Safest, Riskiest Choices the Packers Might Consider in 2015 NFL Draft

During any given NFL draft, every team will have scout evaluations that will note whether the prospect is a safe choice or a risky choice.

The Green Bay Packers will be weighing scouting reports like those at various times in the 2015 NFL draft when it comes to selecting certain players.

Ted Thompson knows all about this regarding the drafts he has presided over since he started running the front office of the Packers in 2005.

Linebacker A.J. Hawk was considered a safe choice when he was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2006 NFL draft. Why? Hawk had a stellar career with the Ohio State Buckeyes as a three-year starter and was first-team All-Big Ten in all three of those years.

While Hawk never became one of the truly elite players in the NFL during his nine seasons in Green Bay, he was very reliable. Hawk only missed two games in all those years (144 games).

Hawk made only one Pro Bowl but did have the most tackles in team history with 1,114, and he had 19 sacks, nine interceptions, four forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

So drafting Hawk was definitely a safe selection, and it paid off handsomely for the Packers.

On the other hand, selecting defensive lineman Justin Harrell in the first round (16th pick overall) of the 2007 NFL draft was a risky pick. Why? Harrell had an injury history at Tennessee. Harrell only played in three games his senior year due to a torn left biceps tendon.

The injury history followed Harrell to Green Bay. Because of back and knee injuries, Harrell ended up playing in just seven games and had just 28 tackles in his four years in Green Bay.

That was the epitome of a risky pick that blew up in the face of Thompson and the Packers.

In the 2015 draft, the Packers will have some interesting decisions like that to make about whom to select when it's their time on the clock.

For this slideshow, I'm focusing on the inside linebacker and cornerback positions. Those two positions happen to be the two most critical areas in this draft the Packers are focusing on.

I will name the safest player who may available for the Packers to select when their time comes at those positions, and I will name the riskiest.

Safest at Inside Linebacker: Eric Kendricks (UCLA)

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Packers have the 30th pick of the first round in the 2015 draft, and if inside linebacker Eric Kendricks of UCLA is still available on the draft board, I would believe there is a reasonable chance the Packers would select him.

Kendricks would definitely be a safe pick. Why? Kendricks had a great senior season at UCLA and had a very solid career overall.

The former Bruin had 146 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, one forced fumble and three interceptions last season. Plus, he won the Butkus Award and the Lott Trophy for his play in 2014. 

In his career, Kendricks had a whopping 477 tackles, 26 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, 12 passes defended and five interceptions.

Kendricks plays the run and the pass equally well.

It's always good to get the perspective of a scout, and I had the opportunity to talk with NFL scout Chris Landry about Kendricks recently.

"Kendricks is another good player that I like a lot," Landry said. "I think he's a physical point-of-attack guy and a downhill run defender, and I think he plays well in space."

The 6'0", 232-pound Kendricks also showed off his athletic ability at the NFL Scouting Combine, as he ran a 4.61 in the 40 and recorded 38 inches in the vertical jump.

Riskiest at Inside Linebacker: Paul Dawson (TCU)

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

When it comes to being a risk for a number of reasons at the inside linebacker position, the poster child is Paul Dawson of TCU.

There is no questioning his play on the field in 2014, however. Dawson had 128 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and four interceptions last season.

But that production was clouded by the fact that Dawson had a history of being late for meetings and also not spending a lot of time becoming a student of the game.

Adding to that was his bad performance at the scouting combine. The former Horned Frog ran just a 4.93 in the 40 and leaped only 28 inches in the vertical jump.

Dawson did improve his 40 time to 4.78 at TCU's pro day late in March.

I once again was able to get the perspective of Chris Landry regarding the 6'0", 235-pound Dawson going into the upcoming draft.

"He did pretty well," Landry said speaking of Dawson's pro day performance. "I love this guy. He's just one heck of a football player. He's instinctive. He's productive. He's tough. He's a little undersized. Great quickness. Great change of direction. He's just a son of a gun.

"They [coaching staff at TCU] just don't like him over there. He's just a pain in the rear to coach. He does his own thing. He just shows up and makes plays. And he's one of those guys that you wonder about.

"He gambles a lot, and he makes a lot of plays. But he's got to be a more disciplined player. As a result, he's going to scare some people away. I don't know how far he drops. I mean if you look at him on tape, and you just look at the tape, this guy is an outstanding player.

"But I've got a shield on him, and I've got an early second-round grade on him. But he scares me. Everyone who I deal with, you just don't know what you are going to get with the guy. Plays well, yes. But to be a pro, you are going to have to do things differently than he's been able to do it."

Landry has an early-second-round grade on Dawson. If Kendricks is off the board, would the Packers take a chance on someone like Dawson late in the first round?

It certainly would be risky, but it might pay off if you look at Dawson's production on the football field in 2014.

Safest at Cornerback: Kevin Johnson (Wake Forest)

ELI LUCERO/Associated Press

With the 30th pick in the first round, the Packers won't have the opportunity to select the the top cornerback in the draft, Trae Waynes from Michigan State. He will be long gone.

But they might have the chance to grab a pretty good one when it's their time to select.

One cornerback who might be available is Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest. I would consider him to be a safe selection.

Johnson was a four-year starter with the Demon Deacons and in his career had 190 tackles, 35 passes defended, seven interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

That's a pretty good track record in a conference that has put its fair share of wide receivers in the NFL.

Chris Landry also gave me his take on the play of the 6'0", 188-pound Johnson.

"Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest I like a lot," Landry said. "If he was a little bit bigger, he would really be a high pick.

"He's a slender guy. He's got good cover skills. He has good body control. He's got some height to him. I think his on-the-field demeanor is very good."

Johnson helped himself with a solid workout at the combine, as he ran a 4.52 in the 40 and leaped 41.5 inches in the vertical jump.

Riskiest at Cornerback: Jalen Collins (LSU)

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

When it comes to possibly taking a cornerback with the 30th pick of the first round for the Packers, I would consider two prospects as being pretty risky.

The two players are Marcus Peters of Washington and Jalen Collins of LSU.

Peters was kicked off his team in 2014 by the coaching staff. That usually puts up a big red flag, but the coaches allowed Peters to come back for the team's pro day. That tells me something.

On the field, Peters had a great career as a Husky. In 34 games, Peters had 129 tackles, 35 passes defended, 11 picks, one forced fumble and three recovered fumbles.

So while the 6'0", 197-pound Peters has some issues, I consider the non-production of Collins at LSU more of a risk.

Collins played in 39 games but only had 10 starts. Most of his production came in 2014, when he had 38 tackles, 10 passes defended and one interception. In his career at LSU, Collins had just three picks.

But what the 6'1", 203-pound Collins does have is great measurables. He showed that off at the combine, where he ran the 40 in 4.48.

I had an opportunity to talk with Chris Landry about Collins as well.

"Collins is a guy who is another one of those one-year wonder guys," Landry said. "He's got rare size, speed and flexibility.

"He just had a little injury on his foot and had it noticed at the combine, and he got it fixed. I just came back; we had the LSU workout this morning at the pro day, and I just saw him over there and just spoke with him a little bit ago. The surgery went well, and he's going to be ready for minicamps.

"But this guy's got great length and can play press or off-man coverage. In terms of production, he doesn't have a lot. He actually was benched for two or three games this year and not for off-the-field issues. So, his best football is ahead of him.

"He's going to be taken, and I expect him to in the first round. Just because there is not a lot of quality at the top [at the cornerback position] and he's got the freakish ability with the height, long arms and speed."

So while there is a risk with Collins, his upside looks to be enormous.