Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson's annual foray into team-building - the NFL Draft - is less than three weeks away and according to the latest report, he's already got his sights set on a couple of secondary prospects likely to be available in the latter portion of the first-round.
"I was told by several sources cornerback Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest is a player that the Packers have been targeting in round one," reported Draft Insider's Tony Pauline.
Pauline also revealed that Thompson and the Packers are high on Utah cornerback/safety Eric Rowe with the 30th overall selection.
Thompson, unlike many of the league's other GMs, doesn't seem to believe in the addition of outside talent via the NFL free agency period whatsoever, which means a much higher importance placed on drafting correctly and then developing those players once they're brought into the Green Bay fold.
With Tramon Williams off to the Cleveland Browns and Davon House now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Packers have some serious work to do to retool their secondary.
Last season, with Williams and spot-starter House, the Packers finished 10th in the NFL in opposition passing yards, allowing an average of 226.4 yards per game.
While it's generally ill-advised to enter the draft with glaring holes at a particular position - the Green Bay cupboard isn't bare as the Packers do have Casey Hayward, Sam Shields and Micah Hyde in the fold already - it seems Thompson could be well-positioned to align need and value late in the 2015 NFL Draft's first round.
Johnson - 6-foot, 188-pounds - started all 12 games for Wake Forest last season, allowing just 24 completions the entire season and garnering second-team All-ACC accolades.
"Johnson is a three-year starting cornerback who showed great improvement in man coverage from 2013 to 2014," writes NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein, who coincidentally believes Johnson compares favorably to Shields at the next level. "While he lacks desired weight at the position, his cover skills, athleticism and competitiveness give him a shot to come in and start right away. Johnson can play gunner on special teams."
Johnson is a natural man coverage corner and while his lanky frame means he likely needs a season or two in an NFL training program, he has the talent to become a top-notch corner at the next level.
Rowe - 6-foot-1, 205-pounds - is a versatile player who performed at free safety for the first two years of his college career before moving to cornerback for the 2014 season.
He's a "heady, physical defender who is well-versed in pro-style schemes" according to CBS Sports. In 11 games at cornerback this past year, Rowe registered 57 tackles and 13 pass break-ups and was named second-team All-Pac-12.
While he's not considered a ball-hawk, Rowe has the traits necessary to fill a variety of secondary spots at the next level.
