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Unpacking Future Packers: No. 4, Texas A&M CB Will Lee III
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- Unpacking Future Packers: No. 4, Texas A&M CB Will Lee III
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2026 NFL draft.
Even with the addition of Benjamin St. Juste, the Green Packers need an infusion of talent at the cornerback position. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are both entering contract years. It's a position of need both in the short-term and in the long-term.
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A potential target in the 2026 NFL Draft is Will Lee III. The Texas A&M cornerback checks in at No. 4 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A three-star recruit out of Missouri, Lee started his college career at Iowa Western Community College. After two seasons at the JUCO level, Lee transferred to Kansas State for the 2023 season and recorded 42 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, eight pass deflections and two interceptions.
Lee transferred to Texas A&M for the 2024 season and recorded 42 tackles, 12 pass deflections and two interceptions. This past season, Lee recorded 50 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and eight pass deflections.
"He was the anchor of the secondary," Kannon Torres, a contributor for Aggie Yell, said. "Teams actually targeted Dezz Ricks more than Lee. That essentially tells you everything. When you’re the guy offenses are avoiding, you’re doing your job. A&M’s pass defense jumped to third in the SEC, and Lee was a big reason why, leading the team with 8 PBUs while starting all 13 games. The fan base called him “The Blanket” for a reason."
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At 6-1 with nearly 33-inch arms, Lee checks the boxes with his length and athleticism. He's feisty and does a good job of utilizing his frame to challenge wide receivers at the catch point. He’s not shy about using his length at the line of scrimmage or mid-route. He wants to make wide receivers uncomfortable. He's eager to jump slant routes and uses his length to poke the ball out. The Kansas State transfer has agile feet and the fluidity to stay attached. He plays with a lot of confidence in coverage and appears to have a quick memory.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Lee, a former track athlete, clocked a 4.52 40-yard dash. He showed off his explosiveness with a 42-inch vertical and an 11-00 broad jump. The 40 time may give people pause, but he plays faster than that time.
"He reads routes, uses his hands to disrupt timing at the line, and competes at the catch point with the kind of length and leaping ability his Combine numbers confirmed," Torres said. "He’s a premier man coverage corner who can mirror receivers on the outside and use that length to attack the catch point. The 40 time (4.52) is a legit concern against burners, but the profile is a corner who wins with length, explosion, and technique rather than recovery speed."
Lee is a physical cornerback in coverage and that tenacity shows up in run support. He's more than willing to come up and throw his body around against the run. During his final three seasons, he recorded 43 stops.
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Fit with the Packers
The Packers haven't used a Top 100 pick on a pure boundary cornerback since they selected Eric Stokes with the 29th overall pick during the 2021 NFL Draft.
That streak could end in the upcoming draft. There is a cluster of cornerbacks that the Packers could target in the third round as they look for talent to add to that room. Lee is one of those cornerbacks in that cluster.
The Texas A&M product checks the boxes. He's a lanky cornerback who has a knack for getting his hands on the ball. During his two seasons at College Station, he recorded two interceptions and 20 pass deflections.
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Like every cornerback, he's going to get beaten. That's the nature of the business. It's all about how he responds after he gets beaten. He doesn't let things snowball.
"His match technique is one of the things that flashes most on tape," Torres said. " He has impressive footwork, smooth hips, physical at the line, and he uses the sideline well to corral receivers. The JUCO-to-K-State-to-SEC path shows a guy who’s competed and won at every level. He’s a vocal leader, well-respected in the program, a culture fit because he buys in completely. In a league that’s always hunting for capable outside corners, you can plug him into a man-heavy or quarters-based defense and trust him. The run support and zone coverage need work, but the coverage ceiling is real."
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Unpacking Future Packers: No. 4, Texas A&M CB Will Lee III
