NFL Draft Preview: Defensive Backs
By Keith Myers
Safety usually isn’t a position that gets first round consideration. It takes a fairly special player, like Earl Thomas, to get that first first round grade, and I just don’t see one of those in this draft. Maybe Mark Barron sneaks in at the end of round 1, but that isn’t a given. There’s 2-3 players who might go in round 2, but the real value is in the later rounds.
The Seahawks really don’t need a safety. Sure, you can always use some more depth, since Atari Bigby didn’t return, but it’s also true that the Seahawks have the best duo of safeties in the league and both are just finishing up their 2nd year.
If the Seahawks draft a safety, and I don’t expect them to, my guess would be on the selecting Kelcie McCray out of Arkansas St. in the 7th round. As a SS, he’s not a hard hitter like Chancellor, but he’s got the size and speed the Seahawks like. He’ll be versatile enough to backup both safety spots, as well and contribute as a special teams player.
As for CB, this is one of the deeper CB drafts in recent memory. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see 5 players drafted in the first round. At the same time, there are serious character concerns with Kirkpatrick and Jenkins, and both could fall deep into round 2.
The depth carries down through the entire draft, so expect to see a lot of corners coming off the board on all three draft days.
As for targets by Seattle, Alfonzo Dennard out of South Carolina would be an excellent fit in round 2. He’d be an instant upgrade, and gives Seattle someone who can cover the faster receivers that tend to victimize Brandon Browner.
After that I don’t see a great fit for Seattle’s defense until the later rounds. Boston College’s Donnie Fletcher and Montana’s Trumaine Johnson are names to keep in mind later in the draft.
# |
Player
Pos
Pos #
School
4
Morris Claiborne
CB
1
LSU
21
Stephon Gilmore
CB
2
South Carolina
29
Janoris Jenkins
CB
3
North Alabama
35
Dre Kirkpatrick
CB
4
Alabama
45
Alfonzo Dennard
CB
5
Nebraska
54
Jayron Hosley
CB
6
Virginia Tech
59
Jogh Robinson
CB
7
UCF
63
Brandon Boykin
CB
8
Georgia
72
Leonard Johnson
CB
9
Iowa St.
74
Dwight Bentley
CB
10
La.-Lafayette
81
Chase Minnifield
CB
11
Virginia
92
Jamell Fleming
CB
12
Oklahoma
105
Trumaine Johnson
CB
13
Montana
109
Omar Bolden
CB
14
Arizona State
120
Casey Hayward
CB
15
Vanderbilt
125
Shaun Prater
CB
16
Iowa
126
Josh Norman
CB
17
Coastal Carolina
137
Ryan Steed
CB
18
Furman
138
DeQuan Menzie
CB
19
Alabama
147
Coryell Judie
CB
20
Arkansas
152
Asa Jackson
CB
21
Cal Poly
155
Donnie Fletcher
CB
22
Boston College
169
Micah Pellerin
CB
23
Hampton
173
Keith Tandy
CB
24
West Virginia
194
Justin Bethel
CB
25
Presbyterian
206
Trevin Wade
CB
26
Arizona
210
Mike Harris
CB
27
Florida St
213
Ron Brooks
CB
28
LSU
224
Coty Sensabaugh
CB
29
Clemson
228
Charles Brown
CB
30
North Carolina
241
Emanuel Davis
CB
31
East Carolina
246
D’Anton Lynn
CB
32
Penn State
252
Terrence Frederick
CB
33
Texas A&M
261
Chris Greenwood
CB
34
Albion
282
Cliff Harris
CB
35
Oregon
# |
Player
Pos
Pos #
School
34
Mark Barron
SS
1
Alabama
67
Harrison Smith
SS
2
Notre Dame
98
Antonio Allen
SS
3
South Carolina
159
Brandon Taylor
SS
4
LSU
177
Eddie Pleasant
SS
5
Oregon
203
Duke Ihenacho
SS
6
San Jose St
216
Kelcie McCray
SS
7
Arkansas St
236
Matt Daniels
SS
8
Duke
253
Sean Cattouse
SS
9
California
266
Charles Mitchell
SS
10
Mississippi St
276
Johnny Thomas
SS
11
Oklahoma S
286
Cyhl Quarles
SS
12
Forest
297
Sean Richardson
SS
13
Vanderbilt
# |
Player
Pos
Pos #
School
78
George Iloka
FS
1
Boise St.
91
Markelle Martin
FS
2
Oklahoma State
106
Trenton Robinson
FS
3
Michigan State
127
Janzen Jackson
FS
4
McNeese State
144
Christian Thompson
FS
5
South Carolina St
150
Aaron Henry
FS
6
Wisconsin
172
Eddie Whitley
FS
7
Virginia Tech
192
Tramain Thomas
FS
8
Arkansas
214
Brandon Hardin
FS
9
Oregon St
234
Tysyn Hartman
FS
10
Kansas St
257
Damien Jackson
FS
11
Mississippi
274
Jerrell Young
FS
12
South Florida
296
Phillip Thomas
FS
13
Syracuse