2008 NFL Draft Position
Rankings
The Safeties
Rankings & Breakdowns
Top 50 Players - 1 to
25 |
Top 50 Players - 26 to 50
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Quarterbacks
Running Backs |
Wide Receivers
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Tight Ends
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Offensive Tackles
Offensive Guards |
Centers
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Defensive Ends
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Defensive Tackles
Linebackers |
Safeties
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Cornerbacks
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Punters & Kickers
By
Pete Fiutak
The Class
Is ... Awful. Horrible. All-timer bad. Kenny Phillips is a
possible first rounder, but that's about it. There are a slew of
decent fliers sure to go off the board in the second and third
rounds, but there are hardly any must-have player who'll change
a franchise. The value will be in the mid-to-late second day.
The mid-level prospects are just as strong as some of the ones
in the top 7-to-10.
The Best Value Pick Will Be ... Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas
State
Most Underrated ... Cornelius Brown, Missouri
Most Overrated ... Thomas DeCoud, California
The Deep, Deep Sleeper Is ...
Kareem Moore, Nicholls State |
POTENTIAL NFL STARTERS
1.
Kenny Phillips, SS Miami
While he was considered a bit of a disappointment last year
thanks to some ridiculously high standards, he still came up with 82
tackles and two interceptions. No, he's not Ed Reed or Sean Taylor,
and he's a bit lanky and thin at 6-2, 212 pounds, but he's a nice
athlete who doesn't miss many tackles. The biggest problem isn't raw speed or his inability to live up to the tremendous hype, but
it's his lack of big plays. He's a steady player, not a spectacular
one. While he'll be plugged in and will start for a long time, he's
not going to be a highlight reel performer.
CFN Projection: First Round
2. Tyrell Johnson, SS Arkansas State
Kind of like
a critically acclaimed underground movie that's finally getting a wide
release, Johnson goes from being a star that most college football
junkies knew about for the last four years to a possible big-value
selection. A tremendous starter from day one, Johnson can do it all with
363 career tackles and 13 interceptions to go along with good leadership
skills. Forget about the stigma of playing in the Sun Belt; he showed up
against the big boys, too. A huge hitter with fantastic speed, timing a
4.44 at the Combine, he just needs a little bit of coaching to put it
all together and be a possible star. He'll be an instant impact player
CFN Projection: Second Round
3. DaJuan Morgan, FS NC State
Considering this is a weak year for safeties, Morgan made a great move
leaving early. In most years he would've been better served coming back
for his senior season having only started for one year, but he has
decent 6-0, 205-pound size, good-enough 4.54 speed, and the versatility
to play corner or free safety. He cares about being good and will make
himself better. He'll need a little more time, a lot of patience to work
through his mistakes, and some serious coaching on consistent technique,
but he'll grow into a nice starter.
CFN Projection: Second Round
4. Josh Barrett, SS Arizona State
4.36. Barrett was a decent prospect at 6-2 and 223 pounds with strong
run stopping skills, and he showed the versatility to play either safety
spot, and then he ripped off a 4.36 40 and his stock jumped through the
roof. Now he has to play up to his measurables. He had a weird senior
season as he didn't play well at times, disappeared for long stretches
in games, and then came up with just enough big moments to leave
everyone wanting more. On athleticism alone he'll be a great pickup, but
he'll need a kick in the pants from time to time.
CFN Projection: Second Round
5. Quintin Demps, FS UTEP
An excellent four-year starter for UTEP with good ball-hawking skills
and cornerback coverage ability in a safety body, Demps is a seasoned
veteran who can step in right away. He has the 4.41 speed to play
corner, but he's a free safety and can be used from time to time as a
punt returner. Consistent tackling ability is an issue and will be the
difference between starting and being used as a nickelback.
CFN Projection: Third Round To Fourth
6.
Cornelius Brown, SS Missouri
"Pig" was on his way to a huge season for the Tigers before getting
knocked out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon. A physical hitter
with the fire and passion to grow into a team leader, he'd be a
sure-thing top 100 pick if he hadn't gotten hurt. There's still a major
concern about his leg and how quickly he can be the same player, if he
can be the same player. If allowed time to get to 100%, he could be the
best safety in this draft.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round
7. Craig Steltz, SS LSU
After a few nice years as a tough backup, Steltz was the best defensive
back in college football in 2007 making 101 tackles, six interceptions,
and seemingly coming up with every big play needed. He's not all that
fast and he's not huge, but he has a great motor, never dogs it, and can
be used early on in nickel situations if he can't get a starting gig.
