Do we have any need at the Safety position?

[SissyBoyFloyd]

If so, what and how much room is there for improvement at either safety and even depth?

 

[Solar7]

If so, what and how much room is there for improvement at either safety and even depth?

I'm personally sticking with what we have at the position. The Thompson twins deserve a chance to improve and man that other spot. We've re-signed some depth.

At best, it's an undrafted free agent or late pick with a focus on special teams or something. It shouldn't be a focus in the 3rd or 4th round unless someone glaringly dropped.

 

[Passepartout]

Yeah as really hope the twins do improve. Need to have some depth to add.

 

[football karma]

i dont think spending two 5th round picks on Safeties should stop the team from upgrading the position if the opportunity is there

 

[outcent13]

Budda is a free agent soon. Neither of the Thompson’s have proven anything really so if you could find a guy in the mid to late rounds that can compete and be a stud on special teams than I would draft a guy.

 

[AZman5103]

So let's say we get To the 3rd round and Grant Delpit, Jeremy Chinn, and Kyle Digger are all there? Do we look safety as an improvement or possible Buddha Baker insurance policy....and if so, who do you choose, the big school star that slid on a bad declined senior year, or the small school studs who seem to be diamonds in the rough?

 

[DVontel]

Budda is a free agent soon. Neither of the Thompson’s have proven anything really so if you could find a guy in the mid to late rounds that can compete and be a stud on special teams than I would draft a guy.

Budda is going to get paid(by us hopefully) & Jalen played pretty damn solid down the stretch.

 

[outcent13]

Budda is going to get paid(by us hopefully) & Jalen played pretty damn solid down the stretch.

I agree and I hope we pay him too. Just worried Keim has jitters after The badger deal.

 

[WildBB]

i dont think spending two 5th round picks on Safeties should stop the team from upgrading the position if the opportunity is there

Definately like the upsides of Jeremy Chinn and Kyle Dugger. Antoine Winfield Jr. is a ball hawk too. Excellent read and react.

If in a trade down we pick up a 2nd we can groom one of these guys if we can get them in the 3rd round.

Then Baker becomes like a wildcard secondary playing all over the field in either slot. He and DeVondre Campbell could be in there on 3rd downs patrolling the middle and covering the TE's/RB with two S's over the top on either side. Would be sweet to see.

 

[Solar7]

Budda is going to get paid(by us hopefully) & Jalen played pretty damn solid down the stretch.

Why do we agree so much lately?

Plain and simple, Keim's got to stop replacing draft picks year after year.

Jalen counts as our 5th rounder this year. We basically already have drafted one, we just got to play him a bonus year, as I see it. Let's try to develop a guy for once. We haven't had a contributor in years that wasn't a top two round pick.

 

[HGC]

Why do we agree so much lately?

Plain and simple, Keim's got to stop replacing draft picks year after year.

Jalen counts as our 5th rounder this year. We basically already have drafted one, we just got to play him a bonus year, as I see it. Let's try to develop a guy for once. We haven't had a contributor in years that wasn't a top two round pick.

You’re both knowledgeable football fans. It was bound to happen sooner or later

 

[cardsfanmd]

Jalen Thompson is a damn good tackler and has range. I like him and think the team does too.

 

[Cardsfan77]

i dont think spending two 5th round picks on Safeties should stop the team from upgrading the position if the opportunity is there

Jalen was projected to be a 2nd/3rd rounder this yr if I recall...

 

[WildBB]

Chinn and Dugger offer a more intimidation factor then we presently have. Bakers best playing in the box- slot area.

Chances are we look at a different position in the 3rd, but they'd offer a skillset we don't presently have back there. ST ace at first and would be groomed for WILL/SS.

49.
Kyle Dugger
S, Lenoir-Rhyne

• Acceleration - One of the best pure athletes in the 2020 NFL Draft. Pretty incredible amount of juice for such a rocked up player and his ability to illustrate it at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl solidified any questions there may have been about testing speed and explosion versus functional juice on the gridiron. Dynamic athlete.
  
