Josh McCown’s arrival leads to questions, not answers
March 2, 2015Pics: First look at Nike’s LeBron 12 “Elite”
March 2, 2015The 2015 NFL Draft is creeping closer and closer with the first round starting on April 30. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be covering my top five prospects of each position in the 2015 NFL Draft. The first position that I will be covering is the safety position. For reference on this year’s class of safeties, here were my top five safeties in last year’s draft. Safeties are the quarterbacks of the secondary and must be able to help in both run defense and pass coverage. This year’s safety group is definitely one of the weaker positions in the draft. It does not have many first-year starters and could potentially produce just a couple NFL-caliber talents.
1. Landon Collins, Alabama
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Alabama’s Landon Collins is most likely the only safety taken in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. In his junior season last year, Collins had 103 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, three interceptions, 10 passes defended, and one forced fumble. He is a tough hard-hitting strong safety with the ability to close to the ball very quickly (As you can see below).
Collins’ best skill set is his ability to quickly read a defense and react to the play, especially against the run. He is a hard-hitting tackler, but does not go at the ball carrier wildly. His tackling has good form and technique. As NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says, “Collins’ tackling, pursuit angles and speed to the sideline can help a defense shut down rushing attacks.” While he is most adept against the run, Collins plays well in pass coverage. He is a good player in zone coverage because of his speed and football IQ. His 6-foot, 228-pound frame along with his speed allows him to cover tight ends in coverage.
His biggest points of weakness are his ability to cover speedy slot receivers and occasional instances where he is out of position when he is fooled by the offense. His speed is good, but he does not have quick twitch to stay with slot receivers. Play action plays can fool him into biting and allowing the receivers to get past him. But, these weaknesses can by shored up with more learning along with his role at strong safety allowing him to play more in the box rather than in deep coverage.
2. Shaq Thompson, Washington
Shaq Thompson of Washington is one of the more versatile players in the 2015 NFL Draft. In his junior season last year, he had 81 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception, five passes defended, and three forced fumbles. I believe his best position in the NFL will be at the strong safety spot.
Thompson played linebacker in college, but his size of 6-feet, 228-pounds along with his athleticism makes him a better fit as a strong safety. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt tweeted, “Talked to 2 teams, both say Shaq Thompson’s position in NFL has to be SS. Had excellent workouts, really smart.” He has great athleticism in space with the ability to close on the ball very quickly. He has shown his ability to play in zone coverage as a linebacker, so he should be able to do that as a safety. Because of his athleticism and strength for his size, Thompson should be able to cover the slot corners, tight ends and running backs. His agility and speed gives him the ability to track down ball carriers in the open field. Thompson is a ball hawk and makes big plays for his team (As you can see below).
His versatility may also be his biggest weakness. In my opinion, he is too small to play linebacker, so he should be placed as a safety in the NFL. But, he must learn to play the safety position. He can get stuck on blocks because of his smaller size and lack of strength. This is the reason why I believe he should be a safety. He could struggle playing in the front seven against the big linemen of the NFL. As a safety, he can play in space and use the talent he has.
3. Derron Smith, Fresno State
Fresno State’s Derron Smith is my top rated free safety in the 2015 NFL Draft. In his senior season last year, he had 93 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and eight passes defended. He has the coverage skills to be a starting caliber free safety in the NFL.
Smith is a smart free safety with the ability to read the opposing offense and be in the right place in coverage. He reads the eyes of the quarterback and reacts quickly to where the ball is going (As you can see below). His speed is good, allowing him to close in a play quickly. He was very productive in college, picking off 15 passes in his Fresno State career. His ball skills are good, including great explosion to jump high and knock the ball away from defenders. He also has the quickness and technique to cover slot receivers.
Smith’s biggest weaknesses are his size and strength. He is only 5-foot-10, 200-pounds with short arms. This hurts his ability to make tackles on bigger, stronger ball carriers. His struggle to tackle could hurt him in his ability to help out in the run defense. He is too small to cover tight ends over the middle of the field. His size could hamper his ability to start right away, but his coverage skills should allow him to eventually get into the lineup after time to learn the NFL game.
