The 2009 NFL Draft is not going to be known for producing some of the top safety talent. There aren’t that many good safeties at the top of this draft (or at least players who could be drafted in the first round) but there is some good talent in the middle of the draft which is where most of the following five players should be taken.
The following is a look at the top five safeties in the 2009 NFL Draft. There is some insight into what kind of player they are as well as where they may go in this year’s draft.
1. Patrick Chung-Oregon-Chung comes in as the top rated safety in the 2009 NFL Draft and has the potential to develop into one the best safeties to come out of this year’s draft. He has the size (at the combine Chung came in standing 5’11 ¼” weighing 212 pounds. He ran a 4.54 40 and benched 225 25 times). What Chung has to offer is the type of attitude and aggressive play that you would like in a safety prospect. He is all over the field trying to make plays and ends up making them or at least being involved in them somehow. He also likes to hit and can play on special teams. It appears as if Chung can do it all. What he doesn’t have is great overall size and is a little bit shorter than the NFL ideal safety might be. However, with the class of safeties coming out this year, it’s going to be hard for teams to overlook Chung.
Chung is a near lock to be the first safety picked in the 2009 NFL Draft and it looks like he is going to go somewhere in the second round quite possibly from the middle to the later rounds of the draft. He should be able to be a starter right out the gate in the NFL and should have a solid career in the league.
2. Rashad Johnson-Alabama-Johnson is a guy who is moving up many draft boards fast thanks to his athletic ability and good play. Just like Chung, Johnson plays the game very aggressively and has the instincts that you would look for in a safety. He has decent size (at the combine he came in standing 5’11 ¼:” and weighed 203 pounds. He ran a 4.53 40 and benched 225 15 times) and thanks to his being aggressive can match up well against other bigger players. He also has a good head on his shoulders and plays the game very intelligently. The downside to Johnson is his size but as mentioned, he more than makes up for it with the way that he plays. He may also be an injury risk due to the way that he plays but team will like him for his talent and aggressive play.
Johnson is moving fast up many draft boards and could (and should) very easily be taken as the second safety overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. Expect him to go in the mid to late second round and end up being a high impact player in the future.
3. William Moore-Missouri-Moore’s stock may have dropped a little bit following a weak Senior Bowl performance but he is still one of the better safeties in the 2009 NFL Draft and if things fall into place for him he has the chance to be a fine safety in the NFL. What Moore has to offer is that he plays both the run and the pass well the run. He is strong and aggressive and isn’t afraid to hit the ball carrier and tries to get the ball loose. His ball skills are good as well and he can cover wide receivers fairly well. His size is also solid (at the combine he came in standing 6’0 1/8” and weighed 221 pounds. He ran a 4.53 40 yard dash and bench pressed 225 16 times) and he can match up well in most any situation. What is at issue with Moore is that is he can be too aggressive at times and he is a bit of an injury risk. He had a poor senior season and this will reflect on his draft stock and should quite possibly drop him into the third safety spot (be the first two prospects mentioned).
It looks like Moore will drop a little bit in this draft and should be the third safety selected unless something happens to raise his stock or lower the draft stock of the others. He is the kind of guy that needs to get into the right system in order to be effective and could have a solid if not spectacular career in the NFL. Look for him to go somewhere in the late second to early third round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
4. Louis Delmas-Western Michigan-Delmas has risen out of virtual obscurity to become one of the most sought after safety prospects in the 2009 NFL Draft. Although he comes from a smaller school, he has played like a guy from big time program and has a lot of talent. When you watch him play, you will see that he is a very aggressive player on the field and isn’t afraid to move to the line to play the run. He has the ability to move well into coverage and can react to where he thinks the play is going to go. He has good ball skills and knows where the ball is at all times. His size is ok for the position (at the combine he came in standing 5’ 11 3/8” and weighed 202 pounds. He ran a 4.53 40 and did 12 reps at 225) but he isn’t the great overall athlete that you might expect. Still, he isn’t a disappointing athlete and has decent enough speed to keep up. If he could add a few more pounds without losing speed that might benefit him and help to play better and withstand a typical NFL pounding.
There are a lot of teams out there who would be looking for help at the safety position in the third round and this is where Delmas will probably go. With the right team, Delmas could excel in an NFL system providing that he can bulk up a bit and not lose any speed. He also needs to remain as aggressive as possible in order to become a success in the NFL.
5. Chip Vaughn-Wake Forest-Rounding out our top five is Chip Vaughan, a safety out of Wake Forest and one of the more interesting prospects available in the 2009 NFL Draft. The first thing that you can say is part of his upside is his size (at the combine, Vaughn came in standing 6’1 3/8” and weighed 221 pounds. He ran a 4.51 40 and benched 225 21 times) and his ability to be a big play maker at the position. Vaughn is a cerebral player who makes smart decisions and can also play the run and the pass. The downside to Vaughn is that he isn’t as ideal in coverage as some would like and has trouble getting to the play at times. He needs to work on his coverage skills.
Vaughan is a promising athlete and a good football player who, if drafted into the right system, just might excel at the NFL level. He has had a decent offseason and should be worth something to some team out there. For now, it appears likely that Vaughan is a late third to early fourth round pick but he may move up a bit based on the needs of some teams.
By Bryan Dietzler
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