Where Rasul Douglas' 2021 season ranked among the NFL's top defensive backs
One team’s trash is another team’s treasure. That reworked idiom was precisely the case for the Green Bay Packers and cornerback Rasul Douglas in 2021. Douglas excelled with the Packers in 2021, giving hope to other players who might be looking to revive their careers with a new team. His 2021 campaign wasn’t just productive […]
One team’s trash is another team’s treasure. That reworked idiom was precisely the case for the Green Bay Packers and cornerback Rasul Douglas in 2021. Douglas excelled with the Packers in 2021, giving hope to other players who might be looking to revive their careers with a new team.
His 2021 campaign wasn’t just productive in Green Bay. Douglas put together an elite season, reestablishing himself as one of the best coverage players in the league. Despite playing primarily in the slot, Douglas earned a spot on Next Gen Stats’ top 10 coverage players of 2021.
Douglas checks in at No. 3 on the list, which is chock full of the best defensive backs in football. Below is an excerpt from the list’s author, Nick Shook on Douglas.
“The story of Douglas' 2021 season should be printed and distributed to anyone who's ever run into adversity and wondered what to do next. Douglas was without a spot on an active roster, relegated to Arizona's practice squad at the start of the season, and it took a smattering of injuries in Green Bay to buy him another shot at playing time on an NFL field. Douglas didn't waste it, stepping into the Packers' secondary and quickly proving to be an essential part of the defense, recording five interceptions and 13 passes defensed (good for a ballhawk rate of 20 percent). His ability to make timely plays on the ball pushed his targeted EPA into the top three among defenders eligible for these rankings at -22.7, and a tight-window percentage north of 29 further emphasized his ability to shut down pass catchers in coverage. Instead of toiling away in the anonymity of a practice squad, Douglas ran with his opportunity in Green Bay and showed the NFL he could be a prime-time player for the NFC's top seed. The Packers saw this and knew they had to keep him, signing him to a three-year, $21 million contract in March. That's money well-earned.”
After spending his first three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Douglas was waived by the team during final roster cuts in 2020. He was claimed by the Carolina Panthers soon thereafter, where he would last just one season.
Douglas was cut by two teams – the Raiders and Texans – prior to signing onto the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad in 2021. The Packers would then swoop in to sign Douglas as a depth piece, but injuries in the secondary would lead to significant playing time early on in the 2021 season.
Opposing quarterbacks struggled when throwing in Douglas’ direction last season. Most would come to find that targeting him wasn’t going to be a successful strategy, as he finished the season with just a 17.5% target rate.
The true mark of an elite defensive back is when quarterbacks begin to look the other way in the passing game. However, when quarterbacks did make the mistake in testing Douglas, he made sure it came with a consequence.
In Green Bay, Douglas snatched five interceptions, doubling his total through his first four years in the league. His allowed passer rating was a staggeringly low 48.5, creating all sorts of problems for offenses. Douglas’ productivity was enough to earn the first Pro Bowl honors of his career.
The Packers clearly liked what they saw out of the 27-year-old and locked him up for the next three seasons on a deal worth $21 million. Douglas has the luxury of playing in one of the best secondaries in the NFL. With Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes flanked out to his sides, Douglas and the Packers will look to give opposing quarterbacks nightmares in the 2022 season.
Featured image via Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY Network
