Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur (left) and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia (right) of the Green Bay Packers look on during a game against the New York Jets in October 2022.
The Green Bay Packers have taken a flier on a young cornerback after he earned a tryout with the franchise over the weekend.
Green Bay signed William Hooper on Saturday, May 6, after the team held a tryout for the defensive back during its rookie minicamp. The news was first reported by NFL insider Aaron Wilson via Twitter.
“Northwestern State defensive [back] William ‘Hoop’ Hooper signs with the #Packers after successful rookie minicamp tryout, according to one of his agencies,” Wilson wrote.
William Hooper’s Best Chance to Make Packers’ Roster is on Special Teams
GettyGreen Bay Packers special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Rich Bisaccia.
Hooper played his college football for the Northwestern State Demons in Louisiana as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
The cornerback was a regular contributor throughout his collegiate career, tallying 29 tackles and 12 passes breakups as a senior. Hooper earned second-team All-Defensive honors in the Southland Conference in 2022, per Northwestern State’s website.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Hooper as the 112th best cornerback in this class ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hooper ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and posted a 33-inch vertical during his pro day, per Justis Mosqueda of SB Nation’s Acme Packing Co. The cornerback measured at 5-feet, 10-inches tall and weighed in at 180 pounds.
“Clearly, [Hooper] must have made an impression in his short time in Title Town,” Mosqueda wrote on Saturday. “If Hooper makes the 2023 squad, it will likely be as a special teamer. It’s worth noting here that special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia (who added the title of assistant head coach this offseason) ran practices on the opening day of rookie minicamp while head coach Matt LaFleur was handling other business.”
Packers’ Secondary Remains in Need of Starting-Caliber Safety
GettyFormer Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos hit free agency in March 2023.
If Hooper does find his way onto the 53-man roster come August 30, he isn’t likely to see much time at cornerback as a rookie playing behind the likes of Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas.
Considering how well the Packers appear set at the CB position, the addition of a starting-caliber safety remains the primary objective for the secondary in Green Bay. Four-year starter Adrian Amos hit the free agent market in March after playing out his contract with the Packers last season.
Amos remains the best fit for the Packers at safety among all available free agents options, per Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus.
“The Packers added only one safety in the draft in Iowa State’s Anthony Johnson Jr. at No. 242 overall, and after investing so many resources in their defense over the past several offseasons, it wouldn’t make much sense to have a gaping hole on the back end at safety,” Spielberger wrote on May 2.
As of Sunday, the top three safeties on Green Bay’s roster included former first-round pick Darnell Savage, who could play his last season with the Packers in 2023 after the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option. Rudy Ford is listed as the other starter, while former San Francisco 49ers safety Tarvarius Moore is slotted in as Ford’s backup.