FS Draft prospect rankings - Dallas Cowboys Forum

Dayton Cowboy · 03-16-2005

Not sure that I agree with Thomas Davis at free safety.. does anybody know any details on Fuller?

from NFL Draft Showcase

FREE SAFETIES
March 10, 2005
STOCK RISING:
Patrick Body, Brodney Pool, Josh Bullocks,

ONE TO WATCH:
South Carolina's Jermaine Harris has the size (6'4, 210) to play strong safety but the athletic ability to play free. If he can turn in some good times pre-draft, his stock will rise.

SLEEPERS WATCH:
Alabama A&M's Levernonte Turner has been productive at a smaller level. He has a knack for making plays. James Young of Georgia Southern is a big, athletic guy who has been timed sub-4.4 by GSU's coaches.
photo from National Champs

Name Year School HT WT 40 Round
1 Thomas Davis Junior Georgia 6'1 230 4.55 1
2 Vincent Fuller Senior Virginia Tech 6'2 195 4.30 2-3
3 Josh Bullocks Junior Nebraska 6'0 210 4.53 2-3
4 Brodney Pool Junior Oklahoma 6'3 215 4.55 3
5 James Butler Senior Georgia Tech 6'3 210 4.60 3
6 Oshiomogho Atogwe Senior Stanford 5'11 205 4.60 3-4
7 Gerald Sensabaugh Senior North Carolina 6'2 210 4.49 4
8 Kerry Rhodes Senior Louisville 6'3 211 4.46 5
9 Aaron Fransisco Senior BYU 6'2 205 4.75 5
10 Mario Williams Senior Gardner-Webb 6'2 205 4.48 5-6
11 Sean Considine Senior Iowa 6'0 205 4.55 5-6
12 Jim Leonhard Senior Wisconsin 5'8 183 4.50 5-6
13 Ben Emanuel Senior UCLA 6'3 220 4.56 6
14 Jason Harmon Senior Michigan State 5'11 202 4.53 6
15 Eric Oliver Senior Mississippi 6'2 215 4.54 6-7
16 Marviel Underwood Senior San Diego State 5'11 211 4.45 7
17 James Young Senior Georgia Southern 6'1 204 4.45 7-FA
18 Jermaine Harris Senior South Carolina 6'4 210 4.60 7-FA
19 Mitch Meeuwsen Senior Oregon State 6'3 210 4.57 7-FA
20 Patrick Body Senior Toledo 6'2 201 4.35 7-FA
21 Nick Collins Senior Bethune-Cookman 5'11 193 4.46 7-FA
22 Derrick Ansley Senior Troy 6'1 171 4.50 FA
23 Keon Newson Senior Bowling Green 6'0 184 4.53 FA
24 Lionel Hickenbottom Senior Northern Illinois 5'10 195 4.50 FA
25 Peter Sands Senior Central Florida 6'2 230 4.65 FA
26 Levernonte Turner Senior Alabama A&M 6'2 188 4.55 FA
27 Phillip Geiggar Senior Texas 5'11 205 4.45 FA
28 Josh Smith Senior Navy 6'2 205 4.56 FA
29 Alexis Moreland Senior Southern Illinois 6'1 205 4.51 FA
30 BJ Ward Senior Florida State 6'3 210 4.55 FA
31 Morgan Scalley Senior Utah 5'10 194 4.48 FA
32 TJ Stancil Senior Boston College 6'1 212 4.51 FA
33 Chris Harris Senior Louisiana-Monroe 6'1 204 4.45 FA
34 Travis Pugh Senior Clemson 6'1 195 4.50 FA
35 Michael Hawkins Senior Oklahoma/AFL 6'2 185 4.45 FA
36 Jon Holland Senior Oklahoma State 5'11 185 4.55 FA
37 Cam Newton Senior Furman 6'2 195 4.55 FA
38 Alex Green Senior Duke 6'2 195 4.53 FA
39 Lucas Kurtz Senior Albany 6'3 210 4.65 FA
40 Clayton Smith Senior Dartmouth 6'2 205 4.60 FA

rankings by Allen Trieu

Dayton Cowboy · 03-16-2005

Player Profile

Vincent Fuller

School: Virginia Tech
Position: Free Safety
Class: Senior
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185lbs
Birthday: 8/3/82
40 Time: 4.35 (estimated)

Positives

- A corner by trade, the 184-pound senior will move over to free safety to use his experience and toughness. He was a solid backup last year making 56 tackles and breaking up seven passes. He's one of the best athletes in the secondary. Fuller has been timed at under 4.35 in the 40 while at Va Tech.

Weaknesses

- Must step up and become a solid performer in the secondary. This will be his first season at safety, so it’s a make or break year. Fuller could also benefit from a weight gain. At 184 pounds, he is a light safety.

Overall Analysis

- A former cornerback, Vincent Fuller appears to be one of the better coverage safeties available in the 2005 NFL Draft. Fuller practiced at free safety and cornerback during his redshirt season in 2000 and saw some action as a reserve in 2001. Fuller was a cornerback during his sophomore and junior seasons, starting in 7 contests and recording 5 interceptions over the course of those 2 seasons. He moved to free safety as a senior and recorded 46 tackles, 3 interceptions and 4 pass breakups during the regular season. Fuller has a good size/speed combination and does a nice job in both man and zone coverages. However, he’s still far from a finished project and may be a bit more of an athlete rather than a football player at this point in time. I would currently rate Fuller as a day one prospect based on his upside potential, but he’ll need to have solid post-season workouts to maintain that type of grade.

Reminds You Of:

- Eugene Wilson

playit12 · 03-16-2005

I don't like some of those rankings. For instance I thought James Butler was way too rough to be considered the 5th best prospect. I also thought there were a number of prospects (Fox for instance) that are really only being looked at for FS not CB and are improperly placed. Personally I think the first or second best FS prospect is Marlin Jackson. I know he could go as a CB, but his skills are much better utilized at the FS, where he could be a true Ed Reed type game changer.

I'll take either Marlin at the end of the first (trade down not at #20) or I'll take Bullocks in the second or early third. If we want to wait till the second day we can grab Considine, Fox, or Butler. The first two might be ready to start while Butler has more upside when he learns the position.

I'm not against Pool, I just haven't seen much tape of him. Same with Fuller.

jbsg02 · 03-16-2005

A day 2 pick that interests me is Junior Rosegreen.

Dayton Cowboy · 03-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by playit12

I don't like some of those rankings. For instance I thought James Butler was way too rough to be considered the 5th best prospect. I also thought there were a number of prospects (Fox for instance) that are really only being looked at for FS not CB and are improperly placed. Personally I think the first or second best FS prospect is Marlin Jackson. I know he could go as a CB, but his skills are much better utilized at the FS, where he could be a true Ed Reed type game changer.

I'll take either Marlin at the end of the first (trade down not at #20) or I'll take Bullocks in the second or early third. If we want to wait till the second day we can grab Considine, Fox, or Butler. The first two might be ready to start while Butler has more upside when he learns the position.

I'm not against Pool, I just haven't seen much tape of him. Same with Fuller.

I'm with you on Jackson.. I'd like to pick up Jackson.. but I dont think that he really wants to play safety.. I wouldn't want to either if I can get paid cornerback $$$. And I really think he's one of the top 5 corners out there too.
I dont know anything about Considine or Butler, though I had heard some good things about the later. I did see Dustin Fox a lot at Ohio State. I think he does make a better free safety than a corner. I think he'd cover pretty well as a Free Safety.. At corner his coverage was more along the lines of the moans and groans everyone was giving T-new grief about..

InmanRoshi · 03-17-2005

Word is Marlin Jackson really had an impressive workout that answered a lot of concerns about athletic ability, and might be considered a top 20 pick again as a cornerback.

I like Gerald Sensabaugh as a 4th.

I'm not really frantic about the FS position, as long as we add playmakers elsewhere at more critical positions. If we got Darren Howard and DJ/Merriman at #11 to fill linebacker/nickel blitzer, I'm more than happy with Pete Hunter or Davis filling in next year at FS. They won't need to be spectacular, just not a liability.

Hoov · 03-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by InmanRoshi

Word is Marlin Jackson really had an impressive workout that answered a lot of concerns about athletic ability, and might be considered a top 20 pick again as a cornerback.

I like Gerald Sensabaugh as a 4th.

I'm not really frantic about the FS position, as long as we add playmakers elsewhere at more critical positions. If we got Darren Howard and DJ/Merriman at #11 to fill linebacker/nickel blitzer, I'm more than happy with Pete Hunter or Davis filling in next year at FS. They won't need to be spectacular, just not a liability.

Agree !! don't want to see the cowboys take a FS until day 2. Don't want to see them overpay for whats left in FA for safety. Lets get a good pass rush, that will take pressure off entire secondary. At least Hunter and Davis know system, they should be competent for now.

silverbear · 03-17-2005

The only first day free safeties that I'd be interested in are Vincent Fuller and Josh Bullocks... I'm looking for a DB with some speed and range... that's why I've just recently dropped James Butler off my wish list-- a 4.6 40 just won't cut it for a FS, they have to have SOME straight line speed...

But late in the draft, from the 6th round on, there are a slew of prospects that I find intriguing:

James Young, Georgia Southern
Jermaine Harris, South Carolina... a 6-4 DB intrigues me...
Patrick Body, Toledo... legit sub-4.4 second 40 speed...
Peter Sands, Central Florida... a 230 pound FS (might ultimately switch to OLB)...

Even if the Boys were successful in nabbing Fuller or Bullocks, I could make an argument for drafting one of those 4 late in the draft, too...

jbsg02 · 03-17-2005

I wouldn't mind Pool or Bullocks in round 2

lkelly · 03-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dayton_Cowboy

Player Profile

Vincent Fuller

40 Time: 4.35 (estimated)

40 Time: 4.35 (running on the 39 yard VT track)
40 Time: 4.5 (running everywhere else in the world)

dwmyers · 03-19-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dayton_Cowboy

I dont know anything about Considine or Butler, though I had heard some good things about the later.

I like Butler, but he's slipping in the draft. Considine, for what it's worth, was in the Senior Bowl and making a ton of tackles. His Wonderlic is high, he seems to have some in-game skills, I have no clue how good his coverage is. Considine might be a decent mid round pick.

Some excellent Cowboys teams had a FA handling free safety, I don't think it's a position that needs a really high draft choice thrown at it.

mlubbering · 03-19-2005

what do you guys think of ronald bartell of howard? I think most project him as a corner, but at 6-2 200 he may have the size to slide over to safety. He looked fairly impressive at the combine and senior bowl.

dwmyers · 03-19-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlubbering

what do you guys think of ronald bartell of howard? I think most project him as a corner, but at 6-2 200 he may have the size to slide over to safety. He looked fairly impressive at the combine and senior bowl.

The story I hear is that Bartell was such a bad CB in Senior Bowl practices they moved him to safety in the Senior Bowl. He's very fast, but probably a project, though he might make a very good safety someday.

David.

Gaede · 03-19-2005

OJ Atogwe-capable of both spots...A little short, but hits a ton and can cover

NFL.com

Positives: Has broad shoulders, long arms, narrow hips, good bubble and knotted calves … Fluid and sudden athlete who excels as a centerfielder in coverage … Smooth in his backpedal, staying low in his pads to turn easily coming out of his backpedal … Has the acceleration to cover ground quickly and has the balance and speed to stay on a slot receiver in upfield action … Very disciplined in zone coverage, doing a good job of reading the receiver's double moves and keeping the action in front of him … Tracks the ball well and shows explosion and proper wrap-up technique to make forceful tackles in the open … Gets his head on the right side to maintain eye contact on the ball in deep routes … Has the hand strength to get a good push off blocks and the agility to sift through trash, find the clear lane and string plays out … Has adequate lateral agility and takes good angles to compensate for a lack of top-end speed in pursuit … Shows small, but natural and soft hands to compete for the ball in the air … Attacks the ball aggressively and will generally be successful in trying to separate ball carriers from the ball (seven fumble recoveries, 11 forced fumbles in three years).

Negatives: Lacks ideal size, but can compensate with power … Good playmaker, but sometimes plays too conservative, as if he is afraid that he will pay for it if he gambles … A step slow at times to read and react to the run, as he does not show suddenness in attacking the line … Needs to do a better job of opening his hips, as his stiffness in that area slows his change of direction … Fails to plant and drive when trying to change direction in the open, gathering himself before making his break … Inconsistent playing off blocks … Does not have that second gear needed to recover when beaten in man coverage.

VThokie7 · 03-19-2005

Fuller had a good season at Free Safety for Va Tech this past season. Another plus on him that the scouting report didn't mention is he is good on special teams as well.