-- Brian Gutekunst has said before that he's always willing to improve his team's roster. But could the Green Bay Packers' general manager look to do so in this year's supplemental draft?

It's not too far out of the realm of possibility, especially given the team's abysmal record -- by their standards -- in 2018.

In the supplemental draft, NFL teams are separated into three groups based off of the previous campaign. The first group being teams with six or fewer wins, the second group are non-playoff teams with more than six wins and the third group are playoff teams. The Packers, who finished with a 6-9-1 record, fall under the first category.

In order to acquire any of the players in the supplemental draft, the Packers would need to forfeit one of their draft selections for the following season. For example, if Gutekunst and co. wanted to add one of the prospects to their roster, they would need to place a bid with whichever round they'd like to select the player. If hypothetically, the Packers submit a fifth-round pick, another team can leapfrog them and bid with a higher pick.

However, if two teams bid with a selection in the same round, the team with higher priority in the pecking order will be awarded the player while the losing team retains their pick.

Only eight supplemental draft picks have been Pro Bowl selections since 1985. With such a low hit rate, could the Packers take a chance?

Washington State safety Jalen Thompson may warrant it.

An all-conference defensive back for the Cougars, Thompson was docked with a violation of NCAA rules and lost out on the final year of collegiate eligibility. As is often the case with players whose senior seasons are shot, he applied for the supplemental draft as something of a last-ditch effort of achieving his professional dreams.

News of Thompson's decision was first reported by NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, who noted that Thompson "should be selected," and rightfully so.

A key entrance into the supplemental draft: Washington State S Jalen Thompson, who learned yesterday he lost his eligibility for the 2019 season and applied to be drafted in July. He hired agent Brad Cicala and is heading into the NFL. Should be selected.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 29, 2019

Thompson had six interceptions in his sophomore and junior seasons combined en route to earning All-Pac-12 acknowledgment, finishing his three-year stint at Washington State with 190 tackles, 17 passes defended and two forced fumbles. He was slated to be one of the top safeties in the nation this fall, which certainly bodes well for his chances of landing with a team in the supplemental draft.

The supplemental draft should fall in the second week of July, so if the Packers feel they could use his services and aren't satisfied with their current safety depth -- which would make sense -- then the countdown is underway.

The Packers signed Adrian Amos to a four-year, $36 million dollar deal during the free agency period in March and spent one of their two first-round picks on Maryland's Darnell Savage the following month.

Outside of that pairing that is presumed to be the team's starting duo, the position isn't anything to write home about. Raven Greene, an undrafted free agent coming off his rookie season, flashed potential. Josh Jones didn't participate in minicamp earlier this month and requested to be traded, which, if the Packers can't find a suitor, will likely lead to his release. Tray Matthews and Mike Tyson may be nothing more than camp bodies barring anything unforeseen.

There's also the multi-positional services of Tramon Williams, the most seasoned player on the Packers' roster at 36 years old.

Once the Packers shopped former first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at last year's trade deadline, Williams stepped into the starting free safety role and exceeded expectations. Of course, given the current level of optimism pertaining to Amos and Savage, Williams filling in as a starting safety in any facet in 2019 would be a monumental disappointment.

Natrell Jamerson and Will Redmond, both listed as cornerbacks on the Packers' roster, were also given opportunities at safety during the offseason workout program.

The Packers' defense of the deep ball last season was their weakest point, and much of that had to do with the play of their safeties. Clinton-Dix wasn't beat deep, but was a liability in the open field. Kentrell Brice wasn't a liability in the open field, but a complete enigma when tested with the deep ball.

Jones, who has shown that he's more than capable of serving as a hybrid linebacker and playing in the teeth of the defense, often in run support, was given an opportunity in coverage later in the year. He drastically underperformed, as did the entirety of the position group.

Maybe the Packers could use Thompson's services. One of his preeminent traits is his man coverage ability, according to The Draft Network, as well as the difficulty in beating him deep.

"Multiple examples of great participation and recognition of switch stems/route pairings in half a field; has the ability to work pattern match ideas and orchestrated fellow defenders mid-play," Benjamin Solak wrote. "Will be patient from off-man alignment over #2 and #3 receivers, maintaining upfield leverage."

The Packers will open training camp later next month, with rookies reporting on July 22 and veterans on July 24. Whether or not Thompson is a part of that group remains to be seen, but he would certainly be a welcomed addition to a unit whose depth seems to be lacking.