2025 Draft: Safeties

[oceansizer]

Javon Holland via FA is worth spending money. Maybe this year he has regressed a bit but he is still great in coverage and excellent tackler.

 

[oceansizer]

Speaking of the draft Nick Emmanwori is a freaking athlete. He looks like a linebacker but on the other side seems to be very fast. He can fight in the air, cover big and strong WRs and he is a good tackler. I am not sure we can afford to grab him in second round because I can see many more holes to fill on our roster.

 

[bakes781]

Listed as a CB but probably translates to a free safety in the pros Justin Walley could be a late round gem.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Nick Emmanwori, S Carolina 6'3, 227lbs

Freak. allegedly did a 42"vert in spring practices along with benching 24 reps. And is listed as running a 4.38. Obviously numbers like those need to be tested at the combine but blimey! The Eagles or Ravens will get him at the end of the 1st won't they?

NFL Draft Buzz have him ranked as their no1 safety above Starks.

Probably too similar to Dugger for us and if he puts up those numbers in the combine, could well slip into the first. I think 38 is too rich for a safety so I think I'd pass on Emmanwori but I really like this safety class.

I really liked his games that I saw, but we probably need a McCourty type on the back end. He's fun to watch, though.

 

[JerseyShore99]

Pats need someone in the defensive backfield who can recognize and diagnose plays the way that DMac did. Neither Dugger nor Peppers can do that and it's shows In fact, I think that Peppers is one of the guys that Judon called out for free-lancing.

That kid Pettus showed he could be a viable depth player. He's excellent on Special Teams. He needs more time playing the position, but he might have a future as a starter.

Pettus could be a solid NFLer, not sure he's a starter on a good team though

Javon Holland via FA is worth spending money. Maybe this year he has regressed a bit but he is still great in coverage and excellent tackler.

Would be all for this if OL and WR are spent first

 

[bakes781]

Needed an excuse to bump this thread back up to the top...

Sebastian Castro is considered a ready made leader.

 

[Dec54]

Pats need someone in the defensive backfield who can recognize and diagnose plays the way that DMac did. Neither Dugger nor Peppers can do that and it's shows In fact, I think that Peppers is one of the guys that Judon called out for free-lancing.

That kid Pettus showed he could be a viable depth player. He's excellent on Special Teams. He needs more time playing the position, but he might have a future as a starter.

I like to see free agents doing well, its a finger up to the scouts.

 

[DaBruinz]

I like to see free agents doing well, its a finger up to the scouts.

There are so many decisions that go into a taking a player how well that player does. When you look at the reality, the Scouts get just as much right as they do wrong.

By "Finger up to the scouts", are you saying it's a middle finger? Because there are hundreds of UDFA who never make it out of camp every year and camp is as far as they ever get to seeing the field. There are draft picks every year that are busts. There are draft picks that excel.. The Draft has never been an exact science because there are things that just can't be measured. Such as heart and desire.

A perfect example of this is N'Keal Henry. Supposedly, he sat down with BB and dissected film. Many people said that the Pats got a great player. Reality was that Henry never got up to game speed of the NFL. I, along with many, had hoped that practices would help him, but the reality is that he was almost always 2/10th of a second slow off the snap compared to everyone else. 2/10ths is forever in the game of football.

I used to be one of those that were always thinking I knew more than the scouts until about 2010. I decided to take a wait and see approach with all players. Particularly when BB came out and said that it takes 2-3 years before you see results from WRs and TEs unless they happen to be special (ala Gronk, Charles Johnson, etc). There are others on here who think that they are God's Gift to Talent evaluation. The reality is that they've proven that Broken clocks are right more often than they are. And they're the same ones who never admit to being wrong about players.

 

[bakes781]

At WR you really do need to get to know their personality because so many famously become divas.

Anyway to get us back on topic...

I know it's a long shot but in a trade down scenario I wouldn't be upset with this...