He's still improving; he could be a far better pro than a collegian.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round To Fifth
8.
Tom Zbikowski, SS Notre Dame
The ultimate tough guy, he was a four-year starter and a good leader
for an Irish defense that was miserable at times before coming through
with an underappreciated 2007. He's a good punt returner who always
makes something happen, and he's a huge hitter against the run. The
problem is his pass coverage ability; he doesn't have any. He needs to
be in a secondary with some really good corners.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
9. Jamar Adams, SS Michigan
The only real issue is his speed, clocking a 4.63. Everything else is
there to succeed with 6-2, 212-pound size, good smarts, and good
want-to; he'll try to make himself into a player. While he makes a lot
of mistakes and will miss tackles, most of his errors come from being
too aggressive. The lack of warp speed will knock him down a few pegs,
and he can't play free safety, but he should be a nice cog in a system.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round To Fifth
10. Thomas DeCoud, FS California
More like a
corner playing safety, the 6-1, 207-pound DeCoud
is a good athlete who hits even bigger than his size. He doesn't make
too many mistakes and is ultra-aggressive. While he's still learning the
position after moving over from corner, he didn't do quite enough
against the pass and he only had roughly a year to figure out what he's
doing. even so, his hitting ability along should make him a nice starter
in time.
CFN Projection: Late Second Round To Early Third
11. Dominique Barber, FS Minnesota
It's not his
fault his team stunk. The brother of Dallas Cowboy RB, Marion, Barber
made 174 tackles over the last two seasons as one of the Gophers' only
playmakers. He timed a slow 4.68 and he isn't great against the pass,
but most of his errors and most of his inconsistencies came from trying
to do too much. No one else on that D, especially in the front seven,
did much of anything.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round
12. Kennard Cox, FS/CB Pitt
A corner
turned into a safety, Cox doesn't have the bulk, at just 5-11 and 190
pounds, and he doesn't have the speed, running a 4.52, to be anything
more than a reserve on the outside. However, he's not afraid to get his
nose dirty and is great on special teams. If allowed time to figure out
what he's doing, he could become a valuable third safety and an
emergency corner/nickelback.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round To Sixth Round
BEST OF THE REST
14.
D.J. Wolfe, SS Oklahoma
Way overrated in college, Wolfe's calling card is supposed to be his
athleticism but he only timed a 4.64. While he's tough, will work to
make himself into an NFL player, and has good athleticism, he's still
trying to figure out what he's doing and gets beaten way too often. He
moved around the OU secondary seeing some time at corner, but he's a
safety. He won't be a starter but he could be a valuable reserve in a
few years.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
15. Nehemiah Warrick, SS Michigan State
Peter
Warrick's brother has a nice set of skills. He's 6-0 and 211 pounds with
4.56 speed, which isn't bad for a strong safety, and huge hitting
ability. His athleticism doesn't quite match up with his speed, he's not
all over the place like he should be, and his ball-skills are extremely
questionable. He'll have to make a team on special teams.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round
16. David Roach, FS TCU
Off the radar
screen for a while, Roach showed good enough athleticism at the Combine
and timed a decent 4.57 in the 40 to get back into consideration. Does
he actually want to be an NFL player? There's a big question about his
want-to and he didn't always play up to his measurables in college. Even
so, he has good upside if someone wants to put in the time to keep on
him.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round
17. Nathan Lyles, SS Virginia
4.47 speed makes up for 5-10, 202-pound size. A big hitter who makes
smart decisions and doesn't make many mistakes, he's better against the
pass than the stats would indicate. The problem is a neck injury
suffered early in his college career. He's not going to be a starter,
but he could grow into a big-time special teamer and a nice nickel
specialist.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round
18. Jamie Silva, SS Boston College
A nice four-year player for BC, Silva grew into something special
his senior season making 125 tackles and eight interceptions. He was
always around the ball and he was a big hitter from day one. He's not a
