Damarious Randall received glowing reviews this week from head coach Mike McCarthy, a positive sign that coincides with the cornerback’s self-expressed confidence entering his third NFL season.

“If there’s one thing that really jumps out to me, it’s Damarious Randall,” McCarthy said in media interviews Wednesday. “He’s had an outstanding offseason. You can see his play at the nickel, the star position, as we call it.”

Indeed, Randall appears to be settling into an important role as the starting nickel corner. It’s no wonder since the former college free safety played the majority of his coverage manned up on slot receivers and tight ends. Randall’s instincts, ball skills and athleticism are important because opposing receivers have the entire route tree at their disposal and can go inside or out. The modern slot corner has become a premium position since pass-happy offenses and spread attacks have forced defenses to play sub packages at an ever-increasing rate.

One prominent Packers blogger suggested that Randall’s potential move inside is pejorative, a telling sign of what the Packers think of their former first-round pick. But how does it reflect negatively on Randall that the team sees him as the leading man for what’s essentially a starting position (and one that requires a unique skill set)? To insinuate it’s a demotion belies McCarthy’s unsolicited praise of Randall, as well as everything we’ve come to know about the importance of nickel corner in today’s game.

Do the Broncos think less of perennial Pro Bowler Chris Harris Jr., who also spends most of his time in the slot? Surely not. And it’s a position someone like Harris is uniquely suited to.

Could Randall become a slot specialist like Harris? At surface level, there are some bold similarities between the two players, starting with their athletic profiles:

Chris Harris

• H/W: 5-10, 194

• 40 time: 4.48

• 3-cone: 7.01

• Bench: 14 reps

• Vert: 34”

• Broad: 121 inches

• 20 shuttle: 4.2

Damarious Randall

• H/W: 5-11, 196

• 40 time: 4.46

• 3-cone: 6.83

• Bench: 14 reps

• Vert: 38”

• broad: 120 inches

• 20 shuttle: 4.07

Athletically they are very similar, and Randall even measures better in terms of straight line speed, change of direction and vertical jump. This tough, quick guy mold of slot corner is a bit of an archetype. Others over the years who come to mind Antoine Winfield and Ladarius Webb. But their successes, and include Harris as well, were predicated on more than their athletic profiles. All are/were good blitzers and tenacious against the run.

If the sense is that Randall is not one of those types, it may be helpful to return to his college tape. In his last two seasons at Arizona State, Randall showed a willingness to mix it up and turned in an impressive 177 tackles over that span. Randall was injured last season and admitted to being tentative initiating contact. When healthy, he’s never had an issue with willingness to hit, though his fundamentals have been questioned. Coming out, Randall was known for throwing his body at the ball carrier. With two years being coached up by Joe Whitt Jr., those technique lapses should hopefully dissipate.

Whoever earns the lead role as the Packers’ “star” position will be asked to cover, run support and blitz. Whether Randall is up to the challenge remains to be seen, but at least his coaches think he’s on the right track. With bigger corners like Davon House and rookie Kevin King better suited to the boundary, Randall’s potential ascension inside could make the team’s biggest weakness a year ago a sudden strength.