Stats show Keisean Nixon's big improvement in 2024 and value he brings to Packers defense

USA Today

19-07-2025

Keisean Nixon has had quite the rise after three years in the wilderness with the Raiders, becoming an All-Pro kick returner for the Packers and eventually a full-time cornerback.
He enters 2025 firmly in the starting rotation in Green Bay, and the numbers show just how far Nixon has come in his three years with the Packers. Here is his complete statistical profile:
Strengths
Given the winding career Nixon has had, and the fact he only has two years of close to full time defensive snaps to analyze, it feels unfair to expect him to have established many consistent strengths, and there are only a couple of statistical areas he has excelled in year on year.
Among qualified cornerbacks since 2022, Nixon ranks in the 92nd percentile for stops per game, which are tackles resulting in a failure for the offense. Nixon has been an active and impactful run defender, which is an underrated skill set in a corner.
He was unleashed as a blitzer in 2024, and repaid the Packers' faith, grading out as the best in the NFL at his position in terms of hurries and hits per pass rush opportunity, sacks per opportunity and PFFs pass rush productivity (PRP) metric.
Nixon was the most dangerous blitzing corner in the league, putting up nine pressures and three sacks. He also had a pair of sacks in 2023.
Weaknesses
While Nixon has been a playable cornerback, which as a former vet minimum free agent pickup, is a success in itself, he is not a Pro Bowler by any means, and has struggled compared to his peers in various advanced metrics, at least until 2024 (more on that later).
Since 2022, he ranks in the 22nd percentile or worse in snaps per reception allowed (S/REC), reception percentage allowed (REC%) and forced incompletion rate (FI%). He has been consistently below average in NFL passer rating allowed (NFLPR) as well.
In particular, he has struggled in zone coverage, ranking in the 28th percentile or lower in NFLPR, FI%, S/REC and REC% since 2022.
Green Bay kicked Nixon from the slot to the boundary midway through 2024, and the move was justified, as he has not fared too well inside, at least according to the numbers. When manning the slot, Nixon failed to rank higher than the 36th percentile in any of the stats used to build his profile.
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The good news is that Nixon has made truly remarkable progress in coverage as he has played more on defense, especially this past season.
Year on year, his Y/SNAP improved from the 10th percentile to the 38th and then the 90th in 2024, while his S/REC ranking rose from the 2nd percentile in 2022 to the 13th and then the 51st last season.
While he still graded out below average in both REC% and FI% in 2024, his rankings also improved in both metrics from 2022 to 2023 and again from 2023 to 2024. Nixon was a much better corner in man, zone, and in the slot in 2024 than he was in either of the previous two years.
On the whole, he was just a tick below an average cover corner last season, and if he plays on the perimeter more consistently in 2025, he could post even better overall numbers.
Nixon has also become a better run defender over time and has been one of the better run defending cornerbacks in the league since 2023.
In 2024, he had a career year in terms of missed tackle rate. He ranked in the 71st percentile compared to his peers, missing 9.9% of his tackles overall.
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There is only one statistical measure in which Nixon has notably declined over time, which is a very positive sign.
That statistic is penalties, which is an important one for evaluating cornerbacks, as they are one of the most commonly penalized positions, and it does reflect on their coverage ability.
After ranking in the 63rd percentile for penalties per snap in 2022, Nixon dropped slightly to the 59th percentile in 2023, before a steep decline to the 27th percentile last season. He was flagged nine times in 2024, having only drawn six penalties in the previous two years combined.
Evaluating Nixon based on where he is right now, he has turned into a slightly below average cover corner, but the added value of his prowess in run defense and as a blitzer make him a just above average cornerback in terms of the whole package he provides.
Whether he can find another gear remains to be seen, but for the $6 million per year the Packers are paying Nixon, he has returned immense value.
Having just turned 28, there is likely not a super high ceiling to be hit, but the move to the perimeter seemed to suit Nixon and could allow him to play his best football in 2025.