I would be willing to draft only two of these safeties, Eric Berry and Earl Thomas, as free safeties in the first round, if I were the Eagles.
I don’t think the other guys are really NFL level free safeties. I think they could play strong safety on the NFL level but I believe the weak safety position in the NFL must have cornerback level speed and coverage skills.
I think teams are going to start looking for college corners to play the free safety position in the NFL.
Offenses around the league are going out of their way to get safeties matched up in one-on-one situations with their wide receivers. Think about how the Eagles attacked the Giants safeties with DeSean Jackson.
Berry and Thomas have the skills to tackle in the open field, whiel also covering backs, tight ends, and wide receivers.
They both find the football, whereever it is and you can’t teach that.
I think USC’s Taylor Mays could be a great NFL strong safety with his szie, straight ahead speed and hitting ability. Mays can be a playmaking Pro Bowler at strong safety because he’s going to pound running backs and quarterbacks as a blitzer and tackler, while being able to run with and cover any tight end with a blanket.
The same is true for LSU’s Chad Jones who weighs 230 pounds. He knocks people out but he belongs up by the line of scrimmage as a strong safety.
South Florida’s Nate Allen may be able to play both the strong and the free safety depending on how knowledgeable he becomes as a pro.
