Ranking the Packers (Nos. 83-86): Four Corners

There's some Canadian flavor with three of the four cornerbacks in Part 2 of our annual series.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In a tradition that stretches more than a decade, here is our annual ranking of the 90 players on the Green Bay Packers’ roster. This isn’t merely a look at the best players. Rather, it’s a formula that combines talent, salary, importance of the position, depth at the position and, for young players, draft positioning. More than the ranking, we hope you learn a little something about every player on the roster.

No. 86: CB DaShaun Amos (6-0, 190, 1st year, East Carolina)

Amos had one interception and 11 passes defensed at East Carolina. He went undrafted in 2017 and was released by the Giants at the end of training camp. Amos spent the last two seasons playing for Calgary’s CFL franchise. In 17 games last season, he ranked third in the CFL with five interceptions. Following the season, he had several workouts with NFL teams, and the Packers signed him to a futures contract in January.

He goes by the nickname “Famous Amos.” As he told the Calgary Stampeders’ Web site, the name dates back to his high school days in Midlothian, Va.

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“The ritual is, when you’re a new guy coming in and nobody knows you, they put your last name on a strip of tape on the front of your helmet. So they asked me what my last name was.I told them but I guess they didn’t hear me clearly. So they asked again and I spelled it out for them. And they’re: ‘Oh, you mean like the cookies! So from then on, I became Famous Amos. After that, I felt kind of obligated to eat the cookies. And, know what? They’re good.”

Why he’s got a chance: Amos ran a 4.49 40 at East Carolina’s pro day in 2017. A big year in Canada has given him critical seasoning.

No. 85: CB Will Sunderland (6-2, 196, rookie, Troy)

With imposing height, Sunderland was a four-star recruit and high school All-American coming out of Midwest City (Okla.) High School. He landed with the home-state Sooners, where he played off the bench as a safety in 2015 and 2016. He transferred to Troy for his final two seasons and moved to cornerback. He intercepted one pass in 2018 – that one clinched an upset over Nebraska – and four more in 2019, when he earned first-team all-conference honors.

Sunderland transferred from Oklahoma after being charged for second-degree burglary in Summer 2017. He was given a second chance and capitalized.

“I can play corner just like those guys that went in the first round," Sunderland told the Montgomery Advertiser after signing with the Packers as an undrafted free agent. "The only difference is that they didn't get in trouble or they just stayed at one university for more than two years. That's the only difference, but other than that I feel like I'm the better corner in the draft. Honestly, it doesn't matter what round I go in, because at the end of the day, I am going to stay in the league way longer than them."

Why he’s got a chance: Sunderland has an excellent blend of size and speed (4.51 in the 40 at Troy’s pro day). A strong senior season shows his arrow is pointed up. The Packers gave him a $7,000 signing bonus.

No. 84: CB Stanford Samuels (6-1, 187, rookie, Florida State)

Samuels III went undrafted out of Florida State, just like his father, Stanford Samuels Jr., who played in the CFL in the 2000s.

Samuels III was the 38th-ranked player in his recruiting class, a four-star recruit out of Hollywood, Fla., in 2017. In his three seasons at Florida State, he had eight interceptions.

“I try to model my game after Florida State great Jalen Ramsey. I see a lot of things he does that are similar to my game,” Samuels said at the Scouting Combine. The Combine was disastrous, though. His draft stock sank like a rock following a 4.65 40-yard dash. After going undrafted, the Packers signed him with a $7,000 bonus.

Samuels III was a 4-year-old while his dad was a sixth-year senior at FSU. The receivers took to him for some reason, and they would take turns throwing to him,” his father told Bleacher Report. “He would imitate them with the way he would make catches, and they would be amazed at how he caught the ball. He was advanced back then. You could tell he was really into the game.”

Why he’s got a chance: While the Seminoles aren’t the juggernaut of yesteryear, it’s still a big-time program that plays big-time competition. He allowed just a 50.6 percent completion rate in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.

No. 83: CB Marc-Antoine Dequoy (6-3, 198, rookie, Montreal)

Dequoy, a second-round pick in this year’s CFL Draft by Montreal, has quite a story. After graduating from high school in 2011, he sat out four of the next five seasons due to injury or other circumstances. That includes 2012, when he lost the desire to play.

“I quit it because I didn’t have the passion anymore,” Dequoy told the Toronto Sun. “I don’t know, I just felt there was something wrong. I didn’t enjoy it anymore. But that year off was the best thing that ever happened to me, because it just made me realize I still have the flame and passion in me. I would go see a football game and I’d think, ‘Oh, man, that could be me out there making some plays.’ And it just made me realize I want to still play football. Badly.”

At the University of Montreal, he played mostly safety and had six career pick-sixes. After a standout season in 2019, he was invited to the East-West Shrine Game to play against other top U.S. seniors. He practiced all week with a broken arm but wasn’t allowed to play in the game.

A second-round pick by Montreal in the CFL Draft, Dequoy will turn 26 just two days after the Packers are scheduled to start the season at Minnesota.

“Right now I'm focused on the Green Bay Packers," he told Packers.com. "My mind-set is I'm making that roster. I want to make sure I'm totally prepared. I'll wait for my chance to come, and when I get that chance to be on the field, I have to show that I know what I'm doing.”

Why he’s got a chance: At the University of Montreal’s pro day, he ran his 40 in 4.35 seconds despite battling the flu. That would have put him second among all defensive backs at this year’s Scouting Combine. With height and speed, he’s a superb developmental prospect. The Packers gave him a $7,000 signing bonus.

90 TO 1 ROSTER COUNTDOWN

Part 1 (87 to 90): FB Elijah Wellman, FB Jordan Jones, G Zack Johnson, S Henry Black

Part 2 (83 to 86): DaShaun Amos, Will Sunderland, Stanford Samuels, Marc-Antoine Dequoy