2018 NFL Draft: Safeties

SAFETIES

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

Game Film Evaluated:
Tennessee (2017)

Arkansas (2017)

Clemson (2016)

Clemson (2017)

Analysis: Versatile safety prospect. He lined up all over the field, playing down in the box as an extra defender. He was primarily a corner lined up over the slot receiver but also saw time as a cover 2 safety and CF type role. He is most comfortable in coverage either in zone and man coverage handling slot receivers and any TEs or backs.  He is a deceptive blitzer who can really shoot the gaps and get into the backfield effectively. He is an average tackler who can lay the wood at times. He goes low consistently when trying to bring down bigger players. He played more safety in 2016 but still covered the TE well. Good speed and very quick. He has fluid hips and able to change directions smoothly to handle even quick slot receivers. Misses too many open field tackles.

Summary: Minkah Fitzpatrick is a versatile cover free safety who fits well into the modern defensive schemes to slow down pass attack teams in the pros. He is best in coverage, either in man or zone coverage. He can close quickly and used as a blitzer in the box. He needs to improve his tackling to become an average tackler. Although he provides tight coverage, not much of a playmaker who makes plays on the ball or knocks the ball away. He projects as a solid cover safety who can be an asset on 3rd down situations to handle TEs or slot receivers. Similar player to Cowboys 1st round pick Byron Jones, might be best used as a corner instead of safety. Early 2nd round grade.

Derwin James, Florida State

Game Film Evaluated:

Alabama (2017)

Florida (2017)

Boston College (2017)

Syracuse (2017)

Analysis: Tall frame. Effective blitzer. Emotional player. Used near the line of scrimmage consistently. Struggles to locate the ball in traffic. He is a spectator to the action, operates in the rear and doesn’t show much effort to want to get involved in the action. Gives up too much space in coverage, not dynamic in man responsibilities and questionable effort. Takes poor angles to the ball. Below average tackler. He has tremendous speed but does not show up consistently. He plays slow and tentative. Much more involved vs Boston College. He flashed the athleticism, burst and hard hitting ability. Consistency, effort and instincts are lacking. Smooth hips and able to turn and run in space effectively. Made an acrobatic INT vs Syracuse. Excellent body control in space, locates the ball and wants to make a play on the ball. Comfortable in space and able to handle himself in man coverage even against slot receivers. Fluid hips and able to move quickly. Awful hands and he will drop INTs.

Summary: Derwin James is a much better athlete than he is a football player at this point. He brings good size to the position and has excellent speed. However he does not play up to the tools he is capable of. He plays like a tentative strong safety who has plenty of ability in coverage. He was brought down to play in the box even in passing situations to keep him out of deep responsibilities. Although he was able to hold his own vs receivers in man coverage but rarely on routes downfield. He struggles to get off blocks and make plays in the box against the run. If the potential ever finds its way to the field then he can become an impact strong safety who can handle TEs and backs in coverage. However that is not the player that showed up on tape. The question is, do you take the potential or production?  He is a high risk player who has disturbing traits. He gets his hands on passes but his hands will cost his team a few turnovers. He should be an elite player given his tools but that is not the player at this point.  2nd round grade.

Quin Blanding, Virginia

Game Film Evaluated:

Oregon (2016)

Louisville (2016)

Uconn (2016)

Analysis: Finds the ball well through traffic. Controls his gap and plays under control. He will let receivers get behind him in deep coverage. He looks to make a play on the ball. He breaks down well in space and very good tackler. He can handle himself in coverage, he can stick in man coverage and make it difficult for the receiver. Long speed may be an issue and would not trust him in man coverage vs an speed receiver. 

Summary: Quin Blanding is a plus safety capable of handling either role for a defense, in a CF type role or playing down in the box to fill vs the run. He is not an elite cover safety who can handle himself in man coverage against any receiver but not many prospects can. What he can do is make plays in the box, tackle effectively, more than adequate in coverage especially in the deep half and looks to make a play on the ball. 2nd round grade.

Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech

Game Film Evaluated:

West Virginia (2017)

Boston College (2017)

Analysis: Bit on the shorter side but moves extremely well. Smooth in his backpedal and able to transition effectively. He has a playmaker mentality in coverage, he wants to make a play on the ball and not content to just make the tackle. He consistently undercuts routes and wants to knock the pass away. Breaks down well in space and can make the open field tackle. Struggles to get off blocks from the WR or TE. He is a gambler in coverage, he takes chances and can allow his man to get behind him at times. West Virginia took advantage of this a few times. Best in coverage when handling underneath responsibilities. He doesn’t turn to look for the ball in zone coverage when handling deep half or centerfield. He has the athleticism to hold up in man coverage vs TEs.

Summary: Terrell Edmunds is a solid safety but does not have any one strong trait in his game. He locates the ball well, gets into proper position consistently and is an effective tackler. He isn’t a striker capable of separating the ball from the receiver nor overly physical in run support. He isn’t a playmaker centerfield FS nor someone who plays the ball in cover 2 responsibilities. He plays like a strong safety who handles himself well in short and intermediate routes. His aggressive gambling mentality in coverage needs to brought back a bit just to prevent pro QBs from taking advantage with double moves in his area. He can be effective starting safety who sees the field well, can make plays in both coverage and run support but not a dynamic player. He can have a long career for a team that needs a balanced safety that doesn’t ask them to be a playmaker in coverage. 3rd round grade.

Jessie Bates, Wake Forest

Game Film Evaluated:

Texas A&M (2017)

Clemson (2017)

Florida State (2017)

Analysis: Athletic and moves very well. Quick and has good speed. Also returns punts. Missed multiple shoe string tackles. He was able to run down a speed back from behind. He got stiff armed and came up empty allowing the back to score a TD. He can transition from the backpedal to run effectively and locate the ball in the air. Vulnerable to playaction and get beat over the top. He can really move laterally and cover a lot of ground in CF type role. Although he is not a playmaker getting lots of INTs, he will look to knock the ball away. Below average tackler and he will fail to bring down the ballcarrier too often. Not an aggressive defender vs the run.

Summary: Jessie Bates has excellent traits to project to be a plus free safety type prospect. He can really move laterally, turn and run, and play downhill. However his tackling concerns me to trust him to keep as the last defender. Safeties need to bring down the ballcarrier when all else fails to prevent a big play from becoming a score. Bates should be a rookie starter for a team that needs help at the CF or free safety type role who can provide support for the corners. He matches up well vs even athletic TEs in coverage. I’d like to see him become more aggressive when defending the run and haul in more INTs. He got 5 INTs in 2016 but production fell to just 1 in 2017. Late 3rd round grade.

Marcus Allen, Penn State

Game Film Evaluated:

Michigan State (2017)

Michigan (2017)

USC (2017)

Analysis: Plays deep CF role mostly at Penn State. He is comfortable coming down playing in the box and filling vs the run. He cannot get off blocks from TEs and WRs in space downfield. He has impressive burst to the ball and can blitz effectively. Attacks the ball carrier out of control and misses his man too many times. He can lay the wood in the run game and punish receivers in the middle of the field. Not a playmaker in the secondary, looks to handle the man instead of playing the ball in coverage. He lacks the range to make plays on the sideline when playing CF. He can handle average TEs and underneath coverage but did not observe any snaps in man vs a receiver. 

Summary: Marcus Allen is an above average strong safety run stuffing type safety. He is athletic and can close on the ball extremely fast. He offers upside as a blitzer and can hit hard in position especially in the run game. However he is not a playmaker in coverage, someone who can handle receivers in man coverage, range to make plays on the sideline when in CF. He projects as a strong safety for a team that plays a lot of cover 1 and allows the strong safety to handle underneath coverage. Early 4th round grade.

M.J. Stewart, North Carolina

Game Film Evaluated:

Stanford (2016)

Analysis: Played the rover role as a nickel CB and safety run support role. Shorter but strong frame. He moves well and has some burst. He looks to undercut his receiver and make a play but he consistently fails to locate the ball and make a play on it in the air. Not overly physical in run support or the first one to the ball when pursuing the action. He is in proper position but comes up empty going for the ball. He comes up empty when he tries to get a press at the line of scrimmage, needs to improve in that area when in man coverage. He does better playing downhill and has upside as a safety.  May need to make a position change to safety.

