Scouting Safeties - Barron?
The talent pool at safety is thin indeed. There are a lot of teams who will be competing for Mark Barron from Alabama, as he is far and away the favorite at his position. He will likely go in the middle of the first round, and this would require Belichick to trade up. Is Barron worth pursuing, or will Belichick seek value in the second or third round? Despite the clamor on Patriots forums, I find it hard to imagine. Here's why:
1. The only safety Belichick has drafted in the first round is Brandon Meriweather. Pat Chung and Eugene Wilson were taken in the beginning of the second round. Safety is inherently a tough position to draft because there is a quantum leap between college and the NFL. QBs are better at manipulating Safeties, and therefore it is next to impossible to tell how a guy will react to playing on Sundays. It is tough to justify trading up to select a guy, when it is not a sure thing.
2. Barron will miss the combine with hernia surgery. This is a tricky situation, but the concern isn't whether he can stay healthy, it is how his measurables will stack up to his unheralded competition. How can our draft war-room be sure that he is "that much better" if there is no side-by-side comparison? It would be a risky move to trade up to get him.
3. Barron projects as primarily a strong safety, as his major weaknesses present themselves in deep coverage. If you ask me, the Patriots need a free safety more than a strong safety. Pat Chung is a pretty good mix of FS and SS, but when he struggles, it is in deep coverage. We need a guy who can cover vast sections downfield in the model of an Ed Reed.
So, who is the guy if not Barron? There a quite a few options that will be available at either #48, #63, or even as late as #94. Most of the FS prospects project to the third or fourth round, so Belichick might even be able to trade down to accumulate picks, while still getting his choice of Safety. Then again, Belichick has been known to surprise us.
I am just going to throw some names out there (in no particular order), and I'll pick it up later when I've had some time to examine each one. Look for a new post this week with some more depth to it.
T.J. Mcdonald, USC - not entering NFL draft, returning for senior season
Robert Lester, Alabama - not entering NFL draft, returning for senior season
Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State - projects to second round
George Iloka, Boise State - projects to third round
Brandon Taylor, LSU - projects to fourth round
Bacarri Rambo, Georgia - not entering NFL draft, returning for senior season
Aaron Henry, Wisconsin - projects to fourth or fifth round
Trenton Robinson, Michigan State - projects to third or fourth round
Trumaine Johnson, Montana - projects to third or fourth round
Janzen Jackson, Mcnesee State - projects to be a late round pick or go undrafted
Neiko Thorpe, Auburn - projects to third or fourth round
1. The only safety Belichick has drafted in the first round is Brandon Meriweather. Pat Chung and Eugene Wilson were taken in the beginning of the second round. Safety is inherently a tough position to draft because there is a quantum leap between college and the NFL. QBs are better at manipulating Safeties, and therefore it is next to impossible to tell how a guy will react to playing on Sundays. It is tough to justify trading up to select a guy, when it is not a sure thing.
2. Barron will miss the combine with hernia surgery. This is a tricky situation, but the concern isn't whether he can stay healthy, it is how his measurables will stack up to his unheralded competition. How can our draft war-room be sure that he is "that much better" if there is no side-by-side comparison? It would be a risky move to trade up to get him.
3. Barron projects as primarily a strong safety, as his major weaknesses present themselves in deep coverage. If you ask me, the Patriots need a free safety more than a strong safety. Pat Chung is a pretty good mix of FS and SS, but when he struggles, it is in deep coverage. We need a guy who can cover vast sections downfield in the model of an Ed Reed.
So, who is the guy if not Barron? There a quite a few options that will be available at either #48, #63, or even as late as #94. Most of the FS prospects project to the third or fourth round, so Belichick might even be able to trade down to accumulate picks, while still getting his choice of Safety. Then again, Belichick has been known to surprise us.
I am just going to throw some names out there (in no particular order), and I'll pick it up later when I've had some time to examine each one. Look for a new post this week with some more depth to it.
T.J. Mcdonald, USC - not entering NFL draft, returning for senior season
Robert Lester, Alabama - not entering NFL draft, returning for senior season
Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State - projects to second round
George Iloka, Boise State - projects to third round
Brandon Taylor, LSU - projects to fourth round
Bacarri Rambo, Georgia - not entering NFL draft, returning for senior season
Aaron Henry, Wisconsin - projects to fourth or fifth round
Trenton Robinson, Michigan State - projects to third or fourth round
Trumaine Johnson, Montana - projects to third or fourth round
Janzen Jackson, Mcnesee State - projects to be a late round pick or go undrafted
Neiko Thorpe, Auburn - projects to third or fourth round
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