The Green Bay Packers didn't address the safety position via last month's draft, and that's probably because the in-house players on the roster didn't give them a reason to.

Outside of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett—and with rookie Josh Jones playing almost exclusively in the box as a linebacker—the Packers relied heavily on Kentrell Brice as an interchangeable asset in 2017.

Prior to being placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury in November, Brice played six games and registered three defended passes and an interception—the first of his regular-season career—as a second-year undrafted defensive back out of Louisiana Tech.

Relying on his health isn't going to make-or-break the Packers' secondary in Brice's third season, however, with Burnett now in Pittsburgh and Jones' comfort levels evidently right where they need to be in the box as opposed to strong safety, Brice's presence would seem critical.

"I've just been focusing on myself," Brice said to Zachary Jacobson of CheeseheadTV.com on Friday. "I'm just trying to make myself an all-around player, whether it's covering a receiver, lining up in the box or playing deep, so whatever I'm asked to do, I can do it with no problem."

Brice embodied the exact definition of "all-around" in 2017, playing in his primary safety position, in the box as a linebacker and even as a nickel cornerback in the slot. He was a subtle "do-it-all" utility player who offered instinct and IQ far superior to most undrafted safeties of his caliber.

Since being part of the Packers' post-draft undrafted free agent haul in May 2016, Brice's abilities have been put to the test in former defensive coordinator Dom Capers' system. His successor, Mike Pettine, will now get a chance to see what he has in Green Bay's defensive backfield.

"I'm extremely excited. I've seen things that he's done before with the Jets' defense, with the Cleveland Browns' defense. I've seen things he's done watching on film every day, from the schematic things they've done. They create a lot of turnovers, they play very well.

"It's very exciting to be able to come into something new -- to buy into it -- and to try and elevate your game more and more."

The sudden shift in philosophy—or, maybe not so sudden after Capers' nine-year tenure in Green Bay—is nothing new to Brice, whose coordinator experience in college was nowhere near the realm of consistent or familiar.

In Brice's four collegiate seasons with the Bulldogs, he played under four different coordinators. One was fired after his freshman season while his sophomore and junior year coordinators left to pursue other jobs, leaving Brice's safeties coach to be promoted to defensive coordinator in 2015.

The lack of continuity could be a significant reason as to why Brice went undrafted, even despite his daunting Pro Day numbers.

His 4.4 40-yard dash, 42-inch vertical jump and 4.4 20-yard shuttle time have all translated into extended playing time at the professional level, regardless of where his draft stock landed him.

At the NFL's annual spring meetings last month, coach Mike McCarthy said that Brice is expected to compete for a starting job and potentially even handle communication duties, a responsibility that was carried out by Burnett last season.

Other than the fact that playing for Capers in 2017 marked the first time Brice served under the same coordinator for more than a single year since 2012, the hiring of Pettine offers an outlook into the future -- a modernized future. A modernized future that players—including Brice—are truly elated for.

"I feel the energy in the room because it's something new and you're always excited about something new," Brice said. "If you're not excited about something new that has its rewards that come with it once you buy into it, then I feel like something would be wrong with that. We're all excited about that.

"We all know it's a competition we're going to be in -- and we all embrace competition. ... We just want to continue to upgrade and continue to get better and better."