Green Bay Packers: Ladarius Gunter a sleeper at cornerback

By Keegan Matheson | May 20, 2015

It’s been the offseason of the cornerback for the Green Bay Packers. Following the departures of longtime starter Tramon Williams and the young Davon House in free agency, Ted Thompson re-stocked the position in rounds one and two of the 2015 NFL Draft. Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins will compete for prominent roles from the moment they step onto the practice field, but don’t sleep on Ladarius Gunter, the Green Bay Packers undrafted sleeper at corner.

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Gunter was projected to land around the fifth round at one point in the pre-draft process, but torpedoed his stock with a 4.69-second time in the 40-yard dash. His long speed creates obvious limitations, but an impressive physical makeup keeps Gunter in the conversation. With a broad and muscular 6’1″, 202 pound frame, he fits the image of the longer physical cornerback that is quickly becoming in vogue.

As a starter for over two seasons with the Miami Hurricanes, Gunter excelled while using an aggressive, in-your-face brand of press coverage. His physical gifts allow him to control larger receivers through the first five yards and cover many of his movement deficiencies. This makes Gunter an attractive red zone option, especially when faced with larger, more physical receivers.

His shortcomings can be seen when Gunter is left in off-man coverage or trusted to provide deep solo coverage. NFL receivers will get behind him when given the chance, leading many scouts to suggest that a shift to safety would benefit Gunter, as he displays a strong wrap-up tackling style.

In watching Gunter’s tape against Duke from 2014, I see him looking unnatural when not in press coverage. Instead of a smooth backpedal to absorb the oncoming receiver, he immediately turns and runs. This will expose him to quick curl routes by smart receivers and must be worked on. His awareness in coverage is not as natural and instinctual as you’d like to see, leaving him pigeonholed by many scouts as a strict Cover-2 corner, much like Davon House was before joining Green Bay.

House and Gunter come with nearly identical physical measurements at the position. House separates himself athletically with a 4.50-second 40-yard dash and greater agility, but was similarly viewed as a strong press corner that could be exposed in space. While House never realized his full potential in Green Bay, he does provide a blueprint for the role that Gunter could play within this scheme.

Jan 22, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad defensive corner Ladarius Gunter of Miami (27) breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Tyler Lockett of Kansas State (22) during Senior Bowl South squad practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

It’s important to have this conversation while considering the context of this Green Bay Roster, which provides several roadblocks for Gunter. Sam Shields and Casey Hayward seem likely to start, while Randall and Rollins should round out the nickel and dime packages. Don’t rule out Micah Hyde, either, as he’ll be spread evenly across Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense.

Gunter would appear to be in an uphill battle with second-year corner Demetri Goodson for a spot at the bottom of the 53-man roster. Whereas Goodson may a take surprise jump this offseason, Gunter has the potential to provide the Packers with something different at the position. In the hands of Joe Whitt Jr., who I view as one of the better positional coaches in the NFL, Gunter could click.

As is the case for most people not named Rodgers, Cobb, Nelson or Lacy, Gunter’s ticket to a roster spot will be punched on special teams. He played on coverage units at Miami and has the necessary physicality to impact downfield, which is an area where he could outshine Goodson. The road is long, but Gunter remains one of the likeliest undrafted free agents to crack this Green Bay roster and quietly impact in 2015.

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