The Patriots need Safety help. They never replaced Harmon and Dugger has his limitations. With Devon McCourty possibly on the way out, the Patriots are going to need to address the position in some form. These ten players offer the Patriots possibilities if they choose select one of them.
1) Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, 6'3" 195 pounds
28 games, 164 tackles, 2 sacks, 7 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles and 1 interception.
Two-way player. Can play defensive back, linebacker or receiver. Aggressive pursuing the ball. Physical tackler. Good zone defender. Can play man against slot receivers and tight ends. Inconsistent awareness displayed. Inconsistent change of direction. Hips may be tight. Good in run support. Has decent blitzing ability. Leadership is shown on field. Belongs in a heavy safety system where he can create mismatches.
Here's what Josh Edwards of CBS said, "Johnson has great size to go along with an excellent athletic skillset. He communicates shifts and has a quick key and trigger to play downhill. The Illinois native fights through blocks and plays a rugged style of football. In an era where NFL teams value versatility, his ability to cover the slot allows NFL teams to disguise coverage pre-snap."
2) Jordan Battle, Alabama, 6'1" 210 pounds
52 games, 252 tackles, 1 sack, 6 interception, 10 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery.
True safety and interior defensive back. Intelligent three down player. Has desired size and physicality level. Good zone defender with ball hawk speed and quickness. Takes poor angles to the ball carrier and will need some development against the run game.
Per the draft network, "Overall, Battle is a prospect that has many high-level traits. Battle should be able to step in and instantly fill a strong safety position role for an NFL team, and also be able to contribute at other positions on the field."
3) JL Skinner, Boise State, 6'4" 218 pounds
38 games, 208 tackles, 7 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries
Good run defender but takes poor angles to the ball carrier. Capable in zone coverage and does well in man versus tight ends. Stiff hips hinder change of direction. Needs to learn patience and not lose focus. Would help if he played the ball more instead of constantly focusing on tackling the pass catcher.
Jacob Roach said, "The major area that jumps out on tape is his ability to come flying in from deep to make plays in run support. Skinner is a sure tackler that isn’t shy about contact and delivers big blows to opposing running backs. This is a true enforcer-style player that likes to make his presence known. There will be a major jump in competition for Skinner but he has all the tools and skill set to be a three-down player in the NFL."
4) Daniel Scott, California, 6'2" 205 pounds
39 games, 207 tackles, 1 sack, 7 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery.
Plays all three phases. True safety who can play zone or man coverage. Can lineup in the slot. Needs to work on tackling and run defense. Needs development to become a three down player. Size may be an issue at the NFL level.
Per draft network, "Overall, Scott projects as a backup and rotational free safety/nickel defender. There is not much of a developmental arc for him due to his age. Although he has upside as a man-coverage defender versus tight ends, right now, he is a liability versus the run until he improves his physicality and tackling. He is a highly experienced special teamer with more than 600 snaps played throughout his career."
5) Ronnie Hickman, Ohio State, 6'1" 205 pounds
28 games, 157 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 7 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles.
Two way player. Can handle man coverage against tight ends. Can play around the secondary but maybe more suited to play strong safety. Doesn't appear to have deep safety ability at the next level. Decent against the run. Needs to take better angles to the ball carrier. Looks like a depth piece in year one that can develop into a starter.
Per the draft network, "Hickman is mostly sound in coverage where his ability to stay leveraged and process route combinations stand out. He has some flashy moments in man coverage where he can carry routes vertically but also holds his own reading the backfield and working into throwing lanes. He more than holds his own in man coverage opportunities against tight ends."
6) Jammie Robinson, Florida State, 5'11" 200 pounds
47 games, 318 tackles, 1 sack, 7 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery. 8 punt returns 4.6 average, 2 kickoff returns 19. Yard average.
Can play linebacker or defensive back that excells in the intermediate coverage range. Plays the ball aggressively. Good block shredding. Decent in man and zone coverage but probably a two down safety due to stiff hips slowing change of direction in pass coverage. Should make the team due to ability to play special teams.
Matthew Lewis said, "After watching countless hours of film on Jammie Robinson, I think he may have one of the highest ceilings in the country. He plays with a motor that is rare to see in the safety position. He has a tremendous blend of athleticism and aggressiveness that allows him to be effective all over the field. If he can work on his hip quickness and mobility, his draft stock would improve tremendously."
7) Tyrique Stevenson, Miami, 6'0" 215 pounds
41 games, 115 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 21 passes defended. Averaged 11.1 yards on 12 punt returns.
True defensive back. A little slow for man coverage but could be due to hips. Tackling could use improvement. Has potential to be a deep safety. A willing run defender that will crash into blockers and reroute the ball carrier. He's raw and a bit grabby. Stevenson has potential to be a utility back in the defense.
Ian Cummings said, 'While Stevenson’s fluidity isn’t elite, he truly has a scheme-diverse skill set. With his length, patience, physicality, and corrective athleticism, he can be a handful in press man. But he also has the awareness and explosiveness to be dangerous in zone. Stevenson could be a quality NFL starter on the boundary, but he also has the versatility to rotate into the slot and be a definite mismatch generator."
8) Benny Sapp III, Northern Iowa, 6'1" 205 pounds
38 games, 5 interceptions, 96 tackles
Good coverage back that is capable of making tackles. Should be a free or deep safety at the NFL level. Knows what to do with his hands and will provide good support over the top. Expect him to be primarily a passing down rotation early on.
Mel Kiper said, "Looking for a Day 3 defensive back who could surprise? Sapp is a good tackler with excellent ball skills who is smooth in transition. He has seven interceptions over the past two seasons. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Sapp plays all over the field, lining up as a deep safety, slot corner and even outside for a few snaps."
The next two guys there's not a lot on due to being small school candidates and Belichick isn't afraid to go small school. They're both versatility safeties with high upside. That could be a late day three selection and turn into key depth piece.
9) Jalen Robinson, Davenport, 5'10" 205 pounds
248 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interception. 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 13 passes defended in 43 games. Versatility and could play many roles. Due to size may be used as a slot back or a depth coverage safety.
10) Shannon Showers, West Florida, 6'0" 185 pounds
23 games 3 interceptions, 78 tackles
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