Green Bay Packers Defense year in review and grades

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Jan 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers strong safety Morgan Burnett (42) and free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) react after a play call was overturned in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Safety – This has long been a positional weakness for the Packers, so 2014 was a welcome change. With M.D. Jennings out the door, Morgan Burnett played at a much higher level alongside his new partner in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

Clinton-Dix, their 2014 first-round selection, managed to keep the cap on most big plays in his rookie season and flashed his playmaking ability in the playoffs, picking off Seattle Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson twice in the NFC Championship. After beginning the season in a timeshare with the versatile Micah Hyde, Clinton-Dix took over full-time towards the middle of the season and looks to be a cornerstone for the future.

Tackling has never been the strength of Green Bay’s secondary, though, and 2014 was no different. While both Burnett and Clinton-Dix have the potential to do much better, it didn’t always show. Clinton-Dix was given a hard lesson by LeGarrette Blount about tackling high late in the season, and hopefully he’ll learn from that entering 2015.

At most, the Packers would make a very minor depth move at this position, but the present and future appears to already be in place at safety. Expect big things from Clinton-Dix next September.

2014 Grade: B-

Next: Packers 2014 year in review: Offense

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