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Ted Thompson picks playmaker in safety Darius Butler Jersey Ha Ha Clinton

OSHKOSH It seemed like all of the talk coming into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All Star game for the large schools on SaturdaPrep boys basketball: Sun Prairie's Nick Noskowiak playing better than ever over summerPrep football: East Troy alums lead South to victory in WFCA small school all star gameCollege volleyball: Poynette's Lexi Brown to play volleyball at MATCJason Galloway: Jefferson's Mikaela Grant turns attention to summer heptathlonsPrep basketball: Sun Prairie's Nick Noskowiak leads Team Wisconsin to 4 0 showing at Rising Senior Academy tourneySixteen Recognized By NABCMallards: Six players set to participate in NWL All Star GameUW La Crosse's Blum Selected National Administrator of the YearOutdoors: Tom Rieple captains the Best Dam Fishing FloatCarter Soma muskieGREEN BAY Seldom during the Green Bay Packers' recent run of success has the roster felt so needy.

Inside linebacker, free safety, tight end, wide receiver, center and kick returner all qualified as legitimate needs for the Packers when the NFL draft kicked off Thursday night.

But some of the Packers' needs were more immediate than others, and not even general manager Ted Thompson, a devotee of taking the best player available, could ignore the fact Green Bay's defense needed help. Much more was needed to fill all the holes in coordinator Dom Capers' unit, which really hasn't been the same since the Packers won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season.

Fortunately for Thompson, this year's draft offered up some high quality players at the Packers' positions of greatest Darius Butler Authentic Jersey need.

The draft was considered one of the strongest ever and most scouts saw 15 to 20 impact players in the first round plus four quarterbacks who had a chance to go early.

The likelihood of a defensive playmaker still being on the board when the Packers picked at No. 21 in the first round seemed high. Mosley of Alabama and safeties Ha Ha Clinton Dix of Alabama and Calvin Pryor of Louisville firmly in the Packers' sights, it seemed Thompson might find himself in a situation where his draft board and the team's needs intersected perfectly.

That's exactly how it turned out for the Packers, but just barely.

The run on quarterbacks never materialized and, one by one, the Packers' defensive targets came off the board.

Hearts had to fall in the draft room when Shazier and Mosley went at No. 15 to Pittsburgh and No. 17 to Baltimore, respectively. After the New York Jets scooped up Pryor with the 18th selection, the Packers had to endure two more picks before they had a shot at last to get a defensive player who could solve their acute need for playmakers in the secondary.

All's well that ends well, however, and the Packers, after entertaining trade offers for the 21st pick, landed Clinton Dix, adding a potential ballhawk to a safety position that had zero yes, zero interceptions in 17 games last season.

It was telling that http://www.coltsonlineprostore.com/WOMENS-ERIK-WALDEN-JERSEY.html Thompson, well known as a hoarder of draft picks, rejected all offers for No. 21. That showed how much he wanted to add a playmaker to the defensive mix.

"It fit very well for us," Thompson said. "At the start of the draft, there are a lot good players that come off. But when it came time for our pick, we felt like he was the best player on the board and the most skilled. And at the same time, we were looking to maybe add a safety if we could."

Clinton Dix was immediately given jersey No. 21 by the Packers, which perhaps was Jerrell Freeman Jersey a nod to departed cornerback Charles Woodson, one of the best playmakers in franchise history.

More important, Clinton Dix will add big play potential at Jerrell Freeman Colts Jersey a position where the Packers have been lackluster since Nick Collins suffered a career ending injury early in the 2011 season.

"I think he's a real all purpose kind of safety," Thompson said. "He's shown an ability to cover down in the slot, he's good in support, physical player.

"Also can play well in the back end. . We think he's got very, very good ball skills."

Clinton Dix was a two year starter at Alabama, intercepting seven passes. Scouts say he has good range, coltsonlineprostore.com/WOMENS-VONTAE-DAVIS-JERSEY.html coverage skills and tackling ability, and rave about the great angles he takes to the ball.

More important, Clinton Dix projects as a safety who can play the deep middle. He had five of his interceptions in 2012, when he was used mostly as a center fielder by the Crimson Tide.

Even though the Packers want their safeties to be interchangeable, the addition of Clinton Dix will allow holdover Morgan Burnett to play closer to the line of scrimmage. At 6 foot 13/8, he will also give the Packers someone to match up with the tall receivers employed by NFC North Division rivals Chicago and Detroit.