Finding safeties a challenge for NFL scouts

[stillers4me]

NFL teams are desperate for dynamic playmakers at safety. They want players who are capable of covering receivers that are strong in run support, too.


The only problem for the Steelers, and other teams in search of safeties, is players like that aren’t being produced much anymore in college football.


“The way the college game has changed it has changed the nature of guys who would play safety,” said Charles Davis, a draft analyst for NFL Network. “A lot of the guys that would play safety in college that would be candidates moving to the NFL, they're playing outside linebacker in college because of the nature of the spread offenses, trying to get that speed on the field, you're playing with 205-225-pound outside linebackers that can run, and a lot of those guys are candidates to have been safeties.”


There is only one college safety that is considered a first-round draft prospect this year. Landon Collins of Alabama is projected to go in the middle or the latter part of the first round. After Collins, draft analysts don’t project another safety to come off the board until late in the second round or early in the third round.............

read more @ http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/...for-NFL-scouts

[LLT]

used to be that a good safety could be found in virtually every round. With the rule changes making it more of a passing league, the skill set of the safeties have become more specialized and valued.

[Aussie_steeler]

I am a huge fan of James Sample, Louisville. He allowed Gerod Holliman to freelance and get all the picks.

Can play both SS and FS.

Someone will get a very solid NFL safety for a 4th rounder.

[Dwinsgames]

as I posted in my old forum on this subject ...



some decent ones and a couple very interesting guys in Holliman ( if not over drafted , he is raw but man the ball skills ) and Drummond whom I interviewed and is linked in the draft section ...

a few tweener S/Cb guys Glenn / Rowe / Shaw

but over all S is a diminished product in College most of the good prospects are at that point are either put at Corner or moved to linebacker and then end up undersized by NFL standards at LB ( see Shaq per example) speed is the College game they want the fastest 11 guys on the field if at all possible to combat the spread formations ... leaving a big void at the pos at the nfl level ( just like drop back passers are hard to find because they just do not use it in most programs anymore )

but do not sleep on Alden Darby whom is already on our roster he is a very good coverage S and has played every spot in the secondary at some point ... ball hawk ability