4. Damarious Randall, Arizona State
Arizona State’s Damarious Randall is one of the most athletic safeties in the 2015 NFL Draft. In his senior season last year, he had 106 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, one sack, thee interceptions, 12 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown. Amongst all the safeties at the NFL Combine, he had the third fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.46 seconds, the third highest vertical jump at 38 inches, and the third fastest three cone drill at 6.83 seconds.
Randall is a tough, athletic player who puts all his effort out onto the field. He is a quick twitch player who can break on a ball very quickly. He can read a quarterback’s eyes and break on a pass quickly (As you can see below). For a smaller player, he is a tough player who can make the big hit on the opponent. His toughness allows him to stick his head in the run defense. As CBS Sports’s Dan Brugler says, “(Randall) plays bigger than he looks and initiates the action, seeking out contact with a violent mentality to strike through his target.” His toughness and energy is a good example for his teammates to follow.
Randall is small for a safety at 5-feet-11, 196-pounds, so he could struggle tackling at the next level. He is also very raw with his technique, which can lead to him getting beat in coverage for big plays. He is a player who will need to sit and learn for a year or so before being a major contributor on defense as a free safety. For his rookie season, he should at least be a big player on special teams because of his effort and athleticism.
5. Gerod Holliman, Louisville
Gerod Holliman of Louisville had one of the best seasons for a safety in college football last season. In his junior season last year, he had 44 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, 17 passes defended, one forced fumble, one touchdown, and led FBS with 14 interceptions. He is a playmaking free safety.
Holliman has great ball skills to make big plays on defense (As you can see below). He is an aggressive player in coverage with the ability to read the eyes of the quarterback and undercut a pass. He uses his instincts to make plays on the ball. The Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller says, “His ability to play in coverage and attack the football in the air makes him a Round 1 talent to me. He’s not a big hitter, but he’ll make his money by getting the ball into his hands.” He is a true ball hawk.
Holliman’s biggest weaknesses are his tackling and propensity to get beat in coverage. He takes horrible angles to the ball and can miss tackles allowing the runner to get past him. He does not have good technique tackling allowing ball carriers to break through his tackles. In coverage, he is often fooled by play action passes and gets beat deep by a receiver. He can get caught looking into the backfield and lose focus on the receivers around him. He must develop better technique and eyes in order to be a starting free safety.
5 Comments
Probably makes sense that you start with a position that we won’t likely draft high (assuming we re-sign RFA Gipson).
Whoever drafts Shaq Thompson needs to watch a bunch of TJ Ward tape. That is what he can best emulate in the NFL, I think. He isn’t quite as physical (yet) and has better ball skills, but put him in that role and I think he can excel.
You hit on most of the best guys well, so I will a guy that I really like more than most that you didn’t mention (though I love Holliman and hope he drops to us in the mid-rounds).
Cody Prewitt – the guy isn’t considered the greatest athlete, but he shows up on tape constantly. reports rave on his work ethic and knowing the other teams offense. type of guy that doesn’t get drafted until the mid-to-late rounds, but could really be a steady backup/ST guy for a year or two and impress as a starter once he learns the NFL. I think he is this year’s Jim Leonard (hey, that guy just retired, so we could draft his replacement).
He can make hard tackles 1 yard after the opposing WR gets a first down, apparently.
Beat me to Prewitt.
How about:
Kurtis Drummond – Michigan St
Jordan Richards – Stanford
Drummond – too much of an all-or-nothing guy (completely goes for the ball w/o recognizing when to play the man instead). was always surprised to see a Sparty defender that struggled tackling.
Richards – be a great gunner and 2-down S to help run support. not sure if he can handle NFL coverage, but wouldn’t mind throwing a mid-to-late round pick at him to find out.
J. Gilbert SUCKS! Oh wait Joe…he is cool i thought you meant Justin… carry on