GREEN BAY, Wis. – Could the Green Bay Packers, who were buyers in free agency, become buyers again at the NFL trade deadline?

Packers 6-3. The Packers can and should view themselves as a Super Bowl contender despite their loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Jordan Love broke out of his mistake-filled rut last year. If he can do it again, the Packers are good enough to beat any team in the NFL.

New Orleans Saints are ahead 2-7. A team that’s been going nowhere fast the last few years is in freefall this season with seven straight losses and a dire salary cap outlook.

Green Bay is called “Titletown” for a reason. This is not Wild Cardville or the Seventh Seed City. If the goal is truly to win the Super Bowl, now is the time for general manager Brian Gutekunst to make a deal.

Cornerback play may not be the Packers’ biggest problem on Sunday. However, Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 18-of-22 passing. He was 11/11 on passes sent to his receivers.

Super Bowls are won by teams with great quarterbacks. So it makes sense that teams need excellent cornerbacks.

Two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander has become unreliable. When he plays, he’s usually very good. After returning from his groin injury, Alexander gave up a total of three incompletions in three games. But he was inactive for the two biggest home games of the year against Minnesota (groin) and Detroit (knee). It’s no surprise that the Packers lost both games.

When everyone is healthy, the second game with Alexander and Keisean Nixon at cornerback and Javon Bullard in the slot will be Goff and Amon-Ra in the St. Louis rematch and potential playoff game in Detroit. Will it scare Brown? Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the rematch and potential playoff game in Minneapolis?

Geno Smith, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DK Metcalf in Seattle in December? Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith in a potential playoff game in Philadelphia? Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans heading into a potential playoff game in Tampa Bay?

One team executive said Lattimore would likely be the best cornerback on the trade market. The Saints’ firing of coach Dennis Allen on Monday following a loss to the Carolina Panthers could signal a white flag of capitulation in a season that started promisingly.

Lattimore is just 28 years old in his eighth NFL season. He became a Pro Bowler for the fourth time in his career in 2021 with three interceptions and 19 passes defensed.

“Everybody knows what a pain in the ass Lattimore is,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said before beating the Saints last season.

Unlike Alexander, durability is a concern. He missed 10 games in 2022 due to a ruptured kidney and broken ribs. He missed the final seven games in 2023 with an ankle injury. He’s had some hamstring issues this year; He missed the Week 2 win over Dallas and Sunday’s loss to Carolina. He had a full workload in just four of nine games.

But when he plays, he is a top-level corner player.

He gave up a 57.6 percent catch rate for his career, according to Pro Football Focus. The only season in which quarterbacks beat him more than 60 percent of the time was 2018. He has been targeted 14 times this year alone. He gave up zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 57.1 percent catch rate for 74.4 points. He gave up 83 yards in seven games, according to PFF.

PFF credits him with just one touchdown catch from 2022 through 2024. He gave up passer ratings of 77.9 in 2023 and 58.9 in 2022.

Compare that to Green Bay’s corners. Alexander allowed a 56.0 percent catch rate and 79.9 rating, followed by Stokes with a 109.4 rating at 67.6 percent, Nixon with a 118.8 rating (a team-worst four goals) at 68.4 percent, and Nixon at 75.0 percent. Carrington Valentine followed (only four targets, 74 coverage appearances) and a 103.1 rating.

Lattimore is under contract through the 2026 season. He’ll cost a lot this year (he’s playing at least $1.21 million in the league) but he has a base salary of $16.0 million in 2025 and $16.5 million in 2026. A restructured contract could ease some of the pain for these numbers.

Forget finances and focus on football. Having Alexander and Lattimore at corner, Nixon or Bullard at the slot, and Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams or Bullard at safety might be as good as it gets in the NFL.

Gutekunst signed McKinney to the best defense in free agency and changed the face of the defense. Acquiring a top cornerback at the trade deadline could elevate a defense to a championship level.

More Green Bay Packers News

Lions are “built” for bad weather; Not packers | Packers-Lions: Report Card | Another annoying intervention | Packers-Lions: Stock report | Packers-Lions: Game story | Packers-Lions: Live updates | Packers-Lions: Highlights | Packers-Lions inactive | Three reasons why the Packers lost to the Lions