Green Bay Packers: A Scout's Take on Defensive Back Eric Rowe

We are now officially just two weeks away from the 2015 NFL draft, which takes place on April 30 in Chicago.

As general manager Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers prepare for the draft and make late alterations to their draft board, their primary needs are pretty obvious.

Both the inside linebacker and cornerback positions need more quality depth and should be the areas the team is focusing on.

I tend to believe that the Packers will address those two situations fairly early in the draft and may even draft a couple of players at those positions when it's all said and done.

At the cornerback position, the Packers lost two key components of their secondary, as both Tramon Williams and Davon House moved on from the team via free agency.

Plus, the team has not yet re-signed Jarrett Bush, who is currently an unrestricted free agent. Bush can play both cornerback and safety, but his biggest role is playing on special teams.

As we get closer to the draft and focus on prospects who can help in the secondary, we see new names appearing at times in the various mock drafts at places like CBSSports.com.

For instance, Rob Rang, Dane Brugler and Pete Prisco all have defensive back Eric Rowe of Utah being selected late in the first round.

Rang and Prisco have Rowe being taken by the Saints at No. 31 overall, while Brugler has Rowe going to the Packers at No. 30.

Like Bush, Rowe can play both at cornerback and safety.

Rowe was a four-year starter at Utah, where he played safety for three years before moving to corner in 2014. In his career for the Utes, Rowe started 45 games, had 261 tackles, defended 34 passes and had three picks and three fumble recoveries.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6'1", 205-pound Rowe had a good workout. He ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and leaped 39 inches in the vertical jump. Rowe excelled in all areas of the combine overall.

NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock has Rowe tied for fifth in his latest position rankings for NFL.com.

I've had my eye on Rowe for quite a while now. In fact, I had the Packers taking Rowe in the third round in my post-free agency mock draft for the team.

When it comes to talking about draft prospects, there is no one I trust more than NFL scout Chris Landry.

Last Friday, I had an opportunity to talk with Landry on 620 WDAE's Steve Duemig Show, which was hosted by JP Peterson.

"Eric Rowe is in a good position because he has safety traits, " Landry said. "He's no better than a fourth-round-graded guy. But if you look at the safeties, there is one guy [Landon Collins of Alabama] who is worth taking in the first round.

"And there is not even a second-round-graded safety in my mind. And I think in most team's minds.

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"But people who like Eric Rowe are going to overvalue him, as in anyone who you think can play safety. If you need a safety, and you like Eric Rowe, you better not wait until the fourth round to take him, because you are not going to get him there.

"If you over-draft him and take him in the third or even in the second and pass over a better player, then that's a decision teams are going to have to make. It depends on who else is on the board and how close he is to being a better player that is not as big of a need.

"Eric is a really good player. He lacks real good suddenness. He's got questionable deep speed. But he's got press-cover ability, he's got long arms and he's got good size. I think he's a guy who has a chance to make it and contribute.

"I think the fact that he can play on the slot, play free potentially and play corner increases his value."

Time will tell where Rowe will be selected in the upcoming draft, but taking him in the first round like Rang, Brugler and Prisco have done in their mock drafts would be a case of over-drafting the former Utah star, at least according to Landry.

The bottom line is expect to see Rowe get selected on the second night of the draft in either the second or third round due to his versatility.

Perhaps even by the Packers, a team that loves players who are versatile.