better and our secondary.”
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In only two training camp practices, that confidence and intensity that Hobbs plays with have already been palpable, and are perhaps most notable in his willingness to challenge pass catchers, which has already resulted in several plays on the ball being made.
Most notably on Day 1, Jordan Love had Josh Jacobs open near the back left corner of the end zone on a pass that had air under it. The ball hit Jacobs’ hands for what would have been a touchdown, but at the last second, Hobbs came seemingly out of nowhere to break up the play.
On Thursday, during a move-the-ball period, the offense faced a third down. Using a hard count, Love got Hobbs to jump offsides. Hobbs took responsibility for the penalty, tapping his chest, and on the very next play–now a third-and-short after the flag–he forced another pass breakup on a pass to Dontayvion Wicks that would have extended the drive.
“It was third down,” Hobbs recalled at his locker after practice, “I knew my personnel and I knew it was 87 I believe, Rome, I wanted to jump him, make him get into his route and apply the pressure on him so the quarterback knew he can’t just hold the ball, surprise him a little bit. The first hard count I didn’t go for, the second hard count, I’m like OK cool and I jumped offsides. A mistake we can’t have.
“But I knew if I was to jump offsides I had to make that (next) play to get us off the field, so I told my teammates, that’s on me, I promise I’ll make that play. That builds trust. When your teammates looking around and are like, that could lose a game, so you’ve got to know as a man you’ve got to be accountable. I just told my guys, I’ve got you all. I promise. That builds trust.”
Hobbs played his first four NFL seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders before joining the Packers this offseason as a free agent addition. Over the previous two seasons, the majority of Hobbs’ snaps have come at the nickel. But as the Packers evaluated Hobbs, they viewed him as a player who could play both inside and out.
Through offseason programs and two training camp practices, that versatility that Hobbs possesses has been on display. When the Packers are in their base 4-3 defense, the two cornerbacks on the field are Hobbs and Keisean Nixon. When the Packers are in nickel, there are times when Hobbs is still outside, and then there are others when he’s lined up as the slot defender.
As Hobbs said when he first arrived in Green Bay back in March, whatever this team needs, on or off the field, he’s ready to deliver.
“He’s done a great job,” LaFleur said of Hobbs. “You can really see the guy’s a competitor, and that’s why we loved him on tape. He’s tough. And he was primarily a nickel with the Raiders, and so it’s been pretty cool to watch him come in, played a lot more outside corner, but also we know what he can do if we want to put him inside.”
On the outside, there are unknowns and question marks when it comes to the state of the Packers’ cornerback position. But internally, as GM Brian Gutekunst has mentioned, the team feels “really good” about the room that has been constructed. A key contributor to that bullish feeling is the confidence in Hobbs, something that he also very much has in himself.
“I bring high energy,” Hobbs said when asked what he brings to the defense. “I’m a dog. You can put me anywhere on the field, against anybody, any player, any man, I’m going to stand my ground. Be on my 10 and make plays. I’m going to bring the energy. Every day I’m going to be the same guy, reliable, consistent, and electric.”