By: Marques Eversoll

Despite winning the NFC North for the third consecutive season, the Green Bay Packers entered the 2014 draft picking earlier than usual. Starting reserve quarterbacks Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn at different points of the season will typically cause a dip in the win column.

Obviously, the Packers are a much better team when Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews are healthy, which they will be to start the 2014-15 season. General manager Ted Thompson made a rare move by adding veteran Julius Peppers in free agency, so the Packers already had a bit of a “head start,” if you will, going into the draft.

But the needs were clear. The safety play was atrocious last season, the pass rush was average at best and, on offense, despite Rodgers’ greatness, the team craved a reload of offensive weapons after James Jones signed with the Oakland Raiders.

Thompson, for the first time as Green Bay’s general manager, didn’t make a single trade. He did, however, address his team’s needs and put the Packers in a better position.

1. (21) Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (6-1 208)

An early entry as a third-year junior, Clinton-Dix was thought by many to be the top safety in this year’s class. Louisville’s Calvin Pryor went No. 18 to the New York Jets before Clinton-Dix became the second safety off the board. He’s a true center fielder with the ability to cover a deep third and make up for lost ground with his elite range.

On top of locking down a position that has been in flux since Nick Collins’ career-ending neck injury, Clinton-Dix’s presence should help fellow safety Morgan Burnett significantly, as the latter will finally figure to have a reliable running mate on the back end of the defense. Clinton-Dix and Burnett are nearly identical in terms of height and weight, as they both measured 6’ 1 3/8” at their respective NFL Scouting Combines, and, in terms of weight, were separated by just one pound. On paper, Clinton-Dix and Burnett figure to satisfy the Packers’ wish to go with two interchangeable safeties.

2. (53) Fresno State wide receiver Davante Adams (6-1 212)

If history is any indication, then Adams will be a really good player. Ted Thompson has drafted four wide receivers in the second round; Terrence Murphy, whose career was cut short after a devastating neck injury, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Nobody knows what kind of player Murphy would have become, but certainly Jennings, Nelson and Cobb have panned out. Adams is a James Jones clone in terms of body type; he’s big and strong, makes catches away from his body and is elusive after the catch.

His production in college was off the charts. In two years at Fresno, Adams caught 233 passes for 3,030 yards and 38 touchdowns. In a two-game stretch in November 2013, Adams posted 22 receptions, 510 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, seriously. Despite declaring for the draft as a third-year sophomore, Adams has a real shot at unseating the incumbent Jarrett Boykin as the No. 3 receiver.

3. (85) Southern Miss defensive lineman Khyri Thornton (6-3 304)

Despite not being on the radar of most national draft guys, Thornton cracked the third round and was drafted just two picks after first-round hopeful Louis Nix. Thornton is a great athlete for a 300-pound guy, as he clocked a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash. In the immediate future, Thornton’s presence likely closes the door on Johnny Jolly’s return to Green Bay. He’ll compete for playing time, particularly on passing downs as a rookie.

3. (98) California tight end Richard Rodgers (6-4 257)

Real original. The Packers take another Rodgers from California to help out the passing game. This Rodgers is a bit of a project, as he’s played several different roles as a college tight end before playing primarily inside receiver in his final year at Cal. Rodgers is a bit raw as an early entry, but he’ll compete for playing time at a position that’s still up in the air with Jermichael Finley’s future in doubt. He’s a willing blocker and a natural hands catcher, but pushing for the starting job as a rookie is certainly unlikely.

4. (121) Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford (6-1 250)

Another early entry – although he has already graduated – Bradford is an undersized but effective pass rusher. He played defensive end and rush linebacker at Arizona State, which the team labeled its “Devil” position. Packers college scouting director Brian Gutekunst says Bradford will start at outside linebacker, but Bradford says his versatility is one of his greatest assets. He’s built like an inside linebacker but his pass-rushing ability is a strength. Bradford joins Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Andy Mulumba and the hybrid combination of Julius Peppers and Mike Neal as the team’s outside linebackers.

5. (161) Ohio State center Corey Linsley (6-2 296)

As a fifth-round rookie, stepping into a training camp competition for a starting job with a second-year player coming off a lost season is probably the very best situation one could have stepped into. Linsley will compete with J.C. Tretter to be the starting center, and while Tretter remains the odds-on favorite to win the job, Linsley, at the very least, provides the Packers with a true, natural center to add depth to the position. Strength is probably his biggest strength – couldn’t help it – as he put up 36 reps on the 225-pound bench press.

5. (176) Wisconsin wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (6-1 195)

The first Wisconsin product to be drafted by the Packers in general manager Ted Thompson’s tenure in Green Bay, Abbrederis was a highly productive player with the Badgers. Against Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, who was selected No. 31 overall in the first round, Abbrederis posted 10 catches for a career-high 207 yards and a touchdown in 2013. Early in his professional career, Abbrederis will likely compete to be the team’s primary return man. As a sophomore in 2011, Abbrederis averaged 15.7 yards per punt return and housed a 60-yard touchdown against Indiana. With him in the fold, it’ll be hard for a Chris Harper or Kevin Dorsey to crack the 53-man roster unless the team keeps six receivers. Abbrederis and Adams are safe bets to make the team, along with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Jarrett Boykin.

6. (197) Baylor cornerback Demetri Goodson (5-11 194)

Once upon a time, Goodson was the starting point guard for the Gonzaga men’s basketball team before switching spots and transferring to Baylor. Goodson’s brother, Mike, is a running back for the New York Jets. He intercepted Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl this past season. Goodson will be a 25-year-old rookie. It will be an uphill battle for Goodson to crack the 53-man roster with a stacked cornerback group, but he has added value on special teams.

7. (236) Saginaw Valley State wide receiver Jeff Janis (6-3 219)

The Packers took their third receiver in the draft by grabbing the highly productive small-school prospect with their last pick. As a junior in 2012, Janis caught 106 passes for 1,635 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a senior, Janis posted 83 receptions for 1,572 yards and 14 touchdowns. NFL.com projected Janis to come off the board in the third or fourth round after he ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, 6.64 in the short shuttle and put up 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press. Janis will likely join Chris Harper and Kevin Dorsey in hoping that the Packers opt to keep six wide receivers.

You can hear Marques on SportsLine, Monday through Friday 4:00-6:00pm on WDUZ 107.5 FM and 1400 AM “The Fan” and on the Saturday Morning Showcase at 8 am on Saturdays. You can follow him on Twitter @MJEversoll and/or email him at [email protected].