GREEN BAY – In the wake of Jaire Alexander's shoulder injury, the Packers have signed fifth-year cornerback Rasul Douglas off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad.
A third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Douglas has recorded 178 tackles, 34 passes defensed and five interceptions in 60 regular-season games with 29 starts.
Here are five things to know about the new Packers cornerback:
1. Douglas brings size to the cornerback room.
Standing 6-foot-2, 209 pounds with 32 3/8-inch arms, Douglas was widely viewed as a great developmental cornerback when the Eagles drafted him 99th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein described Douglas as a "zone corner with press and trail ability" in his pre-draft scouting report.
2. He won a Super Bowl ring during his rookie season with the Eagles.
Douglas played 422 defensive snaps as a rookie, starting five of the 14 regular-season games he played in. He tallied 24 tackles, 11 passes defensed (which remains his career high) and two interceptions. His first career INT came during his first NFL start against the New York Giants and Eli Manning on Sept. 24, 2017. Douglas played on special teams during the Eagles' run to Super Bowl LII. He started two playoff games for Philadelphia the following year, recording 10 stops and a pass deflection. Douglas was teammates with current Packers cornerback Chandon Sullivan in Philadelphia during that same 2018 season.
3. Douglas started a career-high 11 games in Carolina last year.
Douglas had 118 tackles and five interceptions during his first three seasons with the Eagles before being among the team's final cuts last September. The Carolina Panthers claimed him off waivers the following day and Douglas proceeded to start a career-high 11 games in the Panthers' secondary. He played a career-high 821 defensive snaps and registered a career-high 62 tackles in his lone season with Carolina.
4. He's made three prior NFL stops in 2021.
Douglas' offseason began with signing with the Las Vegas Raiders as an unrestricted free agent in April, but he was released a week before final cuts. He spent the final week of training camp in Houston before being among the Texans' final cuts. He'd been a member of the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad since Sept. 3.
5. Once an under-recruited prospect, Douglas gained the attention of scouts during an impressive two-year run at West Virginia.
A native of East Orange, N.J., Douglas played two seasons at West Virginia (2015-16) after transferring from Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y. He was named NJCAA All-American First Team in 2014 after leading his team to a 10-0 record, No. 6 national ranking and a victory in the Valley of the Sun Bowl. He chose to play at West Virginia over offers from Florida State and Louisville. Douglas was named first-team All-Big 12 as a senior in 2016 after tying for the NCAA lead with eight interceptions in 13 games, returning one INT for a touchdown. He finished his Division I collegiate career with 77 tackles, nine interceptions and two forced fumbles.
