When Should We Expect To Draft A Safety?

[Mystery Pats Fan]

I like the thought of taking a CB who could play safety. Reminds me of when we took Meriweather and more recently McCourty. Anyone have a list of CBs that could play safety or have played safety?

More important that we draft a corner that can play inside in the nickle.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

I might be in the minority here, but I would want to smash my tv to bits if they traded up to get Barron at 15.

There are only two safeties the last 10 years in hind sight off the top of my head worth a trade up in the first round and they were Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. If you think Barron is going to be in their caliber one day than be my guest. I just think there have been too many mediocre safeties drafted in the first and second rounds in that span to justify such a risk.

Eric Berry?

If there was any safety I could have here it'd be him. Eric Weddle was almost a first rounder too, 37th overall.

If Barron was as good as Ed Reed, or as good as people think Troy Polamalu is, then he'd be the third pick in the draft.

He's not that good, obviously, but he's a top ten talent. He's better than Blackmon, Ingram, Brockers, Reiff, or Poe.

 

[Blackluck]

Barron would be a major upgrade for our defense - and, just because Saban played him as an in the box safety doesn't mean he can't play deep - but that said there's practically no chance he's a Patriot. Barron is probably a top 20 pick.

Rumor has it that A.J. Smith is smitten with H. Smith - not likely S.D. picks him at 18, but there's a decent chance Smith trades back up into the 1st to take him. Therefore we'll probably end up with Brandon Taylor from LSU somewhere in the 3rd, or he gets over drafted by us at the bottom of the 2nd.

If Kirkpatrick, Hightower or Brockers drop to 27, they will be the pick. Otherwise we'll trade down if we can, or we'll take P. Konz or maybe K. Zeitler at 27. We won't take an edge rusher in the first, and the def. tackles/ends will be gone, with the remaining ones with 2nd round grades.

That's my prediction anyway.

 

[Water Boy]

I'll take CB Trumaine Johnson in the 2nd round.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

Lurch from Boise State is available in the middle rounds too. People have been impressed with his fluidity for being a 6' 4'' safety.

I'm not super-enamored with Smith, which I suspect is clouding my vision on Barron. BB might be wiping his hands clean of this safety class by signing some average vets. Anything would be better than Iggy and Brown. Lord knows Chung won't be healthy all season either.

 

[State]

Doncha mean George Iloka of Boise? I'm getting the sense he's the third rated safety and because of his junior pro day 40 time of 4.49--He ran a disappointing time at the Combine.--the gap between and Harrison Smith is closing.

I'm interested in him. I bet the Patriots are too in the 2-3 rounds. Looks like the FS we need.

Look at his height and wingspan! If we could get him and Glass IR Dowling on the field, those tall receivers who have killed us will be surprised at what we fed the Patriots.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Draft Prospect - George Iloka

 

[Ivan]

I want them to draft Lavonte David and convert him to a safety spot.

 

[zimmy]

I love Barron at 27 or 31 but don't really want to trade up. The only players I would trade up for are Brockers and Cox to the mid teens as I really think a dominating end could transform our D and we could finally fill the Seymour gap, even if they would both need a bit of work.

I don't want Harrison Smith. He just seems to be too much of a meh sort of player for the 1st/2nd round. I like Brandon Taylor in the 4th but even he seems to be moving up to the 2nd round. The guy I love from the brief footage I've seen is Dequan Menzie. I haven't seen too much but he looks like a guy who could make the switch to safety, and even if he couldn't do it his first year, he has the experience at the star spot to play in the 5 dbs look straight away. He is physical and a good tackler. I would love him in the 5th round.

The more I think about it, the more I think Bill will take a middle round DB who he can move to safety. People have mentioned Trumaine Johnson. Who else has the ability to make the switch?

 

[manxman2601]

I love Barron at 27 or 31 but don't really want to trade up. The only players I would trade up for are Brockers and Cox to the mid teens as I really think a dominating end could transform our D and we could finally fill the Seymour gap, even if they would both need a bit of work.

I don't want Harrison Smith. He just seems to be too much of a meh sort of player for the 1st/2nd round. I like Brandon Taylor in the 4th but even he seems to be moving up to the 2nd round. The guy I love from the brief footage I've seen is Dequan Menzie. I haven't seen too much but he looks like a guy who could make the switch to safety, and even if he couldn't do it his first year, he has the experience at the star spot to play in the 5 dbs look straight away. He is physical and a good tackler. I would love him in the 5th round.

The more I think about it, the more I think Bill will take a middle round DB who he can move to safety. People have mentioned Trumaine Johnson. Who else has the ability to make the switch?

Alfonso Dennard. Plays physical and excels when the play is in front of him.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I don't want Harrison Smith. He just seems to be too much of a meh sort of player for the 1st/2nd round. I like Brandon Taylor in the 4th but even he seems to be moving up to the 2nd round. The guy I love from the brief footage I've seen is Dequan Menzie. I haven't seen too much but he looks like a guy who could make the switch to safety, and even if he couldn't do it his first year, he has the experience at the star spot to play in the 5 dbs look straight away. He is physical and a good tackler. I would love him in the 5th round.

The more I think about it, the more I think Bill will take a middle round DB who he can move to safety. People have mentioned Trumaine Johnson. Who else has the ability to make the switch?

Harrison Smith is officially off my board. Went back and watched as much tape as I could find of him and he is absolutely mediocre. He's a chaser and always seems late on the play. Even his interceptions seem to be lucky with players falling down on the play or poorly thrown balls. Comparing his tape to Barron's is like a preschool drawing to a picasso. If we don't land Barron with 27 or 31 I'm more than fine bypassing Harrison and getting a Trumaine Johnson or other option. This guy should not be a fall back option.

 

[bagwell368]

I don't see us drafting a pure Safety at all in this draft. I think the market values for all of the top guys (which there are not a lot of) is way too high. Barron looks to be a lock to go top 16, where I see him more as a late 1st/early 2nd rounder. Harrison Smith will likely go late 1/early 2 where I think he is more of a mid to late 2nd, and the rest of the guys I don't really see as good enough to have much of an impact. I think the best option is to go the CB conversion route and the guy that is really starting to grow on me is Alfonzo Dennard from Nebraska at 48. I really like his physicality, instincts and tackling ability, and I think he has the potential to be an elite FS. I also like Trumaine Johnson, who like Dennard could also offer the versatility to also be a press man corner as well as a safety. I also really like Justin Bethel in the 5th/6th round as a developmental DB and STer. He has the versatility to play CB and S, and his elite special teams skills could allow him to make the roster and give him time to develop.

If we draft a guy that plays FS - Trumaine seems like the guy. Even so, a FA, UDFA, or camp cut may get us what we need --- or we draft two CB's in the first two rounds and move McCourty to FS.