Rasul Douglas has taken the bulk of the slot cornerback snaps with the Green Bay Packers starting defense this summer, and as Joe Barry would tell reporters on Thursday, he has done a “phenomenal” job.
The Packers have what very well could end up being the best cornerback trio in the NFL, but prior to training camp, we didn’t exactly know who was going to play where – or how often.
Jaire Alexander may be the most natural fit for the slot, given his size and skill-set, but he will move around, more often than not following the opponent’s top receiver. Eric Stokes, meanwhile, has very little slot experience, even going back to his time at Georgia.
Both players will see slot snaps this season, but if practice is a sign of what’s to come, then that role will primarily belong to Douglas.
Like Stokes, it’s not as if Douglas has much nickel experience either. In fact, over Douglas’ first five NFL seasons, he has just 79 total slot snaps, per PFF, including just four a season ago.
However, despite the lack of experience, by all accounts, Douglas has acclimated well to the move inside.
“He has such a great feel, you know? He’s such an instinctual and aware football player,” said Barry via Packers.com. “I think you could put ‘Sul anywhere in the back end and he’d just find a way. Obviously the nickel corner position is unique, it’s different, it’s different playing inside than outside, but he’s done a phenomenal job.”
There’s a lot that comes with playing in that star cornerback role, more than just the obvious coverage responsibilities. Slot corners have to be able to play man or zone; they need to be active in the run game, which means being a willing tackler, and there will be times where that player is asked to blitz as well.
Those instincts of Douglas’ that Barry referenced were on full display a season ago. He was always around the football, even when a completion was allowed, holding his opponents to just over 10 yards per reception, which only happened 50% of the time. There were also the six pass breakups and five interceptions, two of which went for touchdowns.
Recently, Aaron Rodgers had some high praise for Douglas of his own, calling him “one of the smartest guys” that he has ever played with and that he has the same “competitive fire” that the great Charles Woodson had.
Matchups from week to week may still dictate who is in the slot against a specific team or perhaps even on a specific drive. But throughout training camp, Douglas has been the Packers’ go-to slot option, and to no surprise, he continues to play quite well.
