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Photo Blog: Breaking down the safety prospects
As we cruise toward the 2012 NFL Draft, get a quick glimpse at prospect breakdowns for the safety position from Andy Hart of Patriots Football Weekly.
Ihenacho played some linebacker in college but has good overall closing speed in the passing game. He likes to tackle and shows good ball skills as a possible late-round option.
Robinson is undersized at 5-9, but plays a physical style beyond his height. He likes to come up and tackle, but is a little stiff in coverage. Not great traits for a guy of his size.
I'm not in love with Iloka, but maybe Bill Belichick will be intrigued by his size (6-4, 222 pounds) and experience in a linebacker role. Iloka plays too big and slow for my liking.
Taylor is a three-year starter from a good defense in a great conference. He has decent range and closes well on the ball. He has good football speed on tape.
Martin is a big-framed, solid tackler who clearly likes to bring the wood when hitting. May not be an NFL starter, but could be a serviceable backup and special teams guy.
Menzie was a corner and nickel back for Saban at Alabama but probably will be best suited as more of a free safety in the pros. He plays the ball well, has good enough football speed and likes to tackle.
I'm not as high on Smith in terms of being a late first-round pick as many others seem to be. Smith has good size and tests pretty well, but I don't know that he's going to be much in coverage.
Though some question Barron's coverage ability, he's clearly the top prospect at the position. Barron likes to play near the line, but he's also pretty athletic. He would make a great Patriot.
