Dallas Positional Targets Series: Part One - Safeties

The NFL Draft is 3 weeks away, time to get down to business finding players the Cowboys should target on draft day.

It is a extremely weak safety class with perhaps only one borderline 1st or 2nd round prospect, Rahim Moore from UCLA. After Moore, the next safety may not come until the 3rd round.  Despite a weak class, Dallas has an obvious need at safety and must find a quality player there this year.


Moore is not only the highest rated safety this year but would fit nicely into Dallas' safety plans for 2011. A superior prospect following the 2009 season in which he picked off 10 passes and deflected another seven. The production dipped a lot this past season intercepting only one and four passes broken up. Despite the drop in production, Moore is an ideal center-field type prospect with excellent ball skills, a capable tackler in space and instinctive to make a lot of plays. Lacks top end speed to recover when beaten, only 5-11 1/2 and weighing in at the combine at 202 pounds. It is clear Moore's draft status as a first round pick is based more of his 2009 production than this past season, he is a middle 2nd round pick and a fine player to have in your secondary.


Da' Norris Searcy from North Carolina is arguably the 2nd best safety this year, a solid safety prospect who's draft stock has been steadily rising under the radar. Searcy is a good sized safety at 5-11, 220 pounder who moves well for his size and not a liability in coverage. He is more than capable helping out in run support as well as very athletic individually returning kicks for two seasons. A solid, not great player in the middle rounds who has starting ability at the next level.


Tyler Sash from Iowa is the classic white safety prospect, extremely smart and instinctive but limited athletically. He has solid size at 6-0, 210 pounds but ran around a 4.65 at the combine. He made a lot of players during his days at Iowa, 79 tackles for a safety, 13 career interceptions along with 14 more break ups. His production fell off as a junior in 2010 and then decided to declare for the draft. He gets regarded as extremely smart, instinctive and a coach on the field. He has the intangibles to play the position but is also an underclassmen coming off a subpar season.


Hawaii's safety Mana Silva is an improving prospect with a lot of production, intangibles and experience during his time in Honolulu. He has good size for the position at 6-0 1/2 and weighing in just under 220 pounds, he was not invited to the combine. Despite that, 14 career interceptions as a two-year starter and has the instincts to be a player in coverage. A lot of experience against top passing attacks while also a solid tackler with 159 tackles in two seasons. The work ethic, instincts in coverage and steady improvement make him someone to watch. There is a lot to like about this kid and could really be a find for someone in the middle rounds.