| March 10, 2006 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 05:25 AM |
BillsZone.com takes a look at the players available in the 2006 NFL Draft and how they fill the needs of the Buffalo Bills. This week, we take a look at the safety position. .
QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S
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Huff's best attribute is his versatility. He has played at corner and strong safety at a high level and could play either in the NFL. He has an instinct to attack the ball carrier and hunt him down with no problem. This is a player who offers a variety of possibilities. He should be a good special teams contributer and has the smarts and instincts to step in right away at either safety spot. If an NFL team drafts him with the intention of playing him at corner, it may take a season to get his technique right for the position. Very smart player, hard hitter and tremendous speed. A playmaker and ball hawk in the secondary who has a nose for the ball. He is a very good tackler and is effective on the blitz with good closing speed getting to the quarterback. He breaks on the ball well, has excellent instincts, and possesses the speed to run with most receivers when needed. He jumps underneath routes well and can lay big hits. Huff also has good ball skills and shows nice hands when the interception is there. He does tend to take too many risks in coverage at times, opting to go for the big play which can result in a big play going the other way. His speed can be a liability at times since it will cause him to overrun plays. Huff definitely has more positives then negatives, which means terrific upside that coaches love. He will more than likely end up playing safety in the NFL, and should make an immediate impact. He should be a top 20 pick, and the first safety off the board.
Bing is a player who brings a linebacker's mentality to the safety position. You could not dream up a better physical specimen at safety. Bing has excellent size, is strong, athletic, and fast. On the field, Bing plays with a lot of aggression. He is at his best defending the run. Fills hard from the high point and takes decent angles in pursuit. This is a player that does not shy away from contact and likes to deliver the knock out blow to opponents. He has natural playmaking skills and projects as a difference-maker in the NFL, as a safety that can match up in the box, in deep-middle zone and versus some bigger receivers one-on-one. The biggest problem with Darnell Bing has been staying healthy. He has been consistently banged up during his time at USC. He has had multiple shoulder and leg injuries, and has had troubles with his hip this season. Has a tendency to be overaggressive and will take too many false steps versus the play-fake. He is decent in coverage although he will struggle in man coverage at times. The concerns regarding his mental capacity and durability could cause him to slip a bit on draft day. He has the potential to be a top-20 pick in the draft if he could stay healthy, and will be an instant upgrade to the safety position for many teams. If he slides into the early second round of the draft, he could be a future replacement for the Buffalo Bills' Lawyer Milloy.
With Jimmy Williams and Michael Huff being corner/safety tweeners, Ko Simpson may be the best true free safety in the draft. He is an all around talent, with a nose for the football. Simpson is the definition of a ballhawk in the secondary. He just has a nose for the football. He has a great sense of knowing where the action is going to be and gets there quickly. Simpson had seven picks in two seasons from his free safety spot. He is willing to attack the line of scrimmage and help out in run support. He is a very good athlete, with excellent quickness, and the speed to close on plays. Shows adequate range in coverage. Possesses adequate-to-good speed and shows good closing burst to the ball. Shows outstanding ball skills. Has enough quickness and natural athleticism to match up versus bigger receivers one-on-one. Lacks ideal playing experience. Is still unpolished in terms of his overall technique and recognition skills. He can be over-aggressive at times and will get caught taking too many false steps vs. play-fake. He needs to play with more discipline. As a run-stopper, Simpson needs some more work as he is not a solid tackler. Simpson needs a very good offseason working out for NFL scouts to jump into the top 40 of the draft. He has tremendous upside, and needs development. Could be a high risk/high reward pick in round 2, or a future steal in round 3.
With his versatility, Allen will be a popular player come draft day. He flirted with leaving last year, but changed his mind at the last minute and decided to return to Tennessee for his final season. Unfortunately, an injury at mid-season cost him draft position. He shows burst when breaking on the ball in front of him. He has long arms, good leaping ability. Is a great weapon to have vs. bigger receivers, especially in the red zone and on jump balls downfield. With his experience at safety, he shows the willingness to be physical and take on blockers and make plays in the run game. Allen has the ability to be a very good all around corner. As a free safety, he shows the recognition skills to quickly diagnose plays, and is a real force on making plays in front of him. With his corner experience and ability, he has the chance to be a real ballhawk in coverage. He also has the size, speed and tackling skills to play a big role on special teams immediately if healthy enough as a rookie. With him playing safety last year and corner this year, he isn't fully developed at either spot. Allen may be a bit of a project at corner because of the year off as a junior. If he moves back to safety at the next level, the year off will also probably take some time to adjust. . Must improve his instincts and awareness in zone coverage. He has good speed for his size but lacks elite speed for a shutdown cover corner in the NFL. He can't afford to make as many recognition mistakes and he doesn't show the catch up speed to recover if he does. Word is that Allen is recovering nicely from his injury. If he does well in the workouts, look for him to be a second or third round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Donte Whitner is a talented safety prospect. He is a good athlete, has good speed, but his best attribute is his physicality. Donte was everywhere this year, mangling receivers, breaking up passing and intercepting throws. A feared hard hitter, Whitner locks down his end of the field and is considered dangerous at the SS position. He plays with such intensity and determination wherever he is along the field, and his intense style of play is contagious to the others around him, which makes him somewhat of an inspirational leader on the field. A player who plays bigger than his size, he has better than average athletic ability, and has an aggressiveness in him who likes to ball hawk and always be around the ball. He will sacrifice his body in run support and shows absolutely no fear. He takes good angles in pursuit and has developed into a sound open field tackler. As a strong safety, Whitner is undersized. Thats why he may move over to free safety. He has all the talent to match up in single coverage, but at times gets turned around because he is not used to being locked up man to man. If he stays at strong, he will have problems covering tight ends because of his lack of size. His recognition skills still must improve. He diagnoses some plays too late and will need some polishing in that area. Whitner is an interesting prospect. He is an excellent safety, and could have an immediate impact at that position. He may also have the talent to project as a cornerback for some teams, but he will need a lot of work to make that move. Whitner has good experience on special teams. Should make an impact covering kicks immediately in the NFL. Plays the game hard and shows a very good work ethic. He's one of the best overall safety prospects in the 2006 class and he deserves consideration as early as the second round.
