Green Bay Packers: Top 15 veterans who are 25 and under
11. LaDarius Gunter, CB
The free-agent departure of Casey Hayward means there will be a lot more on this former Hurricane’s plate this coming fall especially in nickel packages where the tall corner will be asked to defend outside receivers while Damarious Randall could be asked to man the slot.
At about six-foot-two with 31.5-inch arms, Gunter has the height and length to re-route receivers and prevent them from getting behind him despite his safety-like 4.69 speed.
The undrafted free agent was arguably the most impressive rookie during pre-season play and even earned the best passing rating against among his fellow defensive backs on plays where he was targeted.
Gunter only saw nine snaps on defense during the regular season, but that was mostly due to Green Bay’s considerable depth in the secondary.
The Packers like him and didn’t think twice about letting Hayward walk. A breakout campaign could be in the offing for the 24-year-old.
10. Jake Ryan, LB
The Packers were delighted with what they saw from their fourth-round pick going into last season, as Ryan wasted no time in demonstrating his ability to get through traffic and anticipate plays.
As it turned out, the former Big Ten standout mostly delivered on his promising off-season performance by showcasing his instincts to find the football in his five starts. The one area where Ryan displayed some deficiencies was pass coverage where he’s a bit tight in hips.
Overall, the outlook is positive on the energetic inside linebacker who works hard in the film room and plays fast when going downhill to close in on ball carriers.
Next: No. 9-8