NFL Draft Profile: LSU corner Tre’Davious White could be a fit for the Packers in the slot

While the Green Bay Packers will likely be looking for a cornerback or two in the 2017 NFL Draft, one significant assumption is that they will be drafting a player to man the boundary. With Davon House back on a one-year deal and the Ariuses, — LaDarius Gunter and Damarious Randall — as the other options, the boundary could use some help.

However, with Micah Hyde departed for Buffalo, the slot is an area that the team should be looking to improve as well, since Randall and fellow 2015 draftee Quinten Rollins appear to be the top options inside. For that position, the Packers could take a look at Tre’Davious White, the LSU cornerback.

White has acceptable size for the position, measuring in at 5’ 11-1/4” and 192 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. He also has decent speed, with a 4.47 40-yard dash. However, he excels at changing directions quickly in short spaces, making him a possible slot option. His 3-cone time at the Combine was 6.90 seconds — a pretty good time that puts him pretty close to the range of Randall (6.83) and Hyde (6.78) — and he is fluid in his breaks on tape.

Another aspect of his game that might make him appealing to the Packers is the fact that he appears to function best in press-man coverage, where he can be physical and challenge receivers. That style of coverage is of course the preferred style for Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers. For more on White’s skill set, check out the video breakdown below, courtesy of Brett Kollman from Battle Red Blog, the SB Nation Houston Texans blog.

White played a number of positions at LSU, both inside and outside, and he feels that the experience of playing all over the backfield will help him in the NFL. “A lot of teams like my versatility,” White said at the Scouting Combine earlier this month. “(At LSU) you’ve got to know all three positions in the defensive backfield.”

He also remembers a specific member of the Green Bay Packers from his days as a kid. When asked about a meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs at the Combine, he mentioned talking with Al Harris, who now coaches corners for the Chiefs. “Oh man, he’s a legend,” White said. “He’s a guy I watched growing up. Green Bay Packers No. 31 with the dreads. He made a lot of clutch plays. It was a great vibe from him being able to talk some football and coverages with a guy that has done it at a high level.”

White feels that his experience and intelligence will help him at the NFL level. “They wanted to know if I really know football,” he said about some of his team visits. “I have a real high (football) IQ ... You have to be able to do it all — play on the field and be football smart.” Being able to read and predict an offense is becoming more and more critical for slot corners, so that aspect of his game, if it is as he advertises, should make him even more appealing.

Currently, White is projected to be taken late on day one or early on day two of the 2017 Draft. Teams that see him as having the ability to play on the outside might be inclined to pursue him earlier, but in Green Bay he could be a tempting option at either the 29th or — if he is still available — the 61st pick.