Green Bay Packers: Previewing the Safety Position

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 10: Adrian Amos #31 of the Green Bay Packers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 10: Adrian Amos #31 of the Green Bay Packers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Up next is a look at the safeties that currently make up the Green Bay Packers’ 90-man roster prior to training camp.

After the conclusion of the 2018 season for the Green Bay Packers, one unit in particular that needed some major work was the safety position.

That season we saw Ha Ha Clinton-Dix traded, Jermaine Whitehead cut, Ibraheim Campbell was signed then injured after only a few games, while Kentrell Brice and Josh Jones just couldn’t put it together. That is a lot of movement and turnover over the course of just one season.

So GM Brian Gutekunst went to work during the 2019 offseason and with the additions of Adrian Amos in free agency and Darnell Savage in the draft, this group did a 180 last season. Behind those two players, the Packers have a great foundation at the safety position, not to mention that Raven Greene will be back after missing most of last season with an injury.

Now this summer it is about finding some reliable depth behind those three. So as I continue on with my position previews prior to training camp, let’s take a look at the safeties currently on the Green Bay Packers 90-man roster.

Adrian Amos

Adrian Amos is about as steady of a player as there is, which is exactly what you want at a position that has the word “safe” in it. Although he isn’t going to blow anyone away with huge interception totals, Amos is reliable and won’t give up the big play.

According to Pro Football Focus, Amos gave up just one touchdown last season in 668 coverage snaps and had a career-high eight total pressures as well. Amos would also add eight pass breakups which was tied for the third-most among safeties in 2019.

While he may not garner the attention that Za’Darius Smith does, this Green Bay Packers’ defense was much improved last season and Amos was a big reason why.

Darnell Savage

As is the case with just about any rookie, Darnell Savage took some lumps in 2019 as he adjusted to the speed of the NFL while also learning the ins and outs of Mike Pettine’s defense. With that said, it looks like the Green Bay Packers landed a real difference-maker and I’m not sure how you can’t be excited about his future.

Watching Savage fly around the secondary was a breath of fresh air after the aforementioned 2018 season that we watched the year before. And while Amos brings that steadiness to the position, Savage brings that playmaking ability. In 14 games he would record five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a quarterback hit.

In a recent Zoom call with reporters, when talking about Savage, Pettine said that the “sky is the limit” and it really is. He is going to be someone fun for Packer fans to watch in the coming years.

Raven Greene

Raven Greene’s season ended in Week 2 last year against the Minnesota Vikings and it was quite clear that the middle of this Green Bay Packers’ defense missed his presence. With Pettine oftentimes playing three safeties on the field at a time, Greene assumes the hybrid linebacker/safety role, playing closer to the line of scrimmage.

Greene is a physical player who can help against the run while also being able to drop into coverage and pick up running backs, tight ends, and cover the slot if needed. A healthy Raven Greene in 2020 should give this defense a nice boost that they didn’t have in 2019.

Will Redmond

With Raven Greene out, we saw much more Will Redmond last season than probably expected and the results weren’t necessarily the best. Especially when asked to drop into coverage. However, where Redmond did shine was on special teams and he may have even been the best player on that unit all season long. That alone is likely enough for him to earn a roster spot this season.

Vernon Scott

The Green Bay Packers’ seventh-round selection, Vernon Scott, is going to give them another versatile player that they can play deep or closer to the line of scrimmage, and in the slot as well. While it may not happen right away as a seventh-round pick, the hope is that Scott will compete with Greene for those hybrid linebacker/safety snaps and at a minimum, give the Packers some much-needed depth.

Frankie Griffin

Undrafted free agent Frankie Griffin is going to provide similar versatility with an ability to play in multiple positions and as we all know that flexibility is coveted by Mike Pettine. Listed as a safety with Green Bay, Griffin spent plenty of time in a linebacker role while at Texas State as well.

Draft analyst Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network says that he could see Griffin making an NFL roster as a back-end DB and special teams player. But for the 2020 season, the practice squad is likely his best avenue to being a Packer.

Henry Black

Another undrafted free agent and another versatile safety. It appears we have a theme among the Green Bay Packers’ rookie safeties. Henry Black is about as experienced of a college player as you will see having appeared in 52 games at Baylor where he played some linebacker before settling in at the safety position.

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In an interview with Bill Huber of SI, Black said that he chose the Packers because of his fit with Mike Pettine’s defensive scheme. His ability to drop into coverage while also being able to play closer to the line of scrimmage is as you can see, a coveted skill-set within this defense.