2020 NFL Draft – Safeties
Which 2020 safety prospect has the best traits?
Speed
Ed Hunt: L’Jarius Sneed (Louisiana Tech)
Alex Khvatov: Kyle Dugger (Lenoir-Rhyne)
Tackling
Ed Hunt: Jalen Elliott (Notre Dame)
Alex Khvatov: Antoine Winfield Jr. (Minnesota)
Coverage Ability
Ed Hunt: J.R. Reed (Georgia)
Alex Khvatov: Antoine Winfield Jr. (Minnesota)
Instincts
Ed Hunt: Grant Delpit (LSU)
Alex Khvatov: Grant Delpit (LSU)
Ball Skills
Ed Hunt: Geno Stone (Iowa)
Alex Khvatov: Antoine Winfield Jr. (Minnesota)
Physicality
Ed Hunt: Jalen Elliott (Notre Dame)
Alex Khvatov: Brandon Jones (Texas)
Athleticism
Ed Hunt: L’Jarius Sneed (Louisiana Tech)
Alex Khvatov: Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois)
Range
Ed Hunt: Grant Delpit (LSU)
Alex Khvatov: Grant Delpit (LSU)
Versatility
Ed Hunt: Grant Delpit (LSU)
Alex Khvatov: Grant Delpit (LSU)
Leader
Ed Hunt: Antoine Brooks Jr. (Maryland)
Alex Khvatov: Jordan Fuller (Ohio State)
5 Burning Questions
Who is the best safety in the 2020 NFL Draft?
Alex Khvatov: Grant Delpit (LSU) is still my number one safety on the board. The expectations were high for him entering this past year, and he didn’t live up to them. However, he still brings a lot of playmaking ability to the back end of the defense.
Ed Hunt: Hands down, it’s Grant Delpit. He is the most versatile safety in this draft. Although he was not the reason this LSU team went as far as it did, he didn’t hurt them for sure. He carried that secondary for a lot of his early career. He has all the tools to be a top 10 pick in this draft, even if he won’t be one.
Do you think LSU safety Grant Delpit is overrated or will some team get a major steal in the first round?
Alex Khvatov: Some people will say that he is overhyped. He wasn’t even the best defensive back on his own team last year. He was inconsistent as a run defender as a junior. He had too many missed tackles. But don’t overthink this selection. Delpit is a playmaker. He will be a major steal for some team in the first round. He is a rangy safety who brings great instincts, ball skills and versatility to the position.
Ed Hunt: Delpit is a major steal in this draft. He has elite instincts and can do anything you ask of him. He adds value to your defense because the defensive coordinator can do so many different things with him. He is the type of player throughout his career at LSU that was always around the ball. I have no problem with a team taking him in the top 10.
Who is the best small school safety in this entire draft?
Alex Khvatov: Jeremy Chinn from Southern Illinois looks like the best small school safety out there. He has great size and a muscular physique. He brings speed and athleticism to the position. He was a reliable tackler during his career.
Ed Hunt: The best small school safety in this draft is Kyle Dugger from division II Lenoir-Rhyne. He can cover in the slot, has good instincts and is a run defender who can tackle. I think he is a legitimate day two option whose tape shows he could dominate at the division two level. He is also a guy who played with the big boys at the Senior Bowl.
What do you look for the most when you are evaluating a safety prospect for the NFL?
Alex Khvatov: The NFL is a passing league now. Coverage skills are at a premium for the safety position. You have to be able to cover on the back end as a deep safety or be able to match up against TE’s and slot WR’s in man coverage. A safety has to be versatile and needs to have range, instincts and ball skills.
Ed Hunt: I want to see versatility in my safeties. The more they can do, the more I can change up my scheme and have that flexibility. I want my safeties to be able to cover in the slot, but also have instincts to sniff out the run. I also want to see them play in zone. I want to be able to blitz them if when needed. I also want them to have ball skills enough that if a QB makes a mistake, they can jump all over it.
Will you take the over or the under on five safeties being drafted in the Top 100?
Alex Khvatov: I will take the under. I believe that Delpit, McKinney, Winfield Jr. and Chinn will be selected in the top 100. Lenoir-Rhyne S Kyle Dugger has had a good postseason. He shined at the Senior Bowl and tested through the roof at the Combine. However, I still believe that he is more of a fourth-round type of safety.
Ed Hunt: I will take the over. I think there are some safeties that are flying under the radar like Jalen Elliott from Notre Dame and J.R. Reed from Georgia. Then there are the obvious ones like Grant Delpit and Kyle Dugger. Guys like Jeremy Chinn and Ashtyn Davis are also capable of being day two guys.
