Ha Ha Clinton Dix |
The 2014 draft added nine rookies straight out of college to
the Green Packers spring roster. Among them, Wisconsin alum Jared Abbrederis
and fellow former Big Ten athlete Corey Linsley of Ohio State. The pick that
garnered the most headline coverage, however, was Alabama safety Ha Ha
Clinton-Dix, who was selected 21 overall as the Packers first round choice.
At just 21 years old, Clinton-Dix applied for draft eligibility following his junior year in the Crimson Tide program. He entered
the school in 2011 as part of the most highly touted class in the country,
joining ten other true-freshman who saw playing time that year for Alabama.
Clinton-Dix was promoted to starting safety prior to his sophomore season,
earning starts in every game in 2012. He led the team in interceptions that
year with five during the regular season, and managed a whopping seven tackles
against the Fighting Irish in the 2012 national championship game. In 11 games
in 2013, Clinton-Dix improved his tackling stats, putting up 51 total tackles.
Analysts are praising the choice by general manager Ted
Thompson as a first round pick well-spent. The Packers safety corp recorded no
interceptions last season, barely aiding an already lackluster defense.
Clinton-Dix's 4.59 forty-yard dash should give him the speed needed to keep up
with the league's best wide receivers.
32 picks later, Fresno State wide receiver Davante Adams was
called-up in the second round. The first of three receivers chosen by the
Packers over the weekend, Adams also applied for the draft after posting high
marks in his junior year. A California native, Adams led the country in
receptions last year with 131, capping his collegiate tenure with 364 total
receptions for over 3,000 yards and 38 touchdowns. He joins fellow wide
receivers Abbrederis and Saginaw Valley State's Jeff Janis as selections at the
position by Green Bay in 2014.
After a pair of picks in the third round and one more in the
fourth, Thompson cracked the Big Ten at the 161 overall pick with Ohio State
center Linsley. At over 300 pounds, Linsley started every game his last two
seasons as a Buckeye. He is expected to compete primarily as a run blocker for
second-year back Eddie Lacy.
Badgers' Abbrederis Makes The Cut
Abbrederis was taken in the fifth round, along with Linsley.
Despite a fairly poor showing at his pro day and the combine, Packers wide
receiver coach Edgar Bennett told reporters that the pick was based on the
Wisconsin native's accomplishments as a Badger between 2009 and 2013. Bennett
highlighted Abbrederis 202 receptions at Wisconsin and his versatility as an
all-over player. Though, Bennett admitted, he is far from a complete player.
2014 Green Bay Packers Draft Picks
Round 1:
-
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix; Safety, Alabama
Round 2:
-
Davante Adams; Wide Receiver, Fresno
State
Round 3:
-
Khyri Thornton; Tackle, Southern
Mississippi
-
Richard Rogers; Tight End, California
Round 4:
-
Carl Bradford; Linebacker, Arizona State
Round 5:
-
Corey Linsley; Center, Ohio State
-
Jared Abbrederis; Wide Receiver,
Wisconsin
Round 6:
-
Demetri Goodson; Cornerback, Baylor
Round 7:
-
Jeff Janis; Wide Receiver, Saginaw Valley
State