SAFETIES
Xavier Watts S/DB Notre Dame
Xavier is a multi-position defensive back. He has excellent speed and quickness and the high football IQ of a coach on the field. He has outstanding size and is a sure tackler. Xavier is one of the best pure cover safeties with the size, speed, and football fundamentals to make an impact in any game he plays in. Because of his excellent cover skills, he has more interceptions and passes defended in the last 2 years than most cover corners in this draft. Because of his high football IQ, he has more solo tackles as a pure safety, than a lot of linebackers in this draft. When you turn on the film, Xavier’s overall play and leadership jump's out and his cover skills to shut down Running backs out of the backfield, Tight Ends, and slot receivers, are very obvious. Some safeties are better closer to the line of scrimmage and some are better in two deep zone defenses. Some safeties need to keep the play in front of them and some safeties who can cover struggle to make the tackle in the open field. Xavier doesn’t struggle being used in any style of defense, or at any position in the defensive backfield. Xavier is around the ball all the time. That’s pretty obvious with 6 interceptions one year, and 7 interceptions the next. There are always good safeties in the draft but there are rarely safeties with the talent and high football IQ in one complete package like Xavier has. Talent Grade: 1.47
Nick Emmanwori S/LB South Carolina
Nick has the size and athletic talent to play multiple positions for your defense. He has the size, length, and burst to be used at Defensive End, Linebacker, and as a safety. Depending on the situation, he could also be used as a slot cover corner against those bigger receivers and pass-catching Tight Ends. Nick shows the ability to cover those pesky running backs out of the backfield too. Inside the red zone, Nick is a weapon with the radius to destroy any pass play or run play that an offensive coordinator can think of. Nevertheless, to use him as a weapon all over your defense, Nick will have to improve his Football Intelligence and instincts. Right now, Nick is making plays off his athletic talent alone and that will not do at the next level. He shows some leadership skills to become a franchise player for your defense, but he has to learn to see things quicker and communicate better, before the snap of the ball. Nick has the potential, to impact like the Charges Safety Darwin James. His athletic talent, size, speed, length, and ability to make plays, make him worthy of being considered as an early pick in this draft. That being said, his improvement mentally, and work ethic, will be the key to how much he does improve. Remember Drew’s rules, it takes more than Talent to play in the NFL.
Talent Grade: 1.69
Malaki Starks S/CB Georgia
Malaki might be the best cover safety in this draft. Don’t be fooled by the statement. Maliki also had in 2002- 45 solo tackles, 2023 – 31 solo tackles, and in 2004- 52 solo tackles. Maliki plays all over the Georgia defense. He plays Free safety, 2 deep zone safety, and as a slot cover safety against all sizes and types of receivers. In coverage at times, he does get caught peeking into the backfield instead of reading the receiver and that does get him beat but that’s a technique issue that he will correct for sure at the next level. When he is in the slot, up on the line of scrimmage he does struggle to get off blocks quickly to make tackles. Maliki has good speed but lacks the quickness to be a pure Cornerback but in zone coverage, you could use him on the outside as a corner if needed. He shows excellent leadership skills because of his high football IQ to play more than one position in the defensive backfield at a high level. It’s hard to find cover safeties and if Maliki can show better quickness at the combine his value becomes more than just the average safety. Nevertheless, Maliki can be an impact-defensive player because of his football IQ to lead and play more than one position and tackle in the open field, and those attributes alone, make him more valuable than the average safety in any draft.
Talent Grade: 1.86