ARLINGTON, Texas -- When the 2015 NFL draft weekend wrapped up, the Green Bay Packers felt confident they had found their shutdown cornerback of the future.
If it wasn't first-round pick Damarious Randall, then surely it would be second-rounder Quinten Rollins.
Yet when defensive coordinator Dom Capers sits down these days with his assistant coaches and decides whether to match one of his cornerbacks against the opponent's No. 1 receiver, it's someone else the Packers picked up that May 2015 weekend who's the focus of the discussion.
Enter LaDarius Gunter.
Whether it's because of injury (Rollins and veteran Sam Shields) or performance/injury (Randall), the Packers' designated shutdown cornerback -- if Capers chooses to go that route -- is a former undrafted free agent who joined that 2015 rookie class for a signing bonus of just $5,000.
Capers decided to use that shutdown corner against the New York Giants in last Sunday's NFC wild-card win, as Gunter tracked Odell Beckham Jr. for most of the game. With plenty of help -- in the form of double-teams and from Beckham himself, as he dropped a potential touchdown and at least one other pass -- Gunter and the Packers held Beckham to four catches for 28 yards and no touchdowns on 11 targets.
"Over a period of time, you gain confidence in guys who go out and do their job," Capers said of Gunter this week. "He's improved over the course of the year, so we're expecting him to step up and he has to play big for us Sunday."
Which is why if Capers decides to shadow Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant in this Sunday's divisional playoff game, he's almost certain to turn to Gunter again. At 6-foot-2, Gunter has the size to match Bryant (also 6-2) even if he lacks the speed of Randall or Rollins.
"When you draw up a corner, that's how you draw him up to look like that," Packers defensive tackle Mike Daniels said of Gunter. "And he definitely plays with that chip on his shoulder from not being drafted, and really that chip on his shoulder is what you really respect about him the most."
Still, Gunter is far from a finished product. He struggled big-time in the Week 6 game against the Cowboys, and Bryant did not even suit up that day at Lambeau Field. On back-to-back plays in the second quarter, Gunter fell down on a 42-yard deep ball to Terrance Williams and allowed Brice Butler to blow past him for a 20-yard touchdown. Later, Cole Beasley caught a 4-yard touchdown against Gunter, one of Beasley's two touchdown receptions that afternoon.
Since then, however, coaches and players alike have seen significant improvements from Gunter.
"He's a physical guy, and I think that with the coaching that he's getting that's allowing him to really reach more of his capabilities as a corner," said Packers receiver Davante Adams, who regularly faces Gunter in practice.
Where has Adams seen the biggest improvement?
"Patience," Adams said. "He came in real raw, just trying to play ball. Now he's learning more technique and [cornerbacks coach] Joe [Whitt] has really changed up the way he approaches going against different guys. I think he was kind of just playing however he wanted to; now he kind of goes based on what will work best against each guy."
Gunter is the latest undrafted free-agent cornerback find by general manager Ted Thompson and his scouting department to be developed by coach Mike McCarthy, Capers and Whitt. Tramon Williams entered the league the same way (although he didn't start his career in Green Bay) and so did Shields, who like Gunter played in college at Miami, which Thompson's top personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith attended and still likes to scout.
"I think you have to give Joe Whitt a ton of credit for the work that he's done in his room with these young players," McCarthy said. "His starting line has been at the free-agent level, and obviously results speak for themselves. And with that, our personnel department has done a great job with identifying guys that have 'it.'"
It's possible Capers and McCarthy will decide not to shadow Bryant and just let Gunter and Randall play sides. Bryant also will move into the slot, where nickel cornerback Micah Hyde would cover him.
When asked how much he would like the coaches to let him cover Bryant, Gunter simply said: "A lot."
Randall, the ultraconfident 30th overall pick of the 2015 draft, wouldn't say whether it bothered him that Gunter got the call to shadow Beckham or if he would ask to cover Bryant this week when pressed on the subject.
"We are two different type of guys," Randall said. "I mean, he's the more big, physical guy. I am more of a little, shiftier guy. We can just match up in different ways with different weapons. We've got a lot of versatility back there. We can just change up in the middle of the game. Like, if somebody is having problems with somebody, we usually change up.
"Just whenever the coaches make that decision, that's exactly what we're going to go with. Either way it goes, we've both got to go out there and play good, good football this week."