What's the hype with Vaccaro?

[Zekeats]

If Earl Thomas was in the same draft as Vaccaro would everyone around here still have him going in the first round? The way I see it is that just because he is the best saftey in the draft doesn't mean he should be a first round pick. Much like QB, and RB this year, just because you are the top rated player at your position doesn't make you a first round selection.

I don't see anything that warrants Vaccaro a first round selection. The guy looks skinny and small for a corner, and he is a saftey. He missed some huge open field tackles, didn't play a lot of true free saftey/deep saftey (lined up on the line, more of a nickel back) and I just don't see the big deal about him.

I could be wrong but I will give him one thing, the guy can cover man to man really good for a saftey and he does read screen plays fast.

What is everyone elses thoughts? Would he be a mid first round pick if Earl Thomas was in this draft?

 

[Doomsday101]

If Earl Thomas was in the same draft as Vaccaro would everyone around here still have him going in the first round? The way I see it is that just because he is the best saftey in the draft doesn't mean he should be a first round pick. Much like QB, and RB this year, just because you are the top rated player at your position doesn't make you a first round selection.

I don't see anything that warrants Vaccaro a first round selection. The guy looks skinny and small for a corner, and he is a saftey. He missed some huge open field tackles, didn't play a lot of true free saftey/deep saftey (lined up on the line, more of a nickel back) and I just don't see the big deal about him.

I could be wrong but I will give him one thing, the guy can cover man to man really good for a saftey and he does read screen plays fast.

What is everyone elses thoughts? Would he be a mid first round pick if Earl Thomas was in this draft?

I like Earl Thomas I would have loved to have picked him but Vaccaro is not small and he is a hitter. Thomas is a good cover man not know for hitting.

Vaccaro is a physical marvel possessing a rare combination of elite size as well as great top end speed and dynamic quickness and explosion. Vaccaro is a very sudden player. It doesn’t matter where he lines up on the field, when the ball is snapped there’s no hesitation in what he does–he is not passive. Vaccaro is a much stronger player when he’s moving forward and he comes at you, he comes like a hammer. His aggressive nature and physical style of play might not appeal to every team, but when you consider all the things he can do, he makes an enticing prospect.
Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/...fl-draft-scouting-report/?BCRBHyX01mVdtUMY.99

 

[tm1119]

I would like to preface this by saying that the top 3 DT's, top 3 OT's, top 2 OG's, and Bjoern Werner would all have to be gone before I picked Vacarro.....

But he definitely has the talent to be a top 20 pick. Was Earl Thomas a better prospect? Absolutely, not sure what the correlation there is though. Also not sure where you are getting the fact that Vacarro is small as he is 6' 214, which is pretty ideal for a safety.

As you said, Vacarro was used in the slot a lot as a CB which makes him ideal in todays NFL as a cover 1st safety. There is no questioning his ability to cover which is a huge plus.

His weaknesses are that he doesn't wrap up all the time.....a slight concern but the good thing is that he isnt afraid to tackle at all. Some good coaching could easily correct this.

But the major concern is that he never really came up with many turnovers in college. Definitely a concern and I'm not sure what the problem there is to be honest. May or may not have the same problem in the NFL.

Bottom line......Vacarro will be a solid safety that will help the team with his coverage skills, but its very possible that he never amounts to a game changing safety.

 

[supercowboy8]

If Thomas was in this draft he would go top 12, if Eric berry wasn't in the same draft as Thomas he would have even went even higher.
If Thomas and Vaccaro was in the same draft then they both would be taken first round.

Vaccaro has a 1st round grade but that doesnt mean he is as good as Earl Thomas. I put Vaccaro in the same range as Michael Griffin, who was also a 1st round pick.

 

[burmafrd]

never draft a Safety in the First Round who does not have a history of causing turnovers

 

[TheFinisher]

I tend to agree with the OP because I don't think I love Vaccarro enough to draft him in the 1st when I feel there will be similar safeties available in the 2nd and 3rd Rounds. There's just not much of a drop off between Vaccarro and the 5th or 6th safety in this draft.

 

[tm1119]

I tend to agree with the OP because I don't think I love Vaccarro enough to draft him in the 1st when I feel there will be similar safeties available in the 2nd and 3rd Rounds. There's just not much of a drop off between Vaccarro and the 5th or 6th safety in this draft.

5 or 6 FS's on Vacarro's level? Id love to see that list. Cyprien, Thomas, and Swearinger are the only guys I see that are on the same level. And Swearinger may be the only 1 we have a shot at in the 2nd round.

 

[Hoofbite]

I like Earl Thomas I would have loved to have picked him but Vaccaro is not small and he is a hitter. Thomas is a good cover man not know for hitting.

Vaccaro is a physical marvel possessing a rare combination of elite size as well as great top end speed and dynamic quickness and explosion. Vaccaro is a very sudden player. It doesn’t matter where he lines up on the field, when the ball is snapped there’s no hesitation in what he does–he is not passive. Vaccaro is a much stronger player when he’s moving forward and he comes at you, he comes like a hammer. His aggressive nature and physical style of play might not appeal to every team, but when you consider all the things he can do, he makes an enticing prospect.
Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/...fl-draft-scouting-report/?BCRBHyX01mVdtUMY.99

How are his coverage skills?

You mention Vacarro as a hitter and Thomas as a good cover guy. Just kind of got the impression that Thomas is the better coverage player but Vacarro is the better hitter.

