5’10” – 195 lbs. – 4.45
Has started in each of the past three seasons for the Huskies, enjoying three productive seasons before declaring for the draft. Plays in the slot often and could be mistaken for a slot corner in terms of his frame; a little bit undersized for the pro game, with a slightly squatty build and height/length which are on the borderline of what’s acceptable at the safety position. Lines up between five to twelve yards off of the line opposite opposing receivers; used more like a nickel defender than a true high free safety. Usually works in short zones or in man coverage, relatively few snaps as a traditional deep zone defender. Aggressive, high-energy player. Responsible for making calls and adjustments to his team’s defense. Has a high football IQ and is considered one of his team’s leaders. Has impressive instincts and a solid feel for plays developing; can often sniff out misdirection or anticipate patterns and put himself in position to make a play. Positioning is good overall; can funnel runners back inside on stretch plays and tosses, rarely being caught out of position in the run game. Pretty rangy in pursuit, with the ability to cover plenty of ground given his plus instincts and solid speed. Takes generally sound angles and exhibits the ability to work through trash when defending inside runs from the slot. Looks fairly explosive when planting and driving on the ball. Had success creeping up and rushing from the edge; can chase down runners and make tackles in backside pursuit. Physical and reliable wrap tackler, especially given his size; also willing to mix it up and get physical with blockers. Has enough speed to carry opposing receivers downfield in man coverage. Susceptible to double-moves at times. Can sometimes crash down on route combinations or get too shallow in his zones and be taken advantage of when opposing receivers slip behind him. Doesn’t have a ton of on-ball production in coverage. Wasn’t really asked to backpedal much, often shuffled or turned and ran; has light feet and changes direction well. Physical limitations may prevent him from being able to cover tight ends; probably more of a slot defender who could also cover running backs releasing out of the backfield. A player who’s very easy to like because of his energy, physicality, instincts, and leadership traits, he should come off the board on the second day.
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