NFL Draft Preview: Safties

The 2008 safety class mirrors the linebacker class in terms of talent. Kenny Phillips and Reggie Smith are the only players worthy of first round consideration, but the rest of the class has depth and talent in the early and middle rounds. Players like Simeon Castille will have to transition to safety from corner, while Reggie Smith has experience playing both. Safeties do not suffer from the same kind of allocation based on schemes like linebackers or even corners might. In fact, a safeties have less specificity because responsibilities are similar across zone and man schemes with the major difference being in Cover 2 systems. This class is not nearly as solid at the top as the 2007 class, but it has enough talent to give teams a lift for the 2008 season.

1.) Kenny Phillips 6-2 212 Miami (Fla.)
At one time, Phillips was considered a top 15, even top 10 player. As a sophomore with Brandon Meriweather, the two were one of the best safety tandems in the country. However, Phillips' junior season was somewhat disappointing, although his supporting cast was not as good. That has hurt his stock to some degree, but he is still the top safety in this year's draft. A starter since his true freshman year, Phillips has had at least 70 tackles in three seasons, and 80 or more twice. He is extremely athletic and ran sub 4.5 40's at the combine, and uses his quickness to break on the ball while it is in the air. His speed and aggressiveness can also get him into trouble because he tends to bite on fakes, or over pursue. Phillips reads quarterback's eyes and can recognize routes very quickly. But he lacks great ball skills and does not get many interceptions. His size could be a problem in run support as he does not have the strength to shed bigger blockers. Phillips is not a great tackler and does not break down consistently, but he can deliver big hits on receivers across the middle. Phillips has the cover skills and speed to play corner, but his awareness and reading ability make him an intriguing safety prospect. May not be a top 10 player on most boards, but a team at the bottom of the first round could be getting a steal.

2.) Reggie Smith 6-1 199 Oklahoma
Smith is one of the most versatile defensive prospect in this draft. He has experience playing all of the defensive back positions, but he seems most suited to play safety at the next level. While that versatility seems like a plus, Smith does not have great technique for a corner, although he his natural athletic ability gives him excellent fluidity in his hips to stay with receivers even on double moves. Smith is a more physical player than Phillips and his time at strong safety makes him a much better run support player. In addition, he is a better tackler than Phillips, particularly in space. His biggest weakness as a corner is his technique and in a man coverage scheme that could really hurt him with some teams. However a team like Green Bay who values physical corners, as well as teams playing Cover 2 schemes will really like Smith's toughness and physicality. Regardless of whether teams draft him to play corner or safety, he is a late first round or early second round prospect.

3.) DaJuan Morgan 6-0 205 North Carolina State
The safety pool drops off quickly after Phillips and Smith, but Morgan represents the "best of the rest." Morgan only has one year as a full-time starter, as a hip-injury has limited him through his career. Despite ideal experience, Morgan is a smart, vocal player and was a leader on the Wolf Pack defense. He was extremely productive as a junior, totaling 97 tackles for NC State and was a special team ace earlier in his career. Morgan does not have idea range for a free safety in the NFL, but is aggressive and physical in the box while supporting the run. His aggressiveness does not necessarily translate into effective tackling technique and he too often looks for the knock out punch rather than just being sound and wrapping up. Morgan does not have explosive quickness and will have a tough time recovering after a wrong read. That lack of quickness will also hinder him in coverage on slot receivers and tight ends. Overall, Morgan is a physical player who is most suited to play in a zone coverage scheme where he is free to support in the run game. He is a late second or early third round prospect.

4.) Thomas DeCoud 6-1 207 California
Thomas DeCoud is one of the more interesting prospects in this year's draft. Tall and athletic, the former Cal standout is smooth and was one of the big defensive players in the Pac-10. He was voted the team's MVP after recording 116 tackles in 2007 including six double figure tackle games. That is even more remarkable when you consider DeCoud was not a full time starter until last season. As a result, his recognition skills are still improving. Also, his coverage skills are still improving and has room to upgrade as a man-to-man defender. Despite his lean frame, DeCoud plays with tremendous tenacity and can lay serious hits on receivers across the middle. However, he can get a little overzealous going for the knock-out punch and not use solid fundamentals when tackling. As a special teams player DeCoud has 6 blocked kicks in his career giving him great special teams potential. DeCoud is an underrated prospect who has enough upside to warrant a selection in the mid-third round.

5.) Marcus Griffin 5-10 201 Texas
Griffin is another one of many former Longhorn defensive backs with NFL skills. He is a strong and an aggressive player who tackles very well. However, his speed is just average and he does not have much upside as a cover safety. While the ball is in the air, Griffin does not have great instincts, or ball skills to make the big play. He seems like a strong safety, but will need to get bigger and stronger to take on the bigger blockers at the next level. In addition to his lack of speed, his upside is somewhat limited. It also limits the defensive schemes he can play effectively on the next level. He lacks the range to play free safety in a cover 3 scheme, and could be better suited in a cover 2 system. If nothing else, he has special team potential and may never be a starter. In the right system however, he has the skill-set to succeed. His brother, Michael was a first round pick by the Tennessee Titans last year and while Marcus does not have the talent of his brother, he does have enough talent to make his way into the late third round in April.

