Packers Urged to Add ‘Tone-Setting’ Safety to Pair With Xavier McKinney

Getty Images Washington State safety Jaden Hicks could be a top NFL Draft target for the Green Bay Packers.

The Green Bay Packers secured one of the seven offensive tackles chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft, Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, to protect Jordan Love‘s blindside and could be primed to add a difference-maker to new coordinator Jeff Hafley’s defense next.

After signing Xavier McKinney in free agency, the Packers boast one of the game’s emerging playmakers at the safety position, and there are still several top safety prospects on the board to potentially pair alongside the former second-round pick in the 2020 draft.

Pro Football Focus’ Josh Liskiewitz put together a list of the perfect Day 2 fits in the NFL Draft for all 32 teams, and suggests Washington State Safety Jaden Hicks should be the Packers’ top target.

“Day 2 is the sweet spot for safeties,” Liskiewitz writes for PFF. “And Hicks is a PFF favorite. In coverage last season, he had two picks, five forced incompletions, and 10 stops while also contributing with a 27.3 percent win rate on pass rushes.”

Last season, Hicks posted a career-high 79 total tackles with 2.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.

Given that Hafley’s scheme is predicated on defensive backs winning their battles in coverage, Hicks could be a missing piece in Green Bay’s secondary and an ideal complement alongside the versatile McKinney, who is equally adept in coverage as he is throwing his weight around near the line of scrimmage

Jaden Hicks NFL Draft Scouting Report

If the Packers look to replicate the blueprint they have used to build the offense around dynamic skill players surrounding quarterback Jordan Love, investing a second-round pick with Hicks’ versatility could be a big step in that direction.

Across three seasons in Pullman, Hicks produced 155 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups while adding one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

“Hicks demonstrates tone-setting tackling,” according to his Pro Football Focus scouting report. “His cornerback background gives him a good baseline for slot man-coverage assignments. He still lacks long speed and twitch, but when he can keep things in front of him, he has good speed to make plays downhill.”

PFF points out that Hicks has the potential to be a dominant box-safety, as illustrated by his 24 run-stops last season, which was 13th-most in the nation. The outlet awards Hicks with an elite 84.9 coverage grade and 77.7 overall mark for the 2023 campaign.

“His sufficient range and good instincts lend him some scheme versatility,” Ben Hrkach of The 33rd Team writes of Hicks. “Ultimately, his size, aggression, and movement skills will get Hicks on the field early, and his instincts and ability to take the ball away suggest that he can progress into a role where he is a consistent three-down starter.”

Green Bay is slated to have two selections in the second round, on Friday night, at No. 41 and No. 58 overall. If safety is as pressing a need to Gutekenust as it seems to be, Hicks could be a top target to watch in Round 2.

Jordan Morgan an ‘Easy Decision’ for Packers

The fact that six offensive linemen and six quarterbacks went off the board before the Packers went on the clock in the first round could have made it easy for Gutekunst to tab one of the top cornerbacks, safeties, or edge rushers available who slid further than many expected.

However, taking Morgan to add another cornerstone to the offense around Love, and more importantly, to keep the emerging young quarterback upright, offered too much value to overlook.