 

[manxman2601]

Mukuba is who I have my eyes on in the 3rd round if he's there. Love watching him attack the ball.

I also like Kevin Winston Jr and Xavier Watts but those are 2nd rounders most likely.



Peppers ran into some domestic legal trouble but he apparently was cleared of any wrong doing. I think they overpaid for Dugger but if he can stay healthy obviously he's a big part of this D.

Kevin Winston Jr only played two games this year due to a partially torn ACL. However, he played every game last year and didn't have one single missed tackle all 2023. Quite the stat.

 

[manxman2601]

What's the feelings on whether Peppers will be on the team next season? He'd be Vrabel's Byard wouldn't he?

Edit: I know of his recent exoneration so would Kraft welcome him back?

 

[bakes781]

What's the feelings on whether Peppers will be on the team next season? He'd be Vrabel's Byard wouldn't he?

Edit: I know of his recent exoneration so would Kraft welcome him back?

I think Kraft would but I'm assuming it's Vrabel’s call. I would like to think we could find a better option via free agency. Bynum is my target. We way overpaid for Dugger IMO so he's not going anywhere.

 

[manxman2601]

I think Kraft would but I'm assuming it's Vrabel’s call. I would like to think we could find a better option via free agency. Bynum is my target. We way overpaid for Dugger IMO so he's not going anywhere.

Looking at Peppers’ pff rating for 2023, they were pretty stellar. They weren’t bad in ‘22 either, both for coverage and run defense.

Also, looking at the Titans linebackers at the end of Vrabel's time, they were fairly small. Azeri Al-Shaair was 228lbs, just 6lbs bigger than Dugger.

 

[bakes781]

Looking at Peppers’ pff rating for 2023, they were pretty stellar. They weren’t bad in ‘22 either, both for coverage and run defense.

Also, looking at the Titans linebackers at the end of Vrabel's time, they were fairly small. Azeri Al-Shaair was 228lbs, just 6lbs bigger than Dugger.

I like Peppers. I just think he may have been distracted for obvious reasons.

 

[manxman2601]

Watch Andrew Mukuba in coverage on Ohio State superstar WR Jeremiah Smith. Mukuba is the deep safety on the defensive right.

 

[bakes781]

Watch Andrew Mukuba in coverage on Ohio State superstar WR Jeremiah Smith. Mukuba is the deep safety on the defensive right.

Love me some Mukuba!

 

[manxman2601]

I think I might have an interesting free safety pick; Craig Woodson of Cal

In the last three years, only four safeties have had an 85+ grade in both pass and run defense:

Caleb Downs this year (people say he's the best defensive player in CFB)
Kevin Winston Jr last year (in this years draft)
Brian Branch in 2022
Craig Woodson this year.

That's some pretty good company.

Daniel Jeremiah says that "he's really really smart and talking to the folks at Cal they rave about his intelligence and leadership". DJ says he thinks he'll go in the 3rd or 4th round.

There does seem to be some debate about his long speed so I look forward to seeing how he runs at the combine.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I think I might have an interesting free safety pick; Craig Woodson of Cal

In the last three years, only four safeties have had an 85+ grade in both pass and run defense:

Caleb Downs this year (people say he's the best defensive player in CFB)
Kevin Winston Jr last year (in this years draft)
Brian Branch in 2022
Craig Woodson this year.

That's some pretty good company.

Daniel Jeremiah says that "he's really really smart and talking to the folks at Cal they rave about his intelligence and leadership". DJ says he thinks he'll go in the 3rd or 4th round.

There does seem to be some debate about his long speed so I look forward to seeing how he runs at the combine.

We have Peppers, Mapu, and Duggar. I think we need more of a speedy FS.

 

[manxman2601]

We have Peppers, Mapu, and Duggar. I think we need more of a speedy FS.

He plays CF.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

He plays CF.

Didn't look too speedy. In the highlights he dropped down a lot guessing run. Didn't look like a CF to me.