If that's the case, I would take a coverage guy over a hitter with the way the league is going.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

never draft a Safety in the First Round who does not have a history of causing turnovers

that's a bit harsh. Polamalu had 6 career ints in college (0-2-3-1 in that order) and there are likely many examples of decent safties that had similar stats but became better at it in the pros.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

If Thomas was in this draft he would go top 12, if Eric berry wasn't in the same draft as Thomas he would have even went even higher.
If Thomas and Vaccaro was in the same draft then they both would be taken first round.

Vaccaro has a 1st round grade but that doesnt mean he is as good as Earl Thomas. I put Vaccaro in the same range as Michael Griffin, who was also a 1st round pick.

Thomas would likely go sooner than 12. Draft is so weak at the top. And I like Vacarro, but he likely would go a lot lower in 2010 than this year.

 

[Tezz]

For whats it worth Greg Cosell thought Vaccaro had one of the most impressive game tapes this past season most notably shutting down Tavon Austin. There was another article I read that talked about how he did esentially the same with Keenan Allen...

Vaccaro's game is his versatility allowing the defense to do many different things think Troy Polamalu. I am not saying he is or will become the same caliber player as its unfair, but I think he will play a similar style.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Yea, considering how much man to man he played while covering slot recievers, i'm not suprised by his lack of ints. kinda like Darren Woodson, stats don't say how good he was, considering how we used him.

 

[TheFinisher]

5 or 6 FS's on Vacarro's level? Id love to see that list. Cyprien, Thomas, and Swearinger are the only guys I see that are on the same level. And Swearinger may be the only 1 we have a shot at in the 2nd round.

The Safeties in a Tampa 2 defense are interchangable, there's no true FS/SS.

And no, I don't view Vaccaro as being head and shoulders above Rambo, Cyprien, Swearinger, Shamarko Thomas, Phillip Thomas, Matt Elam or Shawn Williams. I'd rather take one of them in Round 2 or 3 before taking Vaccaro in Round 1, much better value.

 

[tm1119]

How are his coverage skills?

You mention Vacarro as a hitter and Thomas as a good cover guy. Just kind of got the impression that Thomas is the better coverage player but Vacarro is the better hitter.

If that's the case, I would take a coverage guy over a hitter with the way the league is going.

Thomas played as a true CF deep zone FS which allowed him to kind of free lance and just play the ball in the air. As everyone else has said Vacarro played a lot of man and close to the LOS. It's kind of hard to compare the two, but i think both will make good coverage safties in the NFL.

 

[speedkilz88]

The Safeties in a Tampa 2 defense are interchangable, there's no true FS/SS.

And no, I don't view Vaccaro as being head and shoulders above Rambo, Cyprien, Swearinger, Shamarko Thomas, Phillip Thomas, Matt Elam or Shawn Williams. I'd rather take one of them in Round 2 or 3 before taking Vaccaro in Round 1, much better value.

Dexter Jackson was the Tampa FS and John Lynch was the SS. They were not interchangeable. Lynch was protected and was not asked to do much in coverage like the Cowboys asked Darren Woodson. Jackson was the rangy cover guy. The Cowboys already have Church slated for the Lynch role he would be a poor fit at FS. Now certain players might have the talent to play either spot but they definitely have different roles in the defense.

 

[jjktkk]

How are his coverage skills?

You mention Vacarro as a hitter and Thomas as a good cover guy. Just kind of got the impression that Thomas is the better coverage player but Vacarro is the better hitter.

If that's the case, I would take a coverage guy over a hitter with the way the league is going.

Covers pretty well. He usually covered the slot against opposing teams. Runs well, will lay the wood, not alot of weaknesses to him . He would be a solid pick anywhere from 12 on down, imo.

 

[tm1119]

The Safeties in a Tampa 2 defense are interchangable, there's no true FS/SS.

And no, I don't view Vaccaro as being head and shoulders above Rambo, Cyprien, Swearinger, Shamarko Thomas, Phillip Thomas, Matt Elam or Shawn Williams. I'd rather take one of them in Round 2 or 3 before taking Vaccaro in Round 1, much better value.

Barry Church is penciled in as 1 of our starting SS, if the other safety can't cover we are screwed. Thomas, Elam, and Shawn Williams aren't those guys so take them off of that list immediately, and Rambo is most likely off of the board as well because of character. So that leaves Swearinger, Cyprien, or P. Thomas. I like those 3 but it may not be all that easy to get 1, especially in the 3rd.

 

[TheFinisher]

Dexter Jackson was the Tampa FS and John Lynch was the SS. They were not interchangeable. Lynch was protected and was not asked to do much in coverage like the Cowboys asked Darren Woodson. Jackson was the rangy cover guy. The Cowboys already have Church slated for the Lynch role he would be a poor fit at FS. Now certain players might have the talent to play either spot but they definitely have different roles in the defense.

And Lynch and Jackson both had to have the range to play half the field, because that was their shared responsibility in their 2 deep look. There is no "protecting" your safety in the Tampa 2.

Just curious, what were you expecting to be so different between the FS and SS in terms of coverage in the Tampa 2?

 

[TheFinisher]

Barry Church is penciled in as 1 of our starting SS, if the other safety can't cover we are screwed. Thomas, Elam, and Shawn Williams aren't those guys so take them off of that list immediately, and Rambo is most likely off of the board as well because of character. So that leaves Swearinger, Cyprien, or P. Thomas. I like those 3 but it may not be all that easy to get 1, especially in the 3rd.

If Church can't cover half the field we're screwed anyway.

 

[speedkilz88]

Church isn't the guy they are going to ask to play single high. The FS will.