Watkins is the ideal free safety from a physical standpoint. He has excellent height, athleticism, and quickness. He shows the quickness to break on the ball and the speed to chase down from behind. His unique height makes him a presence on the field, and he has the game speed to cover both the run and pass, along with being a good hitter with solid tackling technique. His combination of height and leaping ability along with his long arms allow him to go up and get the football against any receiver. He gets a good break on the football and has sure hands. He makes plays all over the field and takes good angles to the ball carrier. He is aggressive against the run and a hard hitter, However, he could improve his tackling technique. The only flaw physically with Watkins is his lack of bulk. He is lanky and will need to get stronger to play in the NFL. More physical wide receivers will be able to outmuscle him for the ball, and when asked to help in run support, he can be taken out of plays. Watkins is one of the better free safety prospects in the draft because of his talent and the untapped potential he still has. There are a few underclassmen that could push Watkins down the safety board a bit, but he is a fine talent no matter who is in the draft. Watkins could come off the 2006 draft board as early as the second round, but is more likely to be drafted in the third or early 4th.
Daniel Bullocks has a good deal of experience, having started the past three seasons at strong safety for the Nebraska. His recognition skills in the passing game have improved significantly from earlier in his career, which has helped in terms of his range in zone. He also has very good ball skills when in position to challenge. Continues to improve each season and has developed good leadership skills. Solid run defending safety best covering the pass in zone. Picks up assignments, patrols center field and gets vertical to defend the ball. His size and leaping ability allow him to defend most receivers regardless of size. Once he has the ball in his hands, Bullocks is very elusive in the open field and is a threat to take it all the way. Struggles in man-to-man coverage and not quick transitioning. Marginally effective on the blitz. Not overly instinctive, and not a great man-to-man cover player. When he does get beat, he lacks great recovery speed. He also gambles too often which can lead to a big play going the other way. Has good straight-line speed but lacks fluidness and also takes too long to reach top-end speed. Twin brother Josh was a 2nd round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2005. He stood out as one of the best all-around defensive backs at this year's Senior Bowl and he has enough physical tools to develop into a starting SS in the NFL. Bullocks grades out as a late first day prospect in the 2006 class.
Big, strong, hard hitting junior safety that is best in run support. He led the team with an amazing 96 tackles from his strong safety spot last year (2004). He will come up in a hurry and plug those holes in run support. He is also a former receiver so he understands the passing game and is athletic enough to provide outstanding coverage. Pollard's strength is clearly attacking the line of scrimmage. With his size and strength, he can play like an extra linebacker in the running game. He can weed through traffic and lay a lick on the ball carrier. He breaks down well and space and can tackle in the open field. Pollard also has the pure athleticism to play in coverage and he has improved every year on his cover skills. He is also a standout special teamer. With a weaker safety class and a lot of 'tweeners' Pollard could be a first day pick. 
Blue possesses good size and outstanding speed at the safety position. If you want a pure run stuffer at strong safety, this is your guy. He will attack the line of scrimmage like very few safeties do, and is a major factor in the running game. He is an excellent run stopper and has a knack for forcing the ball loose with his big hits. He is an imposing player who punishes opposing receivers that attempt to go over the middle against him. Shows very good closing burst. Does a good job of getting around blocks and through traffic. Is a powerful tackler with adequate wrap-up skills is his angle is correct. Has the right mix of mental makeup and physical tools to contribute as a cover guy on special teams in the NFL. He has below average recognition skills in pass coverage. He will be over-aggressive and will bite on the play-fake. He goes after the body instead of the ball too often. He does not show good ball skills in coverage. He has the talent to play free safety at the next level, but he doesn't have the coverage skills or awareness to. Blue is one dimensional, and probably only fits as a run stuffing strong safety in the NFL. He just does not make enough plays in coverage to be a factor in that area. Regardless, Blue grades out as a late Day 1 prospect with upside as a SS or OLB on defense, as well as covering kicks on special teams.
Salley may be one of the most physically gifted safeties in this draft. He has excellent size, is a good athlete, and displays good speed on the football field. He has ideal size and speed for the safety position, with the strength and possessing the explosive force to explode through ball carriers, and his knack for initiating contact makes opposing players cringe. Despite all his experience, Salley needs more work at the next level. His mindset has been to knock the snot out of players, but in the process he'll give up plays in coverage, and miss on tackles while trying to make the big hit. He needs to shed blockers more frequently to make his way to more solo tackles. Lacks the ability to cover a large amount of area in pass defense. He lacks the stop-and-start skills and the top-end speed to recover if he makes a mistake. Does not show great ball skills and is not a huge playmaker in coverage. As a result, Salley is a very good college football player who comes up short in terms of his potential to match up in the NFL. He is worth drafting in the last few rounds as a possible overachiever, but most likely will make a decent reserve and special teams player as a pro. QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S