  Tackling - He can be a touch late in the open field to gear down and come to balance, let some big hits slip through his fingers by dropping his head or stopping his feet late. When he catches you flush, you're done. Period. He's got a big wingspan too so with a bit more discipline this is a big time finisher on the second and third level.
  
  Zone Coverage Skills - There's plenty to work with here. That said, he's not super anticipatory at this point and will need coaches patient enough to work with him and help develop his sense of the chess versus checkers component of football to maximize his impact as a zone coverage player. He's ideal in a hook/curl and rat role in the middle of the field.
  
  Ball Skills - Feasted on DII competition and was routinely around the football. His range allowed him to cut off throws consistently. Played a role on offense as a running back so he's no stranger to handling or catching the football — as evidenced by his natural hands when he's around the ball.
  
  Competitive Toughness - Blue collar attitude with glowing reviews for his football character and work ethic. He'll be an asset in a locker room and on the field, he's a "try hard" with elite physical gifts — a pretty rare combination. Plays with a chip on his shoulder and looks to physically impose his will on opposing players.
  
  Flexibility - He's pretty dynamic. Body control is impressive to watch and you see him hinge with suddenness, reach the back foot out to plant and drive and he's gone in a hurry — ample power and explosion through his frame at all angles.
  
  Feet/COD - He's quick in short spaces and he's dynamic with his route adjustments on the fly — all without conceding any bit of his range. He's "quicker than a hiccup" in transition and its fun to watch him and teammates click and close simultaneously to see just how much spring he's got when he sees a play.
  
  Man Coverage Skills - Developmental upside is here but he should be considered pretty raw given his level of competition. He's got the length, the upper body power, the foot quickness and hip mobility to be effective but we're effectively starting at the ground level and will need to work him along patiently.
  
  Versatility - He could play strong safety with time. He could play in the nickel vs. tight ends with time. He's a superb athlete and ball of clay that could be catered to any number of different roles. But upon league entry, play him on the kick teams and ask him on defense to simply hunt down the football. Pure rally defender to start but sky is the limit.
  
  ---
  
  Best Trait - Athleticism
  
  Worst Trait - Polish
  
  Best Film - St. Augustine's (2019)
  
  Worst Film - Tusculum (2018)
  
  Red Flags - None
  
  Player Summary - The debate with Kyle Dugger lies with where he's best implemented. A bit of a tweener, Dugger is at his best in instances where he's tasked with rallying to the football. There's a terrific skill set to work with, mold and develop at the next level but Dugger is an elite athlete who entering the league would benefit from a "find the football" role. Likely puts him on the field as a WILL to start but his dynamic athleticism and stature project best as a developmental SS and special teams ace.
  
  Updated: 02/08/2020

 

[Rohinaz]

So let's say we get To the 3rd round and Grant Delpit, Jeremy Chinn, and Kyle Digger are all there? Do we look safety as an improvement or possible Buddha Baker insurance policy....and if so, who do you choose, the big school star that slid on a bad declined senior year, or the small school studs who seem to be diamonds in the rough?

Delpit is one of the best players in the draft. Dont see him dropping out of the 1st 20 picks. If we trade down if be happy to use our first on him. He was one of the best defenders in the league his true sophomore year and won the jim thorpe award his junior year.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[WildBB]

42.
Jeremy Chinn
S, Southern Illinois

Acceleration - His burst is short spaces, especially when he's tasked with driving down hill into the teeth of the play, is quite strong. Good click and close footwork to bounce into action and attack. Brings momentum and power through his tackle challenges as well

Tackling - He's a physically dominant tackler at the FCS level and has ample build to translate to ripping down NFL wide receivers and tight ends. He's got effective wingspan and body control, too — he can lengthen himself in space. Would like to see him avoid coming so flat in situations from driving from far off.

• • 
    Zone Cover Skills - Nose for the football shines when he's given the chance to hunt in the shallow spaces. He's not necessarily a feature player in a single high role but as a nickel LB and strong safety he's rangy at the catch point to undercut the football or attack with aggressive angles.
    
