How each Free Safety in the draft stacks up

[Natedawg44]

But about Bullocks, I doubt you can call his junior season a bust. He was playing under his 3rd DC (defensive coordinator) in 3 years, all of whom implented completely different schemes from the other. The one scheme he excelled in was that of Bo Pelini who let him sit back in a cover 2 zone consistently and just read the QB, react and just play centerfield basically.

Which is the same system Pool ran in last year and failed miserably at. Which tells you all you need to know about Pool

[HeHateMe]

Originally Posted by Natedawg44

Yeah they do have it wrong. All they and you have to do is watch these 3 games and see if you and them have the same opinion. Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and USC. The guy cannot cover in a 2 deep zone he NEVER gets there in time. Which would spell disaster for us. If we draft him I have visions of WRs running untouched down the sideline for scores. He has the physical ability I don't discount that as evidenced by him catching Reggie Bush from behind with no angle in the NC game and his size is very good, but he just consistently takes bad angles in deep coverage I don't think its coaching I think it is his instincts. Alot of people have opinions on players in here that are from different schools than they follow or whatever, but think about this I'm a Sooner Fan I've watched probably 15 games in the last two years of Oklahoma football. If a Longhorn fan was saying similar things about Derrick Johnson I would probably pay attention to it.

You THINK its instincts.

I THINK its coaching.

You bring him in here, he can be coached properly and correct any problems hes having now.

[Chuck 54]

Originally Posted by BigWillie

Pool is getting by on what his reputation carried with him -- the next 'Roy Williams' at Oklahoma. All the hype and everything that surrounded him, he simply hasn't lived up to at all.

But about Bullocks, I doubt you can call his junior season a bust. He was playing under his 3rd DC (defensive coordinator) in 3 years, all of whom implented completely different schemes from the other. The one scheme he excelled in was that of Bo Pelini who let him sit back in a cover 2 zone consistently and just read the QB, react and just play centerfield basically.

This past year Kevin Cosgrove implented a style more or less based off of man coverage and thus why Bullocks INT numbers are WAY down. However it wasn't a bad year, just nothing spectacular.

[View Full Quote]Cosgrove runs the 'bend but dont break' style of defense that Mike Zimmer seems to love. So that is alot of the reason I do not believe Bullocks would thrive in our type of defensive system. Although not inept at man coverage, Bullocks isn't an Ed Reed type of cover man, although who exactly is?

Bullocks could EASILY be one of the best FS' in all the NFL if he is in the right system. If it were a system of say Lovie Smith in Chicago, it would be right in Bullocks' alley. I sincerely believe that as well.

Bullocks would be a FANTASTIC pickup in round 2 if Zimmer allows him to roam and play centerfield like a FS should be doing to begin with, rather than sticking him on a slot receiver or TE.

according to the scouting report, he "excells in coverage" so I think he'd be fine in any system as a FS, not as a SS enforcer.

[MichaelWinicki]

Originally Posted by wayne_motley

according to the scouting report, he "excells in coverage" so I think he'd be fine in any system as a FS, not as a SS enforcer.

I'll be interested to see what Ourlads says about him.

[fishspill]

I think Pool will be very good but might need to be brought along like Polamalu, lots of special teams and slowly integrate into the schemes. Pool doesn't have Polamalu's elite speed (at least I think he ran a crazy 40, if memory serves) but plenty of ability and is a better tackler than he's given credit for.

[zagnut]

Originally Posted by HeHateMe

You THINK its instincts.

I THINK its coaching.

You bring him in here, he can be coached properly and correct any problems hes having now.

And since when is our defensive coaching staff really good at teaching those sorts of things?

In any case, I don't believe there's any such thing as coverage instincts. It comes down to recognizing what your seeing. Maybe the major differences between Pool and Bullocks are effort off the field, self-motivation and intelligence.

Which one would we want?

