GREEN BAY – The Packers have added another cornerback after claiming fifth-year veteran David Long Jr. off waivers from Carolina.
Long, 25, has 96 career tackles, eight passes defensed and one interception over 63 regular-season games (12 starts) spent with the Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, and Panthers.
Here are five things to know about the new Packers cornerback:
- Long started for the Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
The 5-foot-11, 196-pound cornerback was one of LA's five starting defensive backs during its 23-20 triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium.
Long recorded four tackles, all in the first half, while playing 50 defensive snaps. During that postseason run, he returned an interception for a 3-yard touchdown in the Rams' 34-11 victory over Arizona in an NFC Wild Card game.
In six career playoff games, Long has tallied 12 tackles (one for loss) and the pick-six off Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Long, current Packers cornerback Robert Rochell and long snapper Matt Orzech were all teammates on that Rams Super Bowl squad.
- Long entered the NFL as a third-round pick in 2019.
A junior entrant into the NFL Draft, Long went to LA as the 79th overall pick by the Rams. He only did the bench press (18 reps) at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine but ran a 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash with a 39½-inch vertical at Michigan's pro day.
Long went on to play in 52 regular-season games (10 starts) in LA, recording 77 tackles, seven passes defensed and one interception over four seasons. He spent the first two of those seasons with current Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who served as the Rams' assistant head coach/linebackers coach from 2017-20.
"There's some familiar calls and things like that," Long said. "That's always easy when you go to a system or defense that you're familiar with. So, just getting used to the terminology and things like that and their identity and mindset on the defense."
Long's lone regular-season INT came off quarterback Andy Dalton during the Rams' 34-14 victory over the Chicago Bears in the 2021 season opener.
- Green Bay will be Long's third NFL stop this season.
The fifth-year veteran signed with Las Vegas as an unrestricted free agent in March. He played in the Raiders' first 11 games (two starts), including a 17-13 win over the Packers in Week 5.
However, Long was released on Nov. 2 when Las Vegas signed one-time Packers linebacker Jaylon Smith. He was claimed off waivers by Carolina, reuniting Long with former Rams secondary coach Ejiro Evero.
Long made seven tackles in three appearances with the Panthers, including one start, before he was waived again on Dec. 1 to make room for receiver Mike Strachan.
"The thing about this league is it's not always black and white in terms of why things happen and why things don't," Long said. "You see a lot of guys bounce around the league that have been productive or can be productive, and I think for me it's just staying in the fight. I'm not coming into a situation where I feel like I need to be a CEO when the opportunity to make the team or to make the company is cleaning in the floors.
"I'm willing to do whatever I can or wear whatever hat. I don't really allow my ego and my pride to get in the way."
He's the fourth defensive back the Packers have claimed this season, joining former teammate Rochell, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly and safety Zayne Anderson.
- Long played with Rashan Gary and Jon Runyan at Michigan.
He was part of the same 2016 recruiting class as Gary that ranked top 10 nationally. The two were teammates with Runyan, the Packers' starting right guard who arrived in Ann Arbor a year earlier.
"We kind of grew up from boys to men at Michigan," Long said. "I've been a huge fan of his. Happy to see his success the last few years. So, to be here and be able to share the field with him is extremely cool for me."
Long started 22 of 29 games during his three seasons at Michigan, totaling 38 tackles, 17 passes defensed and three interceptions.
Nine of those passes defensed, including one INT, came during his junior campaign in 2018, which earned him an All-Big Ten first-team selection by the coaches.
- He was a four-star recruit at Loyola (Calif.) High School.
A native of Los Angeles, Long was invited to the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl following a decorated career at Loyola High.
As a senior, he caught 25 passes for 525 yards and seven touchdowns, while also recording 19 tackles, five passes defensed and one interception on defense. Long initially committed to play at Stanford but later chose Michigan over Washington.
