The need at safety is acute in Green Bay, but so is the need for versatility.

It's why the Packers signed Julius Peppers to play a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position, are leaving open the possibility of Micah Hyde playing safety and moving B.J. Raji to nose tackle despite years of experience at end. And those are just a few examples.

With versatility being such a valuable trait, perhaps it's no wonder the Packers are doing their due diligence on Wyoming cornerback/safety Marqueston Huff, an NFL Draft prospect they taked to at the Senior Bowl.

"I told them that I'm more than wiling to play either one of those positions," said Huff at the NFL Combine. "I feel like I'm very comfortable with either, and I can be extremely productive at both."

After playing cornerback for the majority of his first three seasons in Wyoming, Huff swtiched to primarily being a safety as a senior.

Huff's season-high tackle total was 57 in his first three seasons in college but then skyrocketed to 127 in 2013, an average of 10.6 per game, following the position switch. He also had two interceptions, six passes defensed, three tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick as a senior.

In recognition of his high level of play, Huff was invited to the nation's premier college footbal all-star game, the Senior Bowl, where he encountered a surprise.

"The Senior Bowl caught me off guard a little bit just because I initially was playing safety, and they told me I was coming in to play safety, and then they asked me to play corner," said Huff. "But once I got the feel for it, I was just really comfortable. I kind of missed it a little bit, just being out there on the island. It was a fun experience."

Despite the last minute change of position, Huff held his own at cornerback, which maybe shouldn't be a surprise considering his speed, which the Wyoming defensive back considers among his best qualities.

At the Combine, Huff ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.19 seconds, both among the top performers among players classified as safeties.

Wide receiver Robert Herron, who would face Huff day after day in practice and was also invited to both the Combine and Senior Bowl, thinks his teammate fits best at safety.

"Just because when the ball is in the air, I feel like he has that speed," said Herron, "and I feel like he looks more comfortable back there at safety."

If there's a player in the NFL Huff models his game after, the first name that comes to his lips is Chiefs safety Eric Berry, a three-time Pro Bowler. It's the way Berry flies to football and makes plays that Huff respects and hopes to make himself.

If the Packers are looking for depth at safety in the mid to late rounds of May's draft, and there's no reason they shouldn't be, perhaps they'll look in Huff's direction.

M.D. Jennings has moved on from Green Bay in free agency, and the spot next to Morgan Burnett in the starting lineup is wide open. Maybe Micah Hyde wins the job, but the Packers have been non-committal about a full-time move to the position.

Given the chance, Huff likes his malleability to play any position in the secondary and what he can offer to his future employer.

"They're getting a great guy, a great person, a great football player, an extremely smart football player," said Huff, "someone that can communicate on and off the field in a very high manner."

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor of Cheesehead TV's "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].

Photo: Wyoming defensive back Marqueston Huff by Brian Carriveau.