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Green Bay Packers find unlikely corner in Damarious Randall

By Keegan Matheson

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The Green Bay Packers selected safety Damarious Randall out of Arizona State with the 30th selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, surprising many by straying outside of the cornerback, inside linebacker and defensive line groups. In a safety class so thin, however, Green Bay Packers’ general manager Ted Thompson appears to be swimming against the tide. While many corners will be drafted and soon converted to the safety position, Randall’s premium coverage skills should help him to transition beautifully to cornerback with the Packers.

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Randall has recently gained momentum in the race for this draft’s top safety, largely due to these coverage abilities. He was most commonly considered to be a second round talent, but Thompson has traditionally taken a steadfast approach of drafting the best player available. This doesn’t mean your best player or the player atop the ESPN board. It means his.

The initial shock of the pick was brought on by his position, as Green Bay already features Morgan Burnett and 2014 first round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at safety.  Micah Hyde also brings great value moving between corner and safety, while the Packers recently matched an offer sheer on Sean Richardson to keep him in town. According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN Wisconsin, however, Green Bay has viewed him as a corner all along, and that’s where he’ll stick.

A closer look at Randall reveals a player that fits Thompson’s prototype in the secondary almost perfectly, which I profiled earlier this week. I found the Packers’ prototypical body at the position to fall in the vicinity of 5’11”, 192-194 pounds. Randall measures in at 5’11” and 196 pounds, with the man coverage skills that Green Bay’s general manager loves from a corner. I’m on to you, Thompson!

Packers fans will see some traits Micah Hyde in Damarious Randall, but the ceiling is certainly higher. Question number one will be his slotting in the defense, which will rely heavily on Green Bay’s usage of Casey Hayward. Assuming that Hayward makes the successful transition to the boundary, which he should, Randall’s lightning-quick mirroring in man-coverage will serve him well against slot receivers and opposing tight ends.

To complete the secondary, this will allow for Hyde to move between zone safety alignments and dime back duties. While I trust Hyde to be much more than that when called upon, his ability to be the Swiss Army knife across Green Bay’s defense will be critical for Dom Capers.

Nov 22, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Damarious Randall (3) intercepts a pass intended for Washington State Cougars wide receiver Robert Lewis (15) in the first quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Originally a Junior College transfer from Mesa Community College, Randall also comes with a deep background in baseball. In a similar way that Jimmy Graham has brought basketball backgrounds into style for contemporary tight ends, Earl Thomas has brought baseball backgrounds into style for safeties and corners.

As you scour over videos and scouting reports of Randall in the coming days, I’ll leave you with the one trait of his that leaps out to me: the commitment he shows to his decisions. Often times, a cornerback or safety will decide to break on a football, but be slowed by a twinge of hesitation or doubt before giving their body fully to the play. With Randall, however, once the decision has been made, nothing else exists to him.

Randall’s JuCo history and transition from safety to corner will bring pause to some fans, but don’t overlook the report from Rob Demovsky that he played safety at Arizona State because that is where the defense required it’s best player to be. While I trust Randall to tackle in open spaces, he may not come with the physicality to succeed in the box. With Clinton-Dix, Burnett and Hyde, however, his fit into this secondary may not require him to.

Just as fans of any team do, many Green Bay faithful will spend the next week convincing themselves of the merits of Damarious Randall, and there are many. Now that the initial surprise has worn, a deeper look into this prospect does reveal a player that could hold greater value to Green Bay’s defense than to others at number 30. Ted Thompson has once again bucked the trend, and by looking for a cornerback in the unlikeliest of places, found a leading candidate for Green Bay’s starting slot corner in 2015.

Next: Packers: Making the case for Wes Saxton

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