By: Marques Eversoll
Never before had Thompson spent his first two draft picks on the same position. But he did exactly that by making Arizona State safety-turned-cornerback Damarious Randall his first-round pick at No. 30 overall, then grabbing Miami, (OH.) point-guard-turned-cornerback with his second pick at No. 62. Clearly, the Packers brass thought cornerback was a need position. Which just so happened to fit the “best player available” mantra.
Sam Shields, just one year into a four-year, $39 million extension, will start – that much we know. But who will be the other outside cornerback in the base defense? Casey Hayward played some on the perimeter as a rookie in 2012, but he’s been at his best in the slot. Perhaps Micah Hyde could get into the mix, but he’s more of a safety and slot corner himself. Which sounds a lot like Randall’s “boundary safety” position at Arizona State.
Hayward is the odds-on favorite to start opposite Shields, but perhaps someone will emerge this summer, allowing Hayward to bump into the slot where he’s proven to be most comfortable.
Rollins, the second-round pick, is an interesting option. Having only played one season of college football at Miami, Rollins picked off seven passes and was named 2014 MAC Defensive Player of the Year. He seemingly doesn’t even comprehend the word “potential” Although Rollins and Randall are relatively the same size, Rollins played more on the perimeter than Randall. It’ll be interesting to see if Rollins – in just his second of year of football post-high school – is ready to play significant time in the NFL.
It’s funny how quickly things can change in pro football. Just look at the Packers’ secondary.
A year ago prior to the draft, safety was the Packers’ No. 1 question mark. Clearly, the Packers addressed that issue and now it’s arguably the deepest position on the roster with last year’s first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Morgan Burnett, Sean Richardson and Hyde pulling double-duty as a corner/safety.
As recent as last season, cornerback was among the deepest positions on the team. The Packers likely would have put Shields, Hayward, Tramon Williams and Davon House up against anyone’s top four cover men. But unrestricted free agents Williams and House left the team for Cleveland and Jacksonville, respectively, suddenly turning a position of strength into one of uncertainty.
Much like the linebacker position hinging on Matthews, the “who’s where” question at cornerback depends heavily on Hayward. If he shows he can play outside, he’ll probably be the second starter. If one of the rookies, second-year player Demetri Goodson or even Hyde proves to be a more natural player on the perimeter, then Hayward’s time could be reduced to the nickel and dime.
Best guess: LCB Casey Hayward – RCB Sam Shields – NB Damarious Randall
Hayward has been a consistent player covering the slot and doesn’t have as much experience on an island on the perimeter, but it’s not as if it’s a completely foreign position to him. Training camp will be telling, but Hayward obviously has more experience outside on an NFL field than Randall or Rollins. (#Analysis)
Hayward graded out as the No. 9 cornerback in the NFL last season among 108 players to have played at least 25 percent of their team’s snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He had a lost 2013 season due to nagging injuries, but people forget how sensational Hayward’s rookie year was. He was targeted 74 times and allowed just 33 completions (44.6%), didn’t allow a touchdown and had six interceptions – opposing quarterbacks had a combined passer rating of 31.1. He was the No. 4 corner in the league as a rookie. Perhaps the Packers would have been more inclined to dish out the cash to House and/or Williams if they weren’t so comfortable with Hayward.
Rollins’ best shot at cracking the regular rotation would be to prove he’s the team’s next-best perimeter corner behind Shields. Hayward and Randall could man the slots, while Rollins could lock up receivers on the perimeter. That seems like a tall order, considering he’s coming off just one season of college football, but then again, he’s a four-year starter on the hardwood, who threw his hands up and gave football a try, picked off seven passes and was the best player in the conference on the defensive side of the ball. I’m not putting anything past Quinten Rollins.
But the better bet – as outlined above – is for the first-round pick, Randall, to be the nickel back, manning the slot while Hayward and Shields handle the outside in the base defense. When the Packers spent the 30th pick on Randall, it was surprising to most. First, because he wasn’t on the same list as Eric Rowe, Byron Jones, Jalen Collins and other cornerbacks to which Packers fans became familiarized. Second, because his position and college, while labeled as a safety, was awfully similar to what Hyde and Hayward have proven to be with the Packers. There’s certainly no shortage of players on the roster that can cover the slot.
This competition features a “been there, done that” guy in Hayward, a second-year player in Goodson, who was kept last summer over Jumal Rolle (who had a nice year with Houston), and then there’s Hyde. The team’s top two draft picks have a golden opportunity at their hands, but as Whitt told the media during the draft, nothing will be handed to them and the best players will play. Game on.
Marques Eversoll is on-air on SportsLine every weekday afternoon from 4:00-6:00 PM on The Fan, and he hosts the Saturday Morning Showcase every weekend 8:00-10:00 AM. Follow him on Twitter @MarquesEversoll.
