After early-season struggles, Nate Hobbs could be the glue to hold the secondary together amid Evan Williams loss

Reports suggest Evan Williams could miss multiple weeks for the Packers, but Green Bay may have the perfect contingency plan featuring a prized free agent acquisition.

Evan Williams rolled over, expecting to see the training staff tending to him as he writhed in pain on the field in Denver. Instead, he saw one trainer with a water bottle. The Green Bay Packers’ nascent star safety sprained his MCL on the same play Micah Parsons tore his ACL. The trainers were a bit preoccupied. But a report from ESPN puts Williams’ recovery potentially weeks away for Jeff Hafley’s defense. And while they can’t replicate Williams’ rugged playmaking on the ground, Brian Gutekunst built in the perfect backup plan when he signed Nate Hobbs this offseason.

Coincidentally, it was Hobbs’ own knee injury that scuttled his initial entry into the Packers starting lineup. He arrived at training camp as the presumed starter at cornerback opposite Keisean Nixon. He played with verve and tenacity, traits he showed on tape with the Las Vegas Raiders.

A cleanup surgery in camp was supposed to put Hobbs back for Week 1, but his recovery bled into the regular season, allowing Carrington Valentine to solidify himself in that spot. When Hobbs got well enough to play, he struggled on the boundary.

Another Hobbs injury made the decision straightforward as to who to play on the outside, but as Hobbs has gotten back to full health, Hafley has worked him into the slot in some obvious passing situations.

With the Raiders, Hobbs specialized in the slot. Despite his size at 6-foot, 195 pounds, Hobbs changes direction well, breaks with burst, and can fit the run with force. He’s a more natural cover player from the slot than Javon Bullard, though Bullard has taken a clear step forward this season as an impact nickel defender. Over the last six weeks or so, he’s been one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL.