cowboyjoe
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THE SLEEPER FILE
PROSPECTS TO WATCH FOR THE 2009 DRAFT OUTSIDE DIA FOOTBALL
February 13): Safety not quite first… The 2009 draft is expected to be a relatively weak year for safeties. Indeed, it is entirely possible that no safety will be selected in this year‘s opening round. That said several safeties have caught the attention of NFL teams as potential second round steals including Rashad Johnson of Alabama and Louis Delmas of Western Michigan. Neither is very big, but both are quick, instinctive and very aggressive. Delmas, in particular, has made a rather meteoric up draft boards around the league, especially after a solid week of practice at last month’s Senior Bowl in mobile.
WMU‘s Delmas, though, is just one of several very good MAC conference safeties that have a chance to make an NFL roster next fall. Tyrell Hebert of Toledo, for example, is a solid all-around FS with good range and decent instincts who hits like a SS when he gets to the ball. Hebert, who is a rangy 6-2, 195-pounder with is projected to run in the low 4.5 range over 40 yards, had 79 tackles in 2008 when he also picked off 4 passes. Meanwhile, pro teams are also intrigued by the speed and athleticism of Akron SS Bryan Williams who reportedly runs the 40 in under 4.5 seconds. Williams is a solid 5-11, 200 pounder who has been very aggressive attacking the line of scrimmage posting 7 tackles for loss last fall, although he still needs to improve his range in coverage.
There are also a number of safeties worth a look outside the ranks of the D1A conferences. Jabir Perkins of Texas A&M Kingsville, for example, received more than his share of attention at last month’s Cactus Bowl all-star game for DII players. Perkins is another solid 5-11, 200-pound safety who is not shy about coming up in run support. Perkins real strength, though, is in coverage as he covers a lot of territory with what is reportedly track-like 4.3 speed over 40 yards. Meanwhile, both of Tom Nelson of Illinois State and Nick Schommer are smart, physical safeties who both run in the 4.5 range over 40 yards. Both have also been starters at their respective schools since they stepped on campus. Nelson, unparticular, is an excellent tackler who led the Redbirds with 81 stops in 2008; Nelson has also been opportunistic in his career when the ball is in the air and once picked off star Missouri QB Chase Daniel twice in the same game, although pro scouts would still like to see more plays when the ball is in the air.
Schommer, on the other hand is more of a ball-hawker type who has 13 career picks. And in one of those two for one deals, Minnesota-Duluth features two lower level All-american DBs in FS TylerYelk and SS Jim Johnson. Yelk, a 5-11, 200-pound, is the acknowledged star of the UMD defense with over 300 career tackles, although the 6-2, 220-pound Johnson might ultimately be the better pro as he is a big hitter with some range who picked off 4 passes in 2008. Meanwhile, if one is going to play at the NAIA level, but has NFL aspirations, then one needs to pretty much dominate, however, that’s what St. Francis FS Paul Carter did in his career at that level as he posted 20 career interceptions, returning a record 6 for TDs. None were gimmes as Carter, who is 5-11, 198 pounds with 4.5 speed averaged over 70 yards on his half TD returns.
PROSPECTS TO WATCH FOR THE 2009 DRAFT OUTSIDE DIA FOOTBALL
February 13): Safety not quite first… The 2009 draft is expected to be a relatively weak year for safeties. Indeed, it is entirely possible that no safety will be selected in this year‘s opening round. That said several safeties have caught the attention of NFL teams as potential second round steals including Rashad Johnson of Alabama and Louis Delmas of Western Michigan. Neither is very big, but both are quick, instinctive and very aggressive. Delmas, in particular, has made a rather meteoric up draft boards around the league, especially after a solid week of practice at last month’s Senior Bowl in mobile.
WMU‘s Delmas, though, is just one of several very good MAC conference safeties that have a chance to make an NFL roster next fall. Tyrell Hebert of Toledo, for example, is a solid all-around FS with good range and decent instincts who hits like a SS when he gets to the ball. Hebert, who is a rangy 6-2, 195-pounder with is projected to run in the low 4.5 range over 40 yards, had 79 tackles in 2008 when he also picked off 4 passes. Meanwhile, pro teams are also intrigued by the speed and athleticism of Akron SS Bryan Williams who reportedly runs the 40 in under 4.5 seconds. Williams is a solid 5-11, 200 pounder who has been very aggressive attacking the line of scrimmage posting 7 tackles for loss last fall, although he still needs to improve his range in coverage.
There are also a number of safeties worth a look outside the ranks of the D1A conferences. Jabir Perkins of Texas A&M Kingsville, for example, received more than his share of attention at last month’s Cactus Bowl all-star game for DII players. Perkins is another solid 5-11, 200-pound safety who is not shy about coming up in run support. Perkins real strength, though, is in coverage as he covers a lot of territory with what is reportedly track-like 4.3 speed over 40 yards. Meanwhile, both of Tom Nelson of Illinois State and Nick Schommer are smart, physical safeties who both run in the 4.5 range over 40 yards. Both have also been starters at their respective schools since they stepped on campus. Nelson, unparticular, is an excellent tackler who led the Redbirds with 81 stops in 2008; Nelson has also been opportunistic in his career when the ball is in the air and once picked off star Missouri QB Chase Daniel twice in the same game, although pro scouts would still like to see more plays when the ball is in the air.
Schommer, on the other hand is more of a ball-hawker type who has 13 career picks. And in one of those two for one deals, Minnesota-Duluth features two lower level All-american DBs in FS TylerYelk and SS Jim Johnson. Yelk, a 5-11, 200-pound, is the acknowledged star of the UMD defense with over 300 career tackles, although the 6-2, 220-pound Johnson might ultimately be the better pro as he is a big hitter with some range who picked off 4 passes in 2008. Meanwhile, if one is going to play at the NAIA level, but has NFL aspirations, then one needs to pretty much dominate, however, that’s what St. Francis FS Paul Carter did in his career at that level as he posted 20 career interceptions, returning a record 6 for TDs. None were gimmes as Carter, who is 5-11, 198 pounds with 4.5 speed averaged over 70 yards on his half TD returns.
