[tps_title]1. Safety[/tps_title]
Morgan Burnett hasn’t turned into the playmaker he was supposed to, but Ted threw a long-term deal at him before this season, so obviously he isn’t going anywhere. The bigger problem is M.D. Jennings. I wouldn’t even call him an NFL-caliber starter, but he’s back there for the Packers. That’s mostly because Ted swung and missed when he drafted Jerron McMillian in the fourth round in 2012. McMillian began the season as a starter and has since been banished to the end of the bench. The the other options on the roster are Chris Banjo and Sean Richardson. Out of all the guys I’ve mentioned here, only two were actually drafted — Burnett and McMillian. All the other guys — undrafted free agents. It’s time to go draft a guy in the first few rounds of the draft instead of trying to develop safeties who are limited athletically. Remember how that worked with Nick Collins and Darren Sharper? I do. The problem here is that, unlike 2013, when the draft was stocked with quality safeties, it won’t be in 2014.
Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is the top safety, providing he comes out after his junior season. He’s also the only safety currently rated as a first-round prospect. The problem is, he’s rated as a late first round prospect and we can all see the Packers will be picking in the middle of the first round if not higher. So do they reach for a guy like this or maybe pull a move where they trade back into the end of the first round like they did to nab Clay Matthews?
If the Packers don’t go for Clinton-Dix, there are about five safeties with second and third-round grades. My favorite of that bunch is USC’s Dion Bailey. He’s also a junior.
Bailey can tackle — he’s also played some outside linebacker — and play the pass. He has five interceptions so far this season.