Summary: M.J. Stewart is a puzzling prospect as college teams have hybrid players who support the run but also can handle themselves in coverage roles in the base defense. That is the role Stewart played at UNC. It is also the role that Jalen Ramsey played at Florida State but the comparisons end there. Stewart is not a plus cover corner nor overly physical in run support. He is talented enough to handle himself in underneath coverage and should do well against most TE’s. He needs to improve his ball recognition and locate the ball better in the air. The hardest part is getting into proper position which he seemed to do well in games but needs to finish the play. He projects as a adequate balanced safety prospect with upside in coverage and filling to support the run more aggressively than did in college. Early 4th round grade.

Justin Reid, Stanford

Game Film Evaluated:

Rice (2017)

San Diego State (2017)

Analysis: Taller frame. Comfortable playing in the box. Effective wrap up tackler. Slow to react. Heavy feet in coverage, flat footed. He can close on the ball quickly when he has a clear path. Plays high and needs to break down more effectively. Does not get off blocks quickly. Adequate long speed. Tight hips. Needs to find the ball quicker. He will take some false steps and allow the back to get outside on him and break containment.

Summary: Justin Reid plays an adequate strong safety game but he needs to tighten up parts of his game before he can an effective starter at the next level. He is a good tackler although not a striker from the secondary. He was not used in deep half coverage or in CF in any of the games observed. He does not project well to a CF type safety or even someone who can handle man coverage vs TEs at the next level. He will get turned around and not maintain balance if he has to turn and run. He is best when playing downhill and filling vs the run in the box. He needs to be paired with a top free safety so he can roam underneath and make plays. Not a playmaker in coverage, just a steady strong safety who will make the play when in position. Early 4th round grade.

Kyzir White, West Virginia

Game Film Evaluated:

Texas (2017)

Missouri (2016)

Analysis: He has legit speed but doesn’t show up on film consistently especially in coverage. He doesn’t play as fast unless he needs to sprint to the ballcarrier. Legit hard hitting safety. He can really lay the wood on someone and it isn’t just throwing the shoulder. He is a form tackler who hits with authority. Struggles to find the ball in traffic and navigate through blockers to get to the ball. Stiff hips and coverage will be an issue. Do not ever trust him in man coverage vs any receiving threat. 

Summary: Kyzir White is an ideal strong safety type prospect that would of flourished in the NFL prior to 2000. However the passing game is a problem for White and he will be targeted by offenses if left on the field in any coverage role. These days you cannot hide on defense if you can’t cover. He has the athleticism to be average in zone coverage but he doesn’t anticipate nor read the play quick enough to get into position. He is at his best playing downhill, in the box and making plays in the run game. His hard hitting, tackling and speed will get him on the field but coverage will be his achilles heel. He is not in the same league as Kam Chancellor who can handle himself in coverage vs TE’s but he is on that level with respect to hitting authority and tackling. He needs a big week at the senior bowl and see if he can handle himself in coverage. If he becomes just an average coverage safety, he could become a real force in the league. Early 4th round grade.

DeShon Elliott, Texas

Game Film Evaluated:

USC (2017)

Oklahoma State (2017)

Analysis: Takes proper angles to the ball. Very aggressive and will bite hard on playaction. He knows his assignments and will focus on his responsibility. Liability in man coverage. Tight hips and struggles to turn and run effectively. He gets into trouble in the CF role having to move laterally, then turn to run with receivers. Natural playmaker, the ball just finds him for turnovers. Strong tackler capable of laying the wood on receivers and on the blitz. He is capable of bringing down players in the open field effectively. He is aggressive in coverage, seeks to make a play instead of a conservative approach just allowing the catch and make the tackle. He will seek to make a play on the ball. Most comfortable when playing downhill, keeping the play in front of him. Struggles to get off blocks in the box and finding his way thru traffic inside.

