The PFF team is going position-by-position to preview the 2017 college football season as it pertains to the 2018 NFL draft. There’s still a lot of football to be played and the evaluation stage is still very young, but a number of prospects are already on the NFL’s radar and you can read up on over 300 of them (to go with PFF signature stats on over 2,200 total prospects) in our first ever Preseason NFL Draft Guide.
We've taken a close look at several position groups including the offense's quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen, and also on the defensive side of the ball: edge defenders, interior defenders, linebackers and cornerbacks. Getting close to the open of the season, today we take a look at the safeties you should know heading into the 2017 season:
TOP OF THE CLASS (FIRST ROUND WATCH):
Florida State’s Derwin James is the class of the position and perhaps the best defensive prospect in the nation. He can do it all, from playing deep safety, to box safety, to covering the slot, to rushing the passer, and that makes him the prototype defensive player for the next level. While he was limited to only 100 snaps last season, James was the nation’s top-graded safety a true freshman in 2015, grading at 91.0 overall. Beyond James, there may not be another clear first-round candidate, but he’s a potential top-five selection due to his all-around skillset.
PFF Edge stats to know
- Virginia’s Quin Blanding missed only 5.6 percent of his tackle attempts last season, fourth-best among draft-eligible safeties.
- UCLA’s Adarius Pickett ranked seventh among safeties with an 88.4 coverage grade and played 213 of his 625 snaps over the slot.
- Penn State’s Marcus Allen lined up in the box on 23.2 percent of his snaps in 2016 (NCAA avg. – 14.9 percent) and ranked fifth in the nation with a run stop percentage of 8.3 percent on those plays.
Can make a big jump
- Ronnie Harrison, Alabama: While Harrison led all Alabama defensive players with 934 snaps last season, he got lost in the mix among a sea of superstars. He’s not the flashiest player, but he has an excellent feel for the game, particularly in zone coverage, and he’s a sure tackler with only 11 misses on 89 career attempts. Harrison has shown the ability to make big plays as well with seven pass breakups and four interceptions on 92 career targeted passes.
- Hootie Jones, Alabama: Another Alabama safety, Jones has only 492 career snaps to his name, but he’s sure to see the field often in 2017. He forced an incompletion on 35.3 percent of his targets, best among draft-eligible safeties, and he has the size and movement to make an impact in his senior year.
Sleeper to know
- Kris Weatherspoon, Troy: Weatherspoon is a slot/safety hybrid in Troy’s scheme and he was a playmaker last season after transferring from junior college. He forced an incompletion on 24.4 percent of his targets, best among safeties with at least 40 targets. Weatherspoon has to do a better job of tackling as he missed 14 out of his 65 attempts (228th in the nation), but he has the dual-threat ability the NFL covets in the secondary.
Breakout candidates
- Kyle Queiro, Northwestern: It could be argued that Queiro broke out last season with his 84.6 overall grade and 87.9 coverage grade. He has good size at a listed 6-foot-3, and he can be a weapon when covering tight ends at the next level. Queiro is also a sure tackler as he missed only seven of his 70 tackle attempts last season, despite playing with a club on his hand for a significant portion of the season.
Non-Power 5 watch
- Andrew Wingard, Wyoming: Wingard always finds himself around the action as he led the nation with 49 stops but he also led the way with 30 missed tackles. If he can cut back on the misses (he had only 15 in 2015), Wingard is a player to watch for the next level.
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