Rather, the play by Randall, whom the Green Bay Packers drafted in the first round in April, typified a hellacious beginning to training camp in which cornerbacks across the board played bullishly aggressive football. Pass deflections soared as physicality spiked, and through five days of training camp Aaron Rodgers had already thrown four interceptions in 11-on-11 action.
What the franchise may not have believed is that a pair of rookies would also contribute on the outside, which is exactly what Randall and Gunter have done through the first five practices.
Although he played safety at Arizona State, Randall adapted quickly to the position change during OTAs and gave the secondary a jolt of athleticism. He adjusted so well to the outside position that coaches are trusting him to play opposite Shields in dime packages, allowing Hayward and Hyde to man the slots.
Which is to say someone like Gunter, an undrafted free agent from Miami, is not supposed to make those plays, especially against a quarterback with Rodgers' pedigree. Yet there he was on the first day of training camp, leaping to intercept a pass down the left sideline intended for receiver Jared Abbrederis.
Gunter's interception was the first in a handful of impressive moments for a player whose size (6-foot-2, 201 pounds) is ideal but whose speed coming out of college (4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash) was not. Instead, Gunter relies on his long arms and excellent hand placement to win plays at the line of scrimmage, according to Whitt. His forceful play has received praise from receivers Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery.
Gunter, Whitt said, knows the difference between attacking the shoulders when jamming a receiver (incorrect) and targeting the breastplate (correct) to increase his margin for error. If he aims for the shoulder and misses, his palm grabs nothing but air. If he aims for the breastplate and fires wide, he still connects with the shoulder.