great athlete and ran a horrific 4.86 at the Combine. Even so, on smarts
and drive he could be a ten-year special teamer and solid backup safety.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round To Seventh Round
19. D.J. Parker, FS Virginia Tech
He didn't
time as well as he needed to, running a 4.64, to make up for his 5-11,
192-pound size, but he's a good athlete who's good when the ball is in
the air. Run support at the NFL level isn't going to be there and he has
no room on his frame to get bigger and turn into a strong safety. He's
not physical enough, but he could become a fantastic third safety or a
nickelback if given a shot.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round To Seventh Round
20. Kareem Moore, FS Nicholls State
Stronger than his 5-10, 213-pound size would indicate, Moore is a great
hitter who'll throw his body all over the place to make a tackle. While
he only put up a 4.67 in the 40, he looks much faster on the field. Now,
that could be the competition he faced, but he did stand out. He's a
good character player who never got banged up despite his physical
style.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round To Seventh Round
21. Dennis Keyes, FS UCLA
While he's a fantastic tackler and had a huge senior year at UCLA, he
needs a lot of coaching and a ton of time in the film room to become an
NFL player. He didn't time all that fast, running a 4.67, and he's not
going to blow up anyone with his shots. He'll have to prove he can do
more against the pass and that he's not afraid to get physical.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round To Seventh Round
22. Chris Horton, SS UCLA
At 6-0 and 212 pounds, he's a strong tackle who might see time as a
woefully undersized linebacker. He's lousy against the pass and can't
play anything but strong safety in the secondary. He can't play free
safety or nickelback and he'll have to be a demon on special teams. The
athleticism isn't there to be a consistent NFL starter in the secondary.
CFN Projection: Free Agent
23. Derrick Doggett, SS/OLB Oregon State
Very aggressive and ultra-productive, Doggett was a tough playmaker
for the Beaver linebacking corps. At 6-2 and 213 pounds, he's way too
small to be an NFL outside linebacker, but he has just enough speed to
grow into a potentially nice defensive back. This is about as big as
he's going to get, and considering he has never played safety, he's a
project.
CFN Projection: Free Agent
24. Marcus Griffin, FS Texas
Versatile enough to play either safety spot, he'll be a free safety
if he's able to stick around in the NFL. More cornerback-sized, without
cornerback speed, he's good at covering running backs and tight ends but
struggled against the faster receivers. While the Texas scheme made him
look a bit worse than he is, he didn't do enough when he had
opportunities. If he doesn't become a star on special teams, he'll have
a hard time sticking.
CFN Projection: Free Agent
25. Caleb Campbell, SS Army
A superior tackling machine, he was the Army defense for the last few
years and a tough defender who did a little of everything well. More
like a smallish linebacker at 6-2 and 229 pounds, he hits like it. Not
the best athlete, he struggles in coverage and missed a lot of plays by
trying to do everything. He's a leader and a hard worker, but he'll have
to show something special right away to stay on a team.
CFN Projection: Free Agent
26. Simeon Castille, FS/CB Alabama
At 6-0 and
195 pounds he's not all that big, but the biggest issue is his lack of
speed running a defensive end-like 4.74 40. While he's a baller who made
plenty of tackles and plenty of plays at a high SEC level, he doesn't
have the measurables or the athleticism to make it at the next level
unless he dramatically improves his strength and quickness.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round
27. Corey Lynch, FS Appalachian State
A star high
school running back, Lynch turned into a big-time producer for the beat
D-IAA/FCS program around. He's a terrific leader who hits well, does
whatever is needed, and knows where everyone is supposed to be. He's not
a superior athlete and he's not the best form tackler, but he's a
playmaker with a tough-guy mentality to become a special teams
superstar.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round To Seventh Round
ON
THE RADAR
28. Ike Brown, SS Central Michigan
29. Husain Abdullah, FS Washington State
30. Marcus Watts, FS Kansas State
31. Tony Joiner, SS Florida
32. Brian Bonner, SS TCU
33. Joe Fields, FS Syracuse
34. Terry Mixon, SS Eastern Washington
35. Marty Tadman, SS Boise State
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