[zagnut]

From Condraft:

2. Josh Bullocks, 6-0 190, JR, Nebraska
Bullocks is probably the most underrated safety in the nation, heck he is probably the best coverage safety in the country, last year he tied Miami’s Safety Sean Taylor for the most interceptions in the entire nation with 10. He is finally getting some well-deserved recognition, he is one of only five juniors to be selected as a 2004 1st Team Street & Smith’s All-American. Nebraska head coach Frank Solich said Josh Bullocks has improved all phases of his game and has especially improved his tackling. Bullocks said he's also learned plenty from secondary coach Marvin Sanders about reading quarterbacks, guessing where they're going to throw by the position and tilt of their shoulders.

[View Full Quote]"No one covers the field like he does when the ball is in the air," Solich said of Josh Bullocks. "He has great anticipation." Bullocks, the Cornhuskers’ free safety, intercepted 10 passes last year, a school and Big 12 single-season record, making him the nation’s top returning pass thief for 2004. He has 11 career picks, well within reach of Dana Stephenson’s (1967-69) school record of 14. He also made 97 tackles in ’03, was consensus first-team All-Big 12 and AP second-team All-America.

Josh is an excellent talent and with his speed his talent projects very favorably in the pros because he is good enough to play corner also. Injured in 2004 but has recently declared for the 2005 NFL Draft. Safety Josh Bullocks, who quietly had one of the better overall combines, was times at a 4.46 and 4.52 in Lincoln, an improvement from Indianapolis. Bullocks was the most popular player amongst scouts. Afterwards several teams including the Chiefs and Texans had him do individual drills. For their part the Dallas Cowboys are thrilled with Bullocks and feel he could immediately produce for the squad.

I didn't know Bullock was injured this past year. Anyone know if he played injured all season?

[Natedawg44]

You THINK its instincts.

I THINK its coaching.

You bring him in here, he can be coached properly and correct any problems hes having now.

Yeah Its not like Ron Zook is coaching at Oklahoma or anything. LMAO
And since you haven't mentioned it Ill assume that you haven't watched any Oklahoma games I'm talking about. In Bo Pelini/Brent Venable D he was Horrible against OSU, Tex A&M and USC anyone who has actually watched the games can't conclude otherwise. By the way Bullocks was incredible with Pelini. Same coach two different results means to me that there may be more than coaching at play and the concerns about play recognition and deep help instincts may be legit. Why would I be running down a player from my school if it there wasn't a legit concern? See the articles below

Underclassmen saving grace of safety classBy Todd McShay, Scouts Inc.


Ironically, two of the first three "safety prospects" who come off the board in the 2005 draft could soon become outside linebackers in the NFL.

Georgia's Thomas Davis and Michigan's Ernest Shazor are both a Twinkie away from eating themselves out of the defensive secondary and up to the linebacker corps. In both cases, the decision will likely be determined by the defensive scheme used by the respective teams that draft them.

Regardless, Davis is still considered a late-first-round prospect and Shazor is still expected to come off the board somewhere in the second round.

The other safety prospect who fits into the first- and second-round equation is Oklahoma's Brodney Pool. The ball-hawking free safety prospect [b]needs to take fewer risks as the last line of defense [/B](sounds like instincts/recognition there) and will never have great man-to-man cover skills. However, Pool is a natural playmaker who is always around the ball, which is evidenced in his 160 total tackles and nine interceptions over the course of the last two seasons.

After Davis, Pool and Shazor, there is a drop-off in talent, but Nebraska's Josh Bullocks is certainly a viable option for a team looking to develop a free safety with starting potential. Bullocks is coming off a somewhat disappointing season as a senior in 2004. He is better dropping into coverage than he is filling against the run.

However, Bullocks shows excellent instincts in coverage, above-average range, excellent ball skills and enough size to improve his ability to support the run, which is why he could sneak into the final few picks of the second round.

Pool is a rangy safety with great size and athleticism. He has great height for the position. In coverage, Pool shows good instincts. He has great ball skills and plays the ball in the air well. He has good hands and leaping ability and will rarely drop an interception opportunity. He has good, but not blazing speed, he is better as a free ranger than he is in one on one coverage. What he needs to a better job of doing is reading plays, seeing them develop rather than just relying on instincts and reacting. He tends to be a little late with his deep help and will get caught looking into the backfield at times.(There it is again) In run support, he comes up hard and aggressively, but lacks great bulk and strength. He isn't a reliable form tackler and often approaches the ball carrier too high.

