Green Bay Packers go all-in on corners with Quinten Rollins

The Green Bay Packers will have no shortage of cornerbacks when they wrap up the 2015 NFL Draft, as the team selected Miami of Ohio’s Quinten Rollins with their second round pick on Friday night. Following the selection of Damarious Randall in round one, this again proves that the Green Bay Packers will not be swayed by needs in their drafting process. For Ted Thompson, it has, and always will be, his best player available.

More from Green Bay Packers

Ted Thompson is a man of habits, and the Quinten Rollins pick shines the spotlight brightly onto that. Despite opportunities to select Eric Kendricks in round one or Paul Dawson in rounds two and three, Thompson remained steadfast is his belief that quality teams are built by selecting the top player on your board, regardless of position.

Green Bay has also had a clear prototype at cornerback, which I outlined in the week leading up to the draft. The past corners selected by Thompson left me with a prototype of a 5’11”, 194 pound prospect with primarily man-coverage skills. Both Randall and Rollins measure in at 5’11”, 195-196 pounds, each excelling in man-to-man at the college level.

Rollins is an interesting prospect because he began his NCAA career as a basketball player, playing four seasons with Miami at Ohio. Following the end of his most recent season on the hard court, he sought to use his remaining year of NCAA eligibility to return to football, which he had not played since High School. There were no guarantees, this was Rollins pushing all-in on himself.

Not only did Rollins make the team, he took home the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award. With 7 interceptions and 16 passes broken up, Rollins caught the eyes of scouts with his quick and fluid motions that followed him from basketball to football. He also flashed some raw talents in press coverage, which draws parallels to the more physical aspects of coverage in basketball.

Much like Demetri Goodson of the Packers, another recent convert between the sports, Rollins’ greatest challenges will be technique and deep speed (Rollins ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash). While I trust his decisiveness to break onto balls within his radius, experienced NFL receivers will gain an early step on him with complex routes.

The addition of Rollins is made possible by Green Bay’s first round pick because it may allow for them to ease the raw corner into action as a dime back in 2015. Some combination of Damarious Randall and Micah Hyde should man the slot corner and third safety roles, allowing for Rollins to grow under the tutelage of Joe Whitt Jr., Green Bay’s fantastic cornerbacks coach.

Should an injury hit anywhere in the secondary, the depth provided by both Goodson and Rollins will allow for the Packers to absorb the hit without much damage. This is the basis of Ted Thompson’s thinking, which shows itself openly in this pick. Thompson feels that targeting the best player available allows you to take consistent 2-point shots as opposed to swinging between layups and half-court heaves. That is how it has been for the past 10 years in Green Bay, and with picks like Rollins, this is how it will continue to be.

Next: Packers find unlikely corner in Damarious Randall

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Green Bay Packers