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          NFL Nation

          Packers CB Damarious Randall named NFL's Defensive Rookie of Month

          • Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterDec 3, 2015, 05:06 PM
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              Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
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          DETROIT -- Here’s another reason the Green Bay Packers need cornerback Damarious Randall for Thursday night’s game against the Lions: he’s playing his best football.

          The first-round draft pick was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for November, the league announced Thursday.

          Randall was listed as questionable for the Lions game because of knee and hamstring injuries.

          Consider what Randall did last month:

          • He became a full-time starter on the outside, relegating opening-day starter Casey Hayward to the slot position in sub packages.

          • He led all rookies with two interceptions, picking off Peyton Manning and Cam Newton in consecutive games.

          • He led the Packers with five pass breakups, giving him a team-high 12 for the season.

          • He recovered an onside kick in the first meeting with the Lions, giving the Packers a chance for a game-winning field goal.

          This at least puts the 30th overall pick in the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

          Randall became the first Packers player to win rookie of the month honors since running back Eddie Lacy in Oct. 2013. Lacy went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Randall joined Hayward as the only Packers defensive backs to win a rookie of the month award. Hayward did so in Oct. 2012 and went on to finish third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly and Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner.