2019 Draft: Final Positional Rankings, Safety

The end of the road, my pals. We’ve made it. Another year, another group of prospects, and another panic-stricken couple weeks leading up the draft just hoping that this front office has it all together and can hit in the early-rounds. Briefly, before we proceed, some housekeeping items. I’ve often commented on how the draft is a “process”. Thoughts, opinions, and players’ grades change as we move closer to the finish line. Below, you can reference where my head was at for the initial unveiling of my positional rankings, followed by my pre-Combine thoughts, to where I ultimately ended up. It’s useful when contextualizing a players value, I think. If they stayed highly-touted throughout the months, chances are, we have a good player on our hands.

Early top-10 positional rankings are here. Pre-Combine rankings (thread) can be found here.

Top-5

Juan Thornhill (Round 1) put together a special Combine, and almost hit the 3-sigma mark. An Obi Melifonwu-like afternoon, if I may. On the field, although he doesn’t attack down hill as effectively as Melifonwu, Thornhill showcases some of the best ball skills in the group; he finished his career at Virginia with 13 interceptions and another 26 passes defensed. His cornerback background is obvious, and it wouldn’t surprise if some teams prefer him there. Nasir Adderley (Round 1) also flashes elite ball skills, with arguably best-in-class range on the back end. You probably want to utilize his sideline-to-sideline abilities more so than moving him down in the box or outside in man. Play to his strengths. Taylor Rapp (Round 1-2) could’ve shot up this list with a strong showing in Indianapolis, but instead, I kept him on the borderline given the ceiling. His floor remains incredibly high, however, and just oozes “safe prospect” with his versatility, efficient movements and high-end processing, along with his consistent impact as a tackler. I’ve likened Darnell Savage (Round 1-2) to a juiced-up Karl Joseph. He’s a menace in the box and against the run, but offers sound ability in coverage when called upon. He could “sneak” into the top-32.

Top-10

It’s easy to draw the Keanu Neal parallel when watching Johnathan Abram (Round 2-3). He’s an absolute hammer, and sets tones from the first whistle. He’s the opposite of Adderely in that you want to keep him closer to the line of scrimmage instead of working him back in coverage. Deionte Thompson (Round 3-4) was viewed as a top-10 player during the season and early on in the process. But much like teammate Mack Wilson at linebacker, the more you watched, the more questions you came away with. That’s not a good thing. His range stands out, but there are some concerns about his body type and play style at the next level (notably his over-aggressiveness, which leads to some disappointing stretches of play).

Top-15

Mike Edwards (Round 4-5) does just about everything well enough, but his inability to truly standout in any one area in particular keeps his ceiling relatively low. The versatility will certainly be seen as a plus for most clubs, and with the promise of an NFL weight program, I could see him slide in that 3-4 round range, as opposed to where I have him slotted. Evan Worthington (Round 6-7) looks like a no-brainer at high safety. He’s smooth as heck and provides more than enough range. But it all comes down to the off-field and/or character-type question marks, coupled with the inconsistent play.

Catch me on Twitter: @StillRyanFive

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