Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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"I certainly like a bunch of the guys we have on our roster right now," said Gutekunst following last weekend's NFL Draft. "I think we have a lot of versatility in our secondary group that can do most of that. Obviously Chandon Sullivan did a really, really nice job for us the times he had to go in there last year.
"Jaire can move in there, Josh Jackson can do some of that stuff, so I think we have some pretty good flexibility of guys that can play in there. And even Darnell Savage, he certainly has the skill set to do that. So I think we have a lot of quality candidates."
The nickel, traditionally referred to as the "star" position, has been essential to Green Bay's defense over the years. Charles Woodson, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde and Williams have all taken successful turns roaming the middle of the field.
Sullivan got a taste of it last year. A feel-good story who was scooped up after being cut by Philadelphia after the 2019 draft, the former undrafted free agent went on to make Green Bay's 53-man roster, garnering praise for his competitiveness and versatility.
Sullivan's rise didn't end there. Along with playing on the core special-teams units, the 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback manned the slot in the Packers' dime package. He had 30 tackles with six passes defensed and an interception in 350 defensive snaps.
"I'm really proud of him and how he stepped up in the moments that he did," Gutekunst said of Sullivan at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. "He was put in some pretty tough spots, not only for a young player but also he had to play a lot of different spots for us, whether it was safety, nickel, outside. I think he showed his versatility and I'm excited where he can go."