When the Green Bay Packers traded up to select Maryland safety Darnell Savage with the second of their two first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, it was clear they felt they were getting a special player.
With a solid rookie debut, Savage provided evidence to support that notion.
In 14 games last year, the rookie safety accumulated 55 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and five passes defended. While none of those numbers are particularly eye-catching, some of the plays Savage put on film last season absolutely were.
Darnell Savage broke on this so fast that he actually stops on it cos he was going to overrun the play and had to start back up when Trubisky threw it anyway.
This is pretty crazy for a rookie play.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) September 6, 2019
It's so much fun seeing @darnellsavage_ playing downhill, full-throttle football from the deep safety position. He's completely fearless and is going to be a big-time player in this league for a long time. pic.twitter.com/WUwqImDu4k
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) September 18, 2019
According to Pro Football Focus, Savage allowed the lowest rate of completed passes among Packers defenders last year with only one reception allowed per 33.3 coverage snaps. He also earned a top-30 coverage grade among all NFL safeties.
His most impressive performance last year was arguably Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. In the second game of his young NFL career, Savage recorded five tackles, a pass breakup (which turned into a Preston Smith interception) and a forced fumble.
He also had some lows as a rookie – namely, the NFC Championship Game vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
Overall, though, he showed plenty of reason for optimism.
In Year 2, much more