Packers: Three veterans who are safe after the draft
By Jesse Fry
Oren Burks
Had one of the Devins (Bush or White) been there are 12, Oren Burks may not have a spot on this list. As it is, neither player was there and the Packers didn’t add to this position group until the seventh round.
We won’t know for sure if Bush or White were there if the Packers would have taken either one, but what we do know is Ty Summers was the only player of note added to the group.
It’s possible James Crawford steps into a larger role or that Josh Jones gets moved to an inside linebacker position on a full-time basis to give some more speed, but as it stands, it seems the Packers have quite a bit of faith in Burks taking that second-year leap.
Blake Martinez has improved every year he’s been with the Pack and has dedicated his offseason to improve his body and in coverage. But he has limitations with speed and in today’s NFL, speed is needed to help cover ground in the passing game.
Burks has all the physical tools that could complement Martinez’s style. He’s fast, big enough to withstand the pounding and as a converted safety, has a better understanding on where he fits in coverage. It was starting to show in the preseason when he injured his shoulder in the game against Oakland and his rookie year stalled out.
He now has a chance to claim the starting spot next to Martinez and give the Packers some much needed speed in the middle.