Wide receiver Darrius Shepherd was a long shot to make the team last year. However, the undrafted free agent made the final 53-man roster and proved once again how important a strong training camp can be for an undrafted prospect. Fast forward a year later, and the North Dakota State product might be making a run at a roster spot once again.

On Sunday, head coach Matt Lafleur spoke to media following an intrasquad scrimmage and offered some positive reinforcement on what he’s seen from Shepherd in year two.

“Shep’s done an outstanding job,” said LaFleur. “I think he’s showed up, consistently separating, and has caught the ball pretty well for the most part.”

Shepherd stated that he has benefited from his experience this summer after having a year under his belt in LaFleur's offense. 

In 2019, Shepherd was new to the scheme, but he was a standout during the preseason and earned the trust of both his coaches and teammates. In four preseason matchups, he recorded 68 receiving yards on eight receptions, two of which went for touchdowns. Shepherd also put forth a strong showing as the team’s primary kick returner, averaging 22 yards on five attempts with a long of 36. Surprisingly, the Packers kept both Shepherd and a similar player in Trevor Davis. Green Bay then opted for keeping Shepherd over Davis when they dealt Davis to the Oakland Raiders for a 2020 sixth-round pick.

Shepherd saw very few snaps at the start of last season, but when he finally got his chance in a week six matchup against the Detroit Lions, the moment was too big for the UDFA.

During the second half, Shepherd fumbled a punt that was recovered by Detroit and led to a field goal. Then, at the start of the fourth quarter, the Packers were driving deep into Lions territory. Aaron Rodgers looked for Shepherd on the two-yard line, however, Shepherd failed to see the ball as it bounced off his facemask. Detroit intercepted the pass and returned it 55 yards. Ultimately, Green Bay escaped with a narrow victory over the Lions, but two huge mistakes by Shepherd were almost fatal.

Shepherd did not field another punt or see another target up until the Packers released him on October 29th. He was later resigned to the team’s practice squad and remained there for the rest of the season. Shepherd persevered. He used that haunting week six game as a learning experience and never let those misfortunes deter his NFL journey.

“After that Detroit game, I faced a lot of adversity personally and just had to overcome it,” he told the media following Sunday’s scrimmage.

Shepherd spent this past offseason catching passes from former NDSU teammate Easton Stick who is now with the Los Angeles Chargers. According to Shepherd, he looked to improve in all areas as both a receiver and returner.

While he may not have the preseason to show that he is refocused, Sheperd made two notable plays on Sunday in what will be the closest thing he gets to game action in August. First, quarterback Tim Boyle found Shepherd downfield for a 21-yard touchdown on third-and-five.  A few plays later, rookie quarterback Jordan Love connected with Shepherd for a big gain on third-and-11.

A continuation of plays like the ones he made Sunday will certainly help his chances, but Shepherd is already following a similar trajectory to the one he benefited from last season. He’s battling Reggie Begelton, Jake Kumerow, Malik Taylor, and Malik Turner for one of the last remaining receiver spots and appears to have a slight edge.

If Shepherd does survive the final cut, it would be a remarkable comeback story.