Give me Josh Bullocks or Marlin Jackson

[zagnut]

Originally Posted by Natedawg44

Sounds like B.J. Ward had a great workout. I haven't heard much about him or where most think he will go. Correct me if I'm wrong I thought woodysgirl was pretty high on him at the start of the year.
Anybody got any profiles?

Consensus Draft Services has him rated 10th:

10. S Jerome Carter, 600, 220, SR, Florida State
Shared time with Kyler Hall as a sophomore (2002) but still ranked third on the team and 19th in the ACC with a career-high 94 total tackles. He was the top tackler among the Seminoles’ defensive backs and led all Florida State defensive backs in total, unassisted and assisted tackles and quarterback sacks.

Carter is a supreme athlete with 4.48 speed and has plenty of upside. He battled with injuries during his first two years with a knee surgery coming at the end of his freshman season and shoulder surgery coming at the end of his sophomore season. Jerome was highly recruited out of high school and ranked as the 27th best player regardless of position in the nation by Collegefootballnews.com.

[View Full Quote]As a junior in 2003 he battled injuries, but if he stays healthy this year Carter could have a break out season and emerge into a super NFL prospect. Better at run support than pass. Has his weight up to 220 which is a little high, but looked very athletic at the combine, benched for an impressive 21 repetitions, 35 inch vertical and a 10.1 inch broad jump and ran a decent 4.55 forty. His 7.18 3-cone time was pretty good for a 220 pounder.

I see a lot of ACC games and Carter never stood out. I didn't really see an NFL prospect at safety when I watched FSU. Of course, McFadden wasn't all that at CB and some people are talking him up like a first rounder.

[ghettogandhi]

Brandon Browner or Josh Bullocks in the second would definitely be nice-

Going into the draft we have 3 glaring weaknesses on this- team-

1) playmaker linebackers- currently we have 1 good lb among the group

2) free safety- who can cover and is around the ball on deep passes

3) wide receiver-with speed to stretch the field

more than anything this team needs playmakers -preferably with speed-
offense speed is average with jones being the only one with above average speed at his position

on defense we have average speed- would be nice to see Roy Donut Williams slim down some -would help make him a more complete player


therefore if we come away with these three guys in the first two rounds we will have solidified our starters.

1) at number 11- Derrick Johnson or mike Williams

2) at number 20- Either Troy Williamson or Shawn Merriman

3) second round- Brandon Browner or josh bullocks or Marlin Jackson

[Hollywood Henderson]

Its just a good thing to see talk coming out of the ranch that we now DO NEED a cover FS type, a few years way too late IMHO but at least Parcells now knows that zimmy has failed miserabally as a DB coach & hired Todd Bowles to take over there...

In fact Bowles has been to see some of these prospects so it will be interesting to see who we go after...

I sense Bowles taking over on D after this next year...

[MichaelWinicki]

Originally Posted by ghettogandhi

Brandon Browner or Josh Bullocks in the second would definitely be nice-

Going into the draft we have 3 glaring weaknesses on this- team-

1) playmaker linebackers- currently we have 1 good lb among the group

2) free safety- who can cover and is around the ball on deep passes

3) wide receiver-with speed to stretch the field

more than anything this team needs playmakers -preferably with speed-
offense speed is average with jones being the only one with above average speed at his position

on defense we have average speed- would be nice to see Roy Donut Williams slim down some -would help make him a more complete player


therefore if we come away with these three guys in the first two rounds we will have solidified our starters.

