1. Grant Delpit, LSU
Pros: Great height and length that provide a real asset at the catch point. Good short area quickness and sideline-to-sideline agility that allow him to excel in single high coverage. Really intelligent, with good anticipation to break on routes quickly. Good in run defense too, with 42 career run stops in college.
Cons: Doesn’t wrap up tackles very well at all, with 20 missed tackles in 2019 and 16 in 2018. Production dropped considerably in 2019. Doesn’t have amazing top end speed and can sometimes be reluctant to engage with blockers.
Projection: 1st round
2. Xavier McKinney, Alabama
Pros: Really versatile safety who split his time as deep, in the box, or playing as a slot corner. Effective as a blitzer too, with over 10 pressures in each of the last two seasons. Has quick feet and smooth hips and plays well as a single high safety. Great ball skills, with the intelligence to read and react quickly as plays develop. Allowed just three touchdowns in his 984 career snaps.
Cons: Wasn’t always comfortable when asked to play in two high safety coverages. His tackling isn’t bad but he can be a little over-aggressive with his angles at times. Doesn’t have the elite physicality you want from a safety when playing in the box.
Projection: 1st round
3. Ashtyn Davis, California
Pros: Really athletic player with track speed and good change of direction ability, who is comfortable covering huge areas downfield. Super explosive and packs a real punch when he goes in for the tackle. Good football intelligence and anticipates the development of plays very well. Has experience playing a variety of coverage roles at Cal.
Cons: Still a little raw at times – can get overenthusiastic about laying a big hit and fail to wrap up his tackles. A little undersized and doesn’t have the same effect on the game when playing in the box. An older prospect who is already 23 and will turn 24 during his rookie season.
Projection: 2nd round
4. Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota
Pros: Great instincts and the intelligence to process the game very quickly. Tracks the ball well and is good at the catch point, with seven interceptions in 2019. A hard hitter in the open field with a real tough streak to his game. A versatile player who is comfortable playing deep zones, man coverage, and in the box.
Cons: At 5-9 and 203 he is undersized and doesn’t have the prototypical length for the position. Serious injury history that saw his 2017 and 2018 seasons cut short. Decent athlete but nothing particularly special in this regard.
Projection: 2nd round
5. Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pros: A big player with great length and athleticism. Really explosive and loves to play downhill and make the big hit. His impressive wingspan allows him to disrupt receivers at the catch point and make impressive open field tackles. Good speed and can close on plays very quickly.
Cons: Serious questions about the level of competition he faced in college and how he will translate to the NFL. Not particularly fast at processing plays and tends to be more reactive than you would like. Is already 24 years old and given that he could take time to adjust to the leap in competition, this could be a problem.
Projection: 2nd round
6. Terrell Burgess, Utah
Pros: A really versatile player who is comfortable across the defense. Fantastic in man coverage, Burgess allowed just 190 yards all season, averaging under five yards per target. Has good speed and change of direction ability and is a sure tackler with solid technique. His background as a corner shows in the angles he takes and his ability to even play well in press coverage.
Cons: Only one season of really impressive production and spent much of his career prior to 2019 as a backup. Doesn’t have much experience playing in a single high role and is largely untested in this regard. Play strength isn’t great and he lacks the length you would expect at the position.
Projection: 2nd round
7. Geno Stone, Iowa
Pros: Really intelligent player who understands the game better than most. Great instincts and anticipation, diagnosing plays quickly and breaking on routes. Comfortable dropping underneath or playing deep zones. Consistently productive in college, allowing just seven first downs in his career and posting a PFF coverage grade of 91.8. A really physical tackler too.
Cons: Wasn’t asked to play much man coverage at all in college and this is a concern. Doesn’t have ideal length and this can sometimes cause problems when tackling. Not the most athletic player and can sometimes stray away from his responsibilities.
Projection: 2nd round
8. Kenny Robinson, West Virginia/St. Louis BattleHawks
Pros: Robinson spent two years at West Virginia before playing in the XFL in 2019. He has fantastic instincts and is a real ball hawk, with nine interceptions in his 28 career games. He is a real hard hitter in tackles and his experience playing corner will help too. In his last season at West Virginia he allowed a completion percentage of just 36% and a passer rating when targeted of 49.
Cons: Can freelance at times when trying to make spectacular plays. Missed tackles are a problem, with 24 in his two seasons in college and his average speed won’t help. Tended to play in a three-deep safety system at West Virginia and could have difficulties translating to the NFL.
Projection: 3rd round
9. K’Von Wallace, Clemson
Pros: A versatile player who can play safety and slot corner at a high level. Has good ball skills and is a real weapon as a blitzer. Really physical, with great tackling ability, missing just 18 attempts in his entire college career. Produced consistently in college and posted a PFF coverage grade of 89.7 in 2019.
Cons: Doesn’t have elite speed and can struggle if tasked with making up ground on receivers. Not the most fluid player and can be a little stiff when changing direction. Didn’t come up against top receiving talent in the ACC.
Projection: 3rd round
10. Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
Pros: Huge player at 6-3 and 221 pounds with great athleticism and top-end speed. Strong tackler with great technique and rarely fails to wrap up. Loves to make big plays, with 13 career interceptions. Really fluid, with great burst and change of direction ability.
Cons: Didn’t face many tests in terms of competition at college and struggled against the two FBS schools he faced. His processing can be a little slow and he tends to be more reactive than anticipatory. Consistency can be an issue and given the level of competition he faced, this will be an even bigger concern.
Projection: 4th round
