2012 - Mark Barron (7th overall) / Harrison Smith (29th)
2013 - Kenny Veccaro (15th) / Eric Reid (18th) / Matt Elam (31st)
2014 - Calvin Pryor (18th) / Ha Ha Clinton Dix (21st) / Deone Bucannon (27th) / Jimmie Ward (30th)
2015 - Damarious Randall (30th) / Landon Collins (1st pick in the 2nd round)
2016 - Karl Joesph (14th) / Keanu Neal (17th)
2017 - Jamal Adams (6th) / Malik Hooker (15th) / Jabrill Peppers (25th)
There are two takeaways from this list.
1). Really highly ranked S are extremely rare. Having two taken high is even rarer.
2). NFL teams know how high a bust rate there is among S that teams take high.
Add in it the number of top FA S who are still around, I don't think NFL value S as much as some of the draftnik's think.
Fitzpatrick seems like a pretty sure bet to go high. Enough speed and the hips to play CB, or at least matchup in the slot man to man. Good deep S, great range on the endline. Enough size, good tackler. Can blitz. He is what every team is looking for.
James is still a work in progress who has not played that much. He is a Jr coming out, but missed a year due to injury. Is still raw, and has split time between SS and FS, and in the slot. He is a great athlete, but I am just not sure everyone is going to jump on him as fast as everyone seems to think. If he does, that just means someone else will slip, but he is the guy who could slip, if history is any indication.
Historically, the 2nd round is the sweet spot for S.
2013 - Kenny Veccaro (15th) / Eric Reid (18th) / Matt Elam (31st)
2014 - Calvin Pryor (18th) / Ha Ha Clinton Dix (21st) / Deone Bucannon (27th) / Jimmie Ward (30th)
2015 - Damarious Randall (30th) / Landon Collins (1st pick in the 2nd round)
2016 - Karl Joesph (14th) / Keanu Neal (17th)
2017 - Jamal Adams (6th) / Malik Hooker (15th) / Jabrill Peppers (25th)
There are two takeaways from this list.
1). Really highly ranked S are extremely rare. Having two taken high is even rarer.
2). NFL teams know how high a bust rate there is among S that teams take high.
Add in it the number of top FA S who are still around, I don't think NFL value S as much as some of the draftnik's think.
Fitzpatrick seems like a pretty sure bet to go high. Enough speed and the hips to play CB, or at least matchup in the slot man to man. Good deep S, great range on the endline. Enough size, good tackler. Can blitz. He is what every team is looking for.
James is still a work in progress who has not played that much. He is a Jr coming out, but missed a year due to injury. Is still raw, and has split time between SS and FS, and in the slot. He is a great athlete, but I am just not sure everyone is going to jump on him as fast as everyone seems to think. If he does, that just means someone else will slip, but he is the guy who could slip, if history is any indication.
Historically, the 2nd round is the sweet spot for S.
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