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Green Bay Packers might not be done adding talent at safety

By Freddie Boston

BOULDER, CO - NOVEMBER 19: Wide receiver Jay MacIntyre #14 of the Colorado Buffaloes is tackled by safety Jalen Thompson #34 of the Washington State Cougars after making a catch during the third quarter at Folsom Field on November 19, 2016 in Boulder, Colorado. Colorado defeated Washington State 38-24. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
BOULDER, CO - NOVEMBER 19: Wide receiver Jay MacIntyre #14 of the Colorado Buffaloes is tackled by safety Jalen Thompson #34 of the Washington State Cougars after making a catch during the third quarter at Folsom Field on November 19, 2016 in Boulder, Colorado. Colorado defeated Washington State 38-24. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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The Green Bay Packers haven’t made a pick in the supplemental draft since 1998. Could that change this year?

Fixing the safety position has already been an offseason focus for the Green Bay Packers, but they might not yet be finished.

The 2019 NFL Supplemental Draft takes place on Wednesday, and one player to watch is safety Jalen Thompson out of Washington State.

Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst has reported that the Packers are among the teams interested in Thompson, and they have a meeting scheduled with him on Monday afternoon. Pauline goes on to add that Thompson is expected to be “drafted somewhere in the later rounds”.

Now, why the Packers’ reported interest is potentially significant is because it shows they feel there’s still room for improvement in the secondary. That is despite signing former Chicago Bears safety Adrian Amos to a four-year contract worth $36 million in the first week of free agency, and then trading up for Darnell Savage Jr. in the first round of April’s draft.

Why this is a potentially great move is it shows that despite addressing the need already this offseason, GM Brian Gutekunst is making good on his promise to explore every avenue of player acquisition.

For a full scouting report on Thompson, be sure to check out Cory Kinnan’s excellent work over at NFL Spin Zone. He wrote about Thompson’s versatility:

"“Thompson offers a ton of flexibility to a potential defense, as he plays in the nickel, over the top of the defense, and even creeps toward the line of scrimmage on occasions.”"

The Packers may feel that Thompson has the potential to be the number three safety on the depth chart. This would give defensive coordinator Mike Pettine flexibility to use three safeties on the field, or at the very least it’d ensure the defense has good backup at the position.

Whether the Packers add Thompson to the roster via the supplemental draft this week or not, it’s at least encouraging to see Gutekunst is willing to improve the roster wherever possible.

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