    Ball Skills - His catch radius is notable and his strength to attack the ball through the hands is effective. He's got tons and tons of ball production, meeting the expectation you'd hope for as a small school standout. Held his own and showed well during the 2020 Senior Bowl — including burst to attack the football.
    
    Competitive Toughness - Impressive physicality. He's a boomer as a tackler and showcases imposing hitting — he'll be an imposing presence in the middle of the field if he's able to solidify his transition to the next level. He's got great motor and frequently flashes on YAC situations to track down opposing receivers.
    
    Flexibility - Hinges are clean in transition, although his timing is less attractive. Promising that the issues don't stem from physical restrictions and his ability to extend himself through the torso offers effective extension to cut down throwing angles for opposing quarterbacks.
    
    Feet/COD - His feet in man coverage as an off defender don't show ideal suddenness — in part because he's a big, long defender. His burst down hill is better than his transitional quickness at the top of route stems. Hasn't been tasked with a lot of press coverage to slide and disrupt at the line of scrimmage.
    
    Man Cover Skills - His worst quality at this point in time. He converts well into attack mode as a zone defender as the quarterback ***** his arm but his ability to mirror or stay sticky versus quick game or from isolated on an island in a one on one scenario. Room to grow to pair him against tight ends at the next level.
    
    Versatility - Promising athlete and a fair amount of developmental upside as an every down talent. He's got talents that will come in useful against the run and his ball production offers optimism for what he can be as a half-field defender in Cover-2 as a deep safety.
    
    ---
    
    Best Trait - Versatility
    
    Worst Trait - Man Cover Skills
    
    Best Film - North Dakota State (2019)
    
    Worst Film - South Dakota (2019)
    
    Red Flags - None
    
    Player Summary - Jeremy Chinn has next level athleticism for the back end of a defense and his value in the early downs will be in a traditional Strong Safety role. Chinn's impact in coverage is most effective when he's given shallow areas to roam and break on the ball and he's a potent tackler — he should be a potential 3rd-down sub-package LB who can roam in space. Chinn will need some fine tuning from a football IQ perspective as a small school prospect, but he's got a
  • high ceiling with time to develop.

 

[Cardsfan77]

49.
Kyle Dugger
S, Lenoir-Rhyne---

• 
  Best Trait - Athleticism
  
  Worst Trait - Polish
  
  Best Film - St. Augustine's (2019)
  
  Worst Film - Tusculum (2018)
  
  Red Flags - None
  
  Player Summary - The debate with Kyle Dugger lies with where he's best implemented. A bit of a tweener, Dugger is at his best in instances where he's tasked with rallying to the football. There's a terrific skill set to work with, mold and develop at the next level but Dugger is an elite athlete who entering the league would benefit from a "find the football" role. Likely puts him on the field as a WILL to start but his dynamic athleticism and stature project best as a developmental SS and special teams ace.
  
  Updated: 02/08/2020

Now that’s a bit xenophobic...

 

[Ronin]

Maybe select one in the 7th round?

 

[slanidrac16]

Imagine Simmons. We could move him around . Sometimes safety. Sometimes LB and then bring Thompson in. Sometimes blitzer. Sometimes simply put him on a TE.

 

[slanidrac16]

Now that’s a bit xenophobic...

I think he has him mixed up with the CB Kyle Duggerski.

 

[Harry]

Safety is one of the easiest positions to fill in FA. If someone drops in the draft and becomes an overlay you’d have to consider them. If the Cards get lucky on Simmons they might not keep Budda. Budda made good strides in improving his tackling but I’m not certain that makes them feel secure about a long term, high dollar contract. His hips are also a little stiff in pass coverage. He also needs to close more quickly in zone. He got better last year and is a great athlete. He is not yet a great player.

 

[JeffGollin]

Yeah, we have a need - Budda can't do it alone.

When contemplating Delpit, Chinn, Dugger etc. don't overlook Simmons in a variety of possibilities.