Am I the only one not excited about the safeties?

[MonsterD]

I don't know, Barron was almost hyped up as a top 5 pick last year, and well I never thought of him as anything close, possibly only a 1st-2nd prospect.

So this year was suppose to be a great class, and well I am starting to be very underwhelmed.

Before anyone thinks I am just anti-safety, note that the draft with Berry and Thomas I was super thrilled with both guys. Berry I wanted us to trade away practically anything for.

The NFL is filled with drab, mediocre and even awful safeties, it is a deficit.

So this class seems to be almost a so-so 2nd rounders to 3rd round quality for the most part. I know a couple were ok at making plays in college, but they always have huge faults after that.

Somebody cheer me up on this thing here.

[Shinywalrus]

I find that safeties are never exciting in the draft these days.

These days, any safety with exceptional speed is more likely to play the more glamorous and lucrative corner position. Any safety without exceptional speed is likely to have knocks on him, that he doesn't have optimal closing speed, that he's more of a thumper, etc.

When you look at the successful safeties, that always ends up being a knock. Jairus Byrd didn't have the straightline speed to be a centerfielder. Eric Weddle had arms that were too short and didn't have the instincts to be a ball-hawk; he also wasn't nearly strong enough to play effectively in the box. The Browns were killed in the press for the TJ Ward pick, having selected a guy who didn't have the explosion or ball skills to play the centerfield and who couldn't disengage from blocks.

The best safeties in the NFL draft look flawed because, in large part, a premier safety with exceptional physical characteristics is almost always angling to play corner. Those left to play safety almost always ARE flawed. Only tight ends, kickers and punters get paid less than safeties when we're at the top end of the talent scale.

I'm not sure if I feel better or worse after that. Sorry.

[Rack Bauer]

I don't think this is a great draft for elite safeties, but I do think there are a lot of 2nd tier safeties available this draft.

[newlander]

[quote=Shinywalrus;4978007]I find that safeties are never exciting in the draft these days.

These days, any safety with exceptional speed is more likely to play the more glamorous and lucrative corner position. Any safety without exceptional speed is likely to have knocks on him, that he doesn't have optimal closing speed, that he's more of a thumper, etc.

When you look at the successful safeties, that always ends up being a knock. Jairus Byrd didn't have the straightline speed to be a centerfielder. Eric Weddle had arms that were too short and didn't have the instincts to be a ball-hawk; he also wasn't nearly strong enough to play effectively in the box. The Browns were killed in the press for the TJ Ward pick, having selected a guy who didn't have the explosion or ball skills to play the centerfield and who couldn't disengage from blocks.


...shinywalrus..it's a money thing and a coaching thing as well IMO. Not too many good college defensive coaches anymore teaching that position properly. Maybe 10 in the country : TOPS.

[RS12]

Am I the only one not excited about the safeties?

If you mean in the 1st round, you are not alone.

[tm1119]

I agree that the 1st round talent is iffy, but I think there is very good value in the 2nd and 3rd round to get a good quality player. Thomas, Rambo, and Swearinger can all be reliable coverage FS's, while guys like Duke Williams, Shawn Williams, or Shamarko Thomas could be useful in the box safties if Church doesn't work out or gets hurt again.

[ABQcowboyJR]

Yes you are.

[StanleySpadowski]

Safeties are the position that's been hurt the most with the new protection rules. They can't hit anyone so the kill shot type safety has gone the way of the dinosaur.

It's hard to get excited about a safety who is a solid tackler because he's going to be mediocre in coverage because if he was great in coverage he'd be a higher dollar corner.

[AsthmaField]

I like this year's safety class, but it isn't full of blue chip types. There's no Berry or Thomas in this crop, but there are quite a few late first/early second round types that are much better than solid.

The main excitement I have for the position is because of the type of defense we are now running and how Kiffin uses the position. He is going to have the safety doing more than they have been in Dallas the last several years, and with that will come many more plays from the position.

I see a guy like Matt Elam and feel like he'd be all over the field for Kiffin. IMO, he'd be almost ideal in our new defense, and would bring a physical presence we've lacked for years. Others like Vaccaro might be a little better in coverage, but he lacks the quickness, explosion and intimidation that Elam would provide.

I would only take Elam in the late first with a trade back... but I would be pretty excited about that. Move back, get an additional 2nd and get an OL and a DL in the second round.

No other safety gets me excited about what they'd bring to the table other than Elam though... even though Vaccaro is probably going to end up higher rated.

[unionjack8]

DJ Swearinger with a star on his helmet come september

[xwalker]

Originally Posted by unionjack8

DJ Swearinger with a star on his helmet come september

I love watching that guy play. Hits like a LB and covers like a CB.

[DEMARC0MURRAY29]

Elam is the only guy that excites me in this year's class.

[Eskimo]

Elam looked pretty lost in coverage in that highlight video. He caught some badly thrown balls. He looked lost when he had his back to the QB with his arms waving madly about. He is a good tackler, he can evade blocks and he arrives with attitude.

He looks okay but I think he should be more of a mid-second to mid-third rounder because of size limitations and coverage deficiencies.

[The Realist]

I'm excited about Thomas. 6-1/215, 8 picks, 12 TFL, 4 sacks, 4 FF, 13 PD.

[kirkjrk]

Watch Tony Jefferson move up in the draft to 2nd round-Mid. I like him.