A.J. Haulcy Might Be Too Versatile For the Packers To Pass Up

Safety is one of the Green Bay Packers' stronger position groups. Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams have formed an incredible duo, while Javon Bullard has thrived in the slot. The thought of the Packers going safety early in the draft seems preposterous, but LSU's A.J. Haulcy's versatility might be too tempting for general manager Brian Gutekunst to pass up.

Haulcy can do it all. According to Pro Football Focus, he ended his college career playing just a shade under 1,400 snaps at free safety, slightly fewer than 400 in the slot, and over 300 on special teams. He thrived anywhere he went, and the Packers are one of the teams that constantly harp on the importance of versatility.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein laid out the rare blend of traits that Haulcy possesses.

"Mr. Give Me That?"

“It started in high school, you know, Haulcy explained. “I was just catching a lot of interceptions in high school and my cousin, he gave me that name. He started texting me ‘Mr. Give Me That’ and then so I just ran with it, and that's who I am today.”

If you're going to have that nickname as a defensive player, you'd better generate some turnovers. Haulcy tallied 10 interceptions, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery across his four years in college. Not too shabby.

Haulcy spent last year at LSU. Before that, it was two years at Houston and one at New Mexico. He was a four-year starter and First-team All-Big 12 and First-team All-SEC.

The surprise might be that Haulcy is projected by almost every outlet to be a Day 2 pick, not a Day 1 pick. The main reason is his lack of recovery speed and overall speed, which could lead to mismatches in the NFL. It won't keep teams at bay past Day 2 of the draft, though, and it shouldn't.

Green Bay is using a pre-draft visit with Haulcy. However, given where he's projected to go in the draft and where the Packers are at the safety position, it'd be surprising to see them go that route so early in the draft. Haulcy has the look of a difference-maker, though. He oozes confidence when he talks about his love of the game.

“The way I play football, I’m very instinctual and intelligent, and I want fans to know that I love the game,” he told the LSU athletics site. “I come in every day knowing this is all I’ve got. This is my last one, and I’m going to use everything I know every time I step on the field.”

As for where he sees himself playing in the NFL? Haulcy knows his versatility could see him slide around, and he's just fine with that.

“It showed my versatility,” Haulcy

That's what Gutekunst -- and plenty of other GMs -- want to hear.

Versatility isn't always the greatest asset. At the end of last year, some questioned whether or not the constant game of musical chairs at offensive line for Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton was a good thing or not for the two highly drafted players. Morgan's natural position in college was left tackle, where he played at Arizona. However, he's started at three different spots on the offensive line in Green Bay. Left tackle is not one of them. That will change this year.

The difference with Haulcy's versatility is that he has experience in college playing in the box, at true safety, in the slot, and on special teams. The versatility isn't something the Packers would be predicting. It's already been on full display.

Do the Packers need a safety? No. Are there other positions that deserve far more attention entering the draft? Yes. But despite those two truths, don't be surprised if Gutekunst considers Haulcy if he's still on the board in the second round when Green Bay is on the clock.