1) at number 11- Derrick Johnson or mike Williams

2) at number 20- Either Troy Williamson or Shawn Merriman
[View Full Quote]
3) second round- Brandon Browner or josh bullocks or Marlin Jackson

A playmaking linebacker? Not needed if we stay in a 4-3. Playmaking linebackers are not needed in a 4-3 IF the defensive lineman are doing their jobs. I've watched this Dallas defense for more than 30 years and I can count the number of "playmaking" linebackers on one-hand, maybe on like two fingers. What we've always had is "efficient" linebackers. Give me an outstanding d-line and efficient linebackers any day IF we're staying in a 4-3. Linebackers are usually only as good as the d-lineman in front of them. A "playmaking" linebacker isn't going to be making too many plays if a 300lb lineman is always blocking him.

[btcutter]

Originally Posted by zagnut

Consensus Draft Services has him rated 10th:



I see a lot of ACC games and Carter never stood out. I didn't really see an NFL prospect at safety when I watched FSU. Of course, McFadden wasn't all that at CB and some people are talking him up like a first rounder.

He shouldn't be a 1st rounder esp after Matt Jone beat him up at the combines.

[BigWillie]

wayne_motley, I believe I addressed the coverage issue pretty good, don't you? Hopefully I don't have to go over it again. But to keep it simple, Bullocks excels when you allow him to play as a true FS, rather than putting him out in man coverage. Although not inept, he isn't the greatest guy man-up in coverage.

HeHateMe, Pool played in the same system Bullocks THRIVED in. What coaching hurt him?

Lastly, zagnut, I don't know where you have heard Bullocks was injured, but it is wrong. The only two men from Nebraska's secondary that were injured were Fabian Washington and Cortney Grixby.

[HeHateMe]

Scouts, Inc. has watched every game and broken down all possible film on this kid.

You contribute a lot and I respect your opinion, but I'm going with them on this one.

And for the record, I saw at least 7 Oklahoma games this season.

Enough to know I'd really like to see this kid lined up next to #31.

Brodney Pool
DS | (6'3", 198) | OKLAHOMA

Scouts Grade: 89

Strengths: Centerfielder-type with excellent instincts, athleticism, range and ball skills. He covers a lot of ground in zone coverage and he is a ball-hawk with proven playmaking ability. Is instinctive and intelligent. Makes quick reads and does an excellent job of diagnosing plays. Rarely takes false steps. Gets great jumps by being disciplined and reacting quicker than most. Does a very good job of reading QB's eyes in zone coverage. Rarely gets caught peeking into the backfield. Has adequate-to-good closing speed but not great. He shows some good burst when coming forward. Is at his best when he can read from the high-point and break on the ball in front of him. . If he's in the vicinity he will make a play on the ball. He has excellent height, long arms and adequate-to-good leaping ability. Does a good job of adjusting to the ball in the air and timing his leaps. Has soft and consistent hands if in position to challenge for the INT. also knocks down a lot of passes because of his quick jumps, great angles and long arms. Isn't intimidating but is very productive in run support. He fills hard and is aggressive. He diagnoses things quickly, takes good angles and always seems to be around the ball. Is a bit of a drag-down tackler but is reliable. Gets into position, breaks down in space and does a good job of wrapping up.

Weaknesses: He has a good frame but lacks ideal bulk and strength. Doesn't have great pop or power as a tackler. Won't make many big hits or force a lot of fumbles. Has adequate but not great top-end speed. Is better in zone coverage than he is man-to-man. Is a bit high-cut and has some trouble sticking with quicker WR's that can exploit his lack of ideal hip fluidity by using double moves. He doesn't show great catch-up speed if he gets out of position and is forced to turn-and-run downfield.

Overview: Pool played in 12 games (mostly on special teams) as a true freshman in 2002. He started 12-of-14 games in 2003 at FS and finished with 68 total tackles, seven interceptions, six pass breakups and nine tackles for loss. As a junior in 2004, Pool led the Sooners with 92 tackles and finished with two interceptions, nine passes broken up and five tackles for loss. Pool lacks elite speed and he isn't a huge hitter versus the run. However, what he lacks in physical tools he makes up for with his recognition skills and instincts. He's a playmaker that is always around the ball versus the run and the pass. In our opinion, Pool is the best free safety prospect in the 2005 draft. He might be a bit of a reach late in the first round but would be a great value anywhere in the second round