Summary: DeShon Elliott plays like an effective strong safety type prospect but has significant holes in his game. He is one of the better tacklers in the class, capable of the hard hit to knock the ball out or short of the first down marker. He can bring down a receiver in the open field and takes proper angles to the ball despite lacking great speed. He has tight hips and will struggle to transition from the backpedal and run effectively. He is a man coverage liability but can handle himself in cover 2. He brings a playmaker mentality to the secondary and is not conservative in coverage, he wants the ball and will go after it.  He brings good burst when blitzing but struggles to get off blocks and cannot find the ball quickly through traffic which limits the upside as a run stuffing safety. He projects as a cover 2 zone safety that makes plays from a deep half role but not a plus starter who can blow up plays in the box nor dynamic in coverage. He can be an adequate starting strong safety but anyone taking him needs to play primarily cover 2 especially in passing situations. 4th round grade.

Ronnie Harrison, Alabama

Game Film Evaluated:

Clemson (2016)

Clemson (2017)

Georgia (2018)

Analysis: He got overrun by the back at Clemson in space. Moves well in space, has some short area quickness. Plays down in the box consistently. Struggles to find the ball through traffic. He got knocked out of the play by blockers mutliple times. Below average tackler. Does not break down in space and not a form tackler. He prefers to just lower the shoulder and drop his head. He was charged to handle the TE in coverage. He is a grabber in coverage. He is at his best playing downhill, impressive burst to close. Not a physical player. Takes poor angles and misses way too many open field tackles.

Summary: Ronnie Harrison has plenty of talent but the kid on the field is no where close to that talent level. He moves well in space, can really close on the ball quickly from the deep safety position. He has adequate quickness to handle coverage responsibilities vs backs and TEs. However he is a poor tackler, fails to wrap up or use proper technique. He gets run over by blockers, even receivers and that should not happen to any strong safety in the NFL. Harrison has the potential to be an effective player but he has got to take proper angles to the ball and improve his tackling. Initially he should be an effective special teams player and a backup who could assist as a sub package deep coverage safety. 5th round grade.

Quenton Meeks, Stanford

Game Film Evaluated:

Washington (2017)

USC (2017)

UCLA (2017)

Analysis: Excellent size and long arms. Ideal frame for the position. Not super quick and has tight hips. Struggles to transition from the backpedal to run downfield. He has adequate long speed. He flashes good hitting ability and can wrap up effectively. He did not get a press even when he lined up at the line of scrimmage. He played off man with a large cushion often in college. He plays the man, does not look for the ball. Plays flat footed at times and WRs can catch him flat footed trying to sit on a route and run right past him. He needs to stay on the outside and has to develop a physical style of play to make it at the next level.

Summary: Quenton Meeks has the look of a pro NFL corner exactly in the mold every team is looking for. He has the frame, arm length and speed combination to suggest he can be a effective press man cover corner. However he does not play with that physical style during the games observed and not overly quick or a playmaker in college. He has good potential but there are concerns that he lacks the proper mindset for the position,  he does not play aggressive or bring a physical style consistently. Its difficult to make a conservative tentative player more aggressive and physical. I think Meeks needs a look as a potential safety since he is most comfortable making plays in front of him and utilize his adequate tackling ability. I do not think he has the mentality, quickness, hips to stay at corner especially when matched up with the fastest and quickest receivers in the pros. He will struggle tremendously if he doesn’t get a better press and redirect them at the line. 5th round grade.

Jerome Baker, Ohio State

Game Film Evaluated:

Penn State (2017)

USC (2017)

Michigan (2017)

Analysis: Tremendous athlete. He’s a safety playing LB at Ohio State. Struggles to get off blocks. Excellent speed and he can chase down plays effectively. Gets good drops in zone coverage. Consistently lined up as a Will LB. Inconsistent motor. He gets destroyed by blockers. He does flash ability to side step blocks and make the play but its rare. Better vs USC and Michigan than vs Penn State. He does not pursue plays outside his area. Capable tackler but not a hard hitter.

Summary: Jerome Baker played the rover role as a LB in the box but his future is a safety in the NFL. He has very little experience in handling coverage responsibilities as a safety. He is capable of supporting the run, making tackles near the line of scrimmage. However he is not a hard hitter nor a strong blitzer. He is athletic to be capable in coverage but just doesn’t have the experience. He should be a capable special teams player his rookie season and then compete for a job as a strong safety. There is upside but his inconsistent motor and lack of experience make his trajectory a challenging road. He has the talent but it will depend whether he has the drive to take the challenge and succeed. 5th round grade.