FOX Sports Wisconsin's Paul Imig provides complete coverage of the Packers and the 2014 NFL Draft in his 14-part preview. You can find the entire series here.
TODAY'S POSITION: Cornerbacks
Importance (1-to-10 scale): 4
On the roster
The re-signing of Sam Shields this offseason changes what otherwise could have been a need position for the Packers heading into the draft. Shields is already a very good cornerback, but he has a chance of becoming one of the NFL's lockdown corners if his development continues. With Shields back in the fold, Green Bay has a lot of depth at cornerback for the 2014 season. However, the Packers could be a year away from needing to have a couple new faces in the cornerback room ready to go.
Tramon Williams is entering the last year of his contract, as is Davon House. Williams has been a full-time starter for the past four seasons, but at age 31, even if he wasn't entering into a contract year, Green Bay would be wise to prepare for his exit. If the Packers re-sign Williams a year from now, the team should still be prepared for his play to decline and for him to be in a lesser role in 2015 and beyond than what he's had recently.
Perhaps Williams' replacement as the starter opposite Shields is already on the roster. That would be the case if Casey Hayward returns from an injury-plagued 2013 season and performs like he did as a rookie in 2012. Hayward was fantastic when healthy and seems just as capable to thrive on the outside as he did in the slot. This season will go a long way in determining whether the norm for Hayward will be what he did in 2012 or what happened in 2013.
House seemed poised for a potential breakout year last season, but it didn't happen. Now, heading into a very important fourth NFL season, House could finally live up to his potential, or he could remain stuck near the bottom of the depth chart. He's still only 24 years old, so it's not as if House doesn't have time to turn his career into a promising one. He'll have to create his own opportunities now, though.
So, what position will Micah Hyde play? Will he evenly split his time between safety and slot cornerback? Will it look more like a permanent move to safety than him playing a hybrid role? Hyde can't keep up with fast wide receivers, limiting him somewhat. The chances of Hyde ever being a starting outside cornerback are slim. However, he offers many of the traits that a safety needs, and it will be very interesting to see how the Packers use him this season.
Jarrett Bush is a veteran whose work ethic has pushed him beyond what his ceiling should have been, but he's a minimal factor in defensive game-planning. The Packers also have James Nixon, Jumal Rolle and Antonio Dennard currently on the roster.
Last five cornerbacks drafted
Philosophy at the position
General manager Ted Thompson has had so much success in finding undrafted cornerbacks that he hasn't had to spend too many early draft picks at this position. That Shields and Williams both went from undrafted players to a Super Bowl contending team's starting cornerbacks is incredibly improbable and beyond impressive.
Thompson dipped into the second round twice, striking out with Pat Lee in 2008 and connecting with Hayward in 2012. But when there are players like Shields and Williams around, it makes the necessity of using early picks on cornerbacks much less.
Day 1 name to remember (Round 1)
Bradley Roby, junior, Ohio State (5-11, 194): Roby shouldn't plan on wearing a Packers hat at the conclusion of the first round, but it could be a possible destination if he slides a bit into the second round. Roby is a very good athlete with impressive Combine results that showed he was fast, strong and could jump. There are character red flags, but Roby is a good cover corner with the potential to be great if he matures as a player and as a person.
Roby on a rocky junior season: "There are different opinions; they're entitled to their own opinions. I think I had a decent season. It wasn't what I expected. The first half of the season didn't go as I expected. Those things happen. I learned a lot from it and I got better."
Day 2 name to remember (Rounds 2-3)
Pierre Desir, senior, Lindenwood (6-1, 198): How much Lindenwood football did you see last season? Not much? That makes sense. But Desir is a very good prospect who would make for a good third- or fourth-round pick. Pairing his size with big hands, long arms and no injury history, there's a lot to like about Desir. He has good ball skills and plays the run well, but of course it wasn't like the competition he played in college was very good.
Day 3 name to remember (Rounds 4-7)
Jaylen Watkins, senior, Florida (5-11, 194): Watkins would be a fourth- or fifth-round pick at the latest. He finished his college career without sustaining any injuries and does a lot of things well at the position. However, he doesn't have that one definable characteristic that makes him stand out. Watkins could be worth a gamble early on Day 3 to add depth and more youth to the Packers' cornerback group.
FOXSports.com's draft expert Peter Schrager says:
"Roby struggled against Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis and didn't have the best Big 10 Championship game performance versus Michigan State. But he's got all the measurables, all the confidence and all the raw ability to be a starting corner in this league. He's pegged as a late first, early second-round guy -- I can see him going 21st. In terms of physical presence, Desir is a Richard Sherman clone: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, rangy and athletic. He's raw and untested, though, and doesn't have the football smarts of Sherman just yet. His technique is still a bit messy. I like Watkins a lot. Three Florida corners are going to be drafted. Watkins is a strong 5-foot-11 lockdown type that can make some plays."
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