The Green Bay Packers entered the 2022 season thinking they had one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. Unfortunately, that was put to rest when Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage had regressive years. With the NFL Scouting Combine starting in a week, now seems like a good time to look at safety prospects the Packers could take in the upcoming draft.
After three years of being one of the most reliable players on defense, age may have caught up to Amos. Last season was arguably his worst as a Packer, and it’s possible he may have played his last snap wearing the green and gold as he heads to free agency.
Savage, on the other hand, isn’t going anywhere. Last offseason, the team picked up his fifth-year option, which includes a guaranteed salary of $7.9 million. And judging by Brian Gutekunst’s comments after the season, it doesn’t sound like Savage is going to be traded, either.
“I’m hopeful as we go into next season that we’re going to see his best,” said Gutekunst.
Even if Savage is back next season, the Packers will need someone to pair opposite him. But if Savage is going to play the nickel – like he did after his benching – then the team may want to resign Rudy Ford and bring in another veteran to sure up the backend.
Still, using a premium draft pick on a safety is highly recommended, and luckily, this year’s draft will provide plenty of options.
Here are three top prospects that I think are the best fits to solve Green Bay’s safety woes:
Brian Branch, Alabama
As the best safety prospect in the draft, it really doesn’t matter what defense he is in because Branch is going to make plays regardless. In college, Branch mostly played in the slot, where he showed an impressive ability to match up with guys man to man and fill in as a run defender. In fact, you could argue that Branch was the best run defending safety in the country. According to Pro Football Focus, he missed only four tackles in 173 career attempts and led all safeties with a 90.7 run-defense grade in 2022.
While Branch excelled in the slot, he is capable of playing more than one position. At Alabama, he aligned deep and in the box so they could employ his physical demeanor near the line scrimmage to set the edge and be an effective blitzer. In coverage, Branch has solid play recognition and ball skills, as evidenced by his 23 pass defenses over three seasons.
Deciding where to use Branch’s unique skill set will be the biggest challenge, but it shouldn’t matter when you are getting one of the most talented defensive players in the draft. His versatility and prowess to always be around the football will be coveted by a lot of teams, and hopefully, the Packers will be one of them. If he is still available, take him at no. 15 and figure the rest out later.
Alabama’s Brian Branch crashes down from the slot and gets off the block of a pulling offensive guard to make a stop in the run game.
Fun, physical player. pic.twitter.com/wXi39CbzNP
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) January 17, 2023
Christopher Smith, Georgia
Could Green Bay select a Georgia player for the third year in a row? Right now, Smith appears to be one of the best fits for what the Packers want from their safeties.
If there is one word to describe Smith, it’s rangy. This guy covered a ton of ground over the past two seasons, starting in 24 games for the Bulldogs. At 5-11, 195 pounds, Smith doesn’t have ideal size, but his instincts and playmaking more than makeup for it. Watching the tape, it’s easy to see why he was one of the top high school corners in the nation. His fluid movements and ability to react to routes helped him haul in three interceptions each of the last two seasons.
While he was recruited as a corner, Smith lined up at free safety, in the box and in the slot at Georgia. For the Packers, Smith would be great to have roaming the backend, where he could put his speed and football IQ to good use. He is also an aggressive tackler who is not afraid to come downhill and make a big hit. However, tackling is an area that needs improvement after Smith missed 14.9% of his tackle attempts during his career, per PFF. Thankfully, he is at least willing but needs to become more consistent.
Overall, Smith would be a great day-two target for Green Bay.
Could the #Packers go back to the Georgia well in this year’s draft?
Safety Christopher Smith has plenty of range to roam the backend with just a great overall feel and the production to show for it.
Here’s one of his six interceptions from the past two seasons. pic.twitter.com/QX5RQzJ0at
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) January 24, 2023
Jammie Robinson, Florida State
If the Packers are looking for experience at safety, then Robinson is their guy. In two seasons at South Carolina and two seasons at Florida State, he played 2,909 career snaps over 47 games, including 37 starts.
Robinson is NFL-ready and would also be a great chess piece to add to Green Bay’s secondary, having played a ton of snaps at different alignments. According to PFF, he played 633 snaps in the box, 759 snaps at deep safety, and 1,348 snaps in the slot during his college career. All the while, Robinson was one of the most efficient tacklers in the country, with a career missed tackle rate of 7.3%.
Tackling might be Robinson’s best attribute, but he is a do-it-all safety. On top of his sure-tackling, Robinson proved he can hold his own in coverage. He excels when playing against underneath routes near the line of scrimmage and could also fit in as a two-high safety as well.
One knock against Robinson is his lack of ball skills, though he still managed to record seven interceptions and 16 pass defenses in college. The Packers would be wise to consider Robinson on day two of the draft, as they would be getting a physical safety that could start right away.
Doing my part to catalyze a Jammie Robinson to the #Packers discourse. Could see him fitting in as a nickel or two-high safety.
Robinson is solid all around but a plus tackler. pic.twitter.com/lOH3BJY3I5
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) February 17, 2023
