Finding safeties a challenge for NFL scouts

NFL teams are desperate for dynamic playmakers at safety. They want players who are capable of covering receivers that are strong in run support, too. 

The only problem for the Steelers, and other teams in search of safeties, is players like that aren’t being produced much anymore in college football.

“The way the college game has changed it has changed the nature of guys who would play safety,” said Charles Davis, a draft analyst for NFL Network. “A lot of the guys that would play safety in college that would be candidates moving to the NFL, they're playing outside linebacker in college because of the nature of the spread offenses, trying to get that speed on the field, you're playing with 205-225-pound outside linebackers that can run, and a lot of those guys are candidates to have been safeties.”

There is only one college safety that is considered a first-round draft prospect this year. Landon Collins of Alabama is projected to go in the middle or the latter part of the first round. After Collins, draft analysts don’t project another safety to come off the board until late in the second round or early in the third round.

Collins has been mentioned as a possibility for the Steelers in some mock drafts because of the retirement of Troy Polamalu, but the Steelers have bigger needs at cornerback and outside linebacker. Plus, they traded up with the Browns two years ago to select Shamarko Thomas in the fourth round with an eye on him someday replacing Polamalu.

Still, the Steelers would like to add depth at the position. Their top backup right now is 33-year old Will Allen, who was brought back on a one-year contract. It was a sign of how valuable players like Allen are. There should be young players in the pipeline to take his place, but they are few and far between. 

“What's interesting is the need in the NFL is so great at safety now, because of the type of receivers we have,” Davis said. “I've been using it all offseason as an example, the touchdown right before the half that New England scored against Seattle in the Super Bowl, when Rob Gronkowski went out wide, and Seattle walked out a linebacker in K.J. Wright, who is a great player. He matches up very well size-wise, length, but out in open space, you and I both know he's now playing defensive back, not playing outside linebacker.

“Gronk is a pure receiver. He beats him down field for that type of play. That's where those safeties come into play and the colleges just aren't developing them at the same rate, in part, because of the spreads.”

High school safeties that convert to outside linebacker in college lose their fundamentals and defensive back instinct after three or four years in college as they attempt to learn outside linebacker traits. If NFL teams cannot reconvert small outside linebackers into safeties they are trying to find bigger corners that can cover some receivers but also have the capability to drop back and play safety.

One such player is Utah’s Eric Rowe, who has been linked to the Steelers. He is projected as a second-round pick.

“Eric Rowe played safety most of his career,” Davis said. “They moved him to corner for a great part of this past season, but at certain times he would swing back to safety and play there. Durell Eskridge from Syracuse has long arms and some people saw him as a cover 2 corner. Josh Shaw out of USC has played at both spots, so we have spent time trying to figure out where they're going to go. Those bigger corners that can swing back to safety and cover that's a lot of what the pros are having to evaluate as well.”

Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who also works for the NFL Network, said there is one other reason NFL-ready safeties are few and far between. They’re playing receiver in college.

“I pay a little bit of attention to some of these recruiting deals with these high school kids,” Jeremiah said. “You'll get a kid that's a five-star and he can play receiver and he can play safety, and just about every time colleges are putting them at receiver, because you're playing against an offense that goes four- and five-wide, you can take the safety out of the game. Whereas, you put him at receiver he can score touchdowns, win games, so the overall position, the talent at the position and the ability to evaluate it it's not where it needs to be.”