6.) Tyrelle Johnson 6-0 207 Arkansas State
The next two guys on the list having seen their stock sky-rocket since the NFL Combine and are two of the most athletically gifted players on the defensive side of the ball. Johnson put up a defensive back best 27 reps of 225 at the Combine, as well as tops in the broad jump for safeties. Add that to a low 4.4 40 time and Johnson put together one of the most impressive work-outs of the week. While he may not always play up to his work-out numbers, at Arkansas State Johnson was highly productive. In 2007, Johnson recorded 94 tackles and snagged 6 picks. Certainly, he did not play against top-tier teams every week, but he dominated against the weaker competition. Johnson's combination of speed and strength give him great versatility in both pass coverage and in run support. He likes to come up and put a lick on someone, but can struggling shedding blockers. He does not have great fluidity in his hips and that makes it hard for him to match up against slot receivers, but his great speed negates that to some degree against tight ends. Johnson's superb athletic ability and intelligence give up immense upside. A team in the third round could certainly take a gamble on the former Indians stand out.

7.) Joshua Barrett 6-2 223 Arizona State
This is actually exactly where I had Barrett ranked mid-season, and if not for his virtuoso performance in Indy, Barrett could have fallen out of the top 10. Barett's 4.35 40 was far and away the fastest time of any safety, and was actually faster than top ranked corners Mike Jenkins, Leodis McKelvin, and Aqib Talib. Physically, Barrett has every tool to be a Pro Bowl player at the next level. He sheds blocks well and is extremely aggressive. However, that aggression leads him to take false steps. Additionally, Barrett is susceptible to play action fakes and his recovery speed is not nearly as good as his timed speed would indicate. Also, his speed belies that fact that he does not open his hips effectively and will struggle one-on-one with slot receivers. Inconsistency has been Barrett's biggest problem. In fact, he was benched during his senior year for a brief period. There are also some concerns about his durability after losing his freshman year to a shoulder injury. Barrett's incredible physical tools make him an attractive prospect, but his inconsistencies will keep him out of the top two rounds. Barrett could fall to the bottom of the third round, or even in the early fourth.

8.) Tom Zbikowski 5-11 211 Notre Dame
Notre Dame's defense has been exposed in big games in recent years and quality college QB's like Troy Smith, JeMarcus Russell, and Matt Ryan has abused the coverage skills of ND defensive backs in big games. Tom Zbikowski has been a starter on that defense for 3 straight years. While Zbikowski may have been one of the few bright spots for the Golden Domers defensive backfield, he has not played well against top-level offensive talent. Matt Ryan carved Zbikowski and that ND defense in the fall in a Eagles win. The fomer Golden-Gloves boxer is extremely tough and aggressive, but can get caught out of position at times due to poor reads or over-pursuit. Zbikowski lacks the speed to make up for such mistakes and therefore is susceptible to giving up the big play. When he is in position, he has solid ball skills and can really be explosive with the ball in his hand as he was ND's punt returner. Limited athletically, Zbikowski has only average recovery speed and may not have the range to cover the deep middle. He may never be a starter on the next level, but his experience on special teams, particularly in the return game gives him some upside. Zbikowski should go somewhere in the fourth round.

9.) Simeon Castille 6-0 195 Alabama
Castille seems to fit the mold of a free safety perfectly; he is an assertive corner with excellent ball skills and awareness, but lacks top end speed and agility to run with top-tier receivers. He will have to add strength to hold up in the run game, however he takes solid angles and fills well in support. Castille is not a physical tackler, but does lock on in space. If there is one place Castille's corner skills could get into trouble at the safety position it is his aggressiveness. Castille has a tendency to gamble and as a safety it could make him vulnerable to play action fakes. His lack of ideal corner footwork should be negated to some degree at safety as he will really only have to match up against slot receivers and tight ends where his athletic ability should get him through. His stock has slipped because of an August arrest for disorderly conduct. Castille also missed the 2005 Cotton Bowl because of academic failings. Castille still has some upside as he gets stronger and gets used to playing safety. As a result, expect him to go in the late fourth or early fifth round.

10.) Craig Steltz 6-1 213 Lousiana State University
Steltz could be a case of excellent college player whose skills simply will not translate as well into the NFL. On the other hand, he might just be an instinctive player with limited athletic ability who happens to always be around the ball making plays. To be fair, he is the latter, however teams will have to determine how his limitations fit within their particular system. Some teams could have Steltz as a top 5 safety prospect, and others close to 10 or 12. Steltz had 6 INT's last season and has great ball skills. However, he does not have great speed, or quickness to recover when beaten. His range as a college safety wmay not be sufficient to play center field in the NFL. He has the strength and toughness to make plays in the box, but is not big enough at this point to hold up against bigger blockers. In addition, he only has one season as a full-time starter and he could have benefited from playing on an absolutely loaded L.S.U. defense. Overall, Steltz may be a tad underrated, and at the very least projects as an excellent special teamer on Sundays. He probably belongs in the early fifth round, but a team could really fall in love with his toughness and productivity, taking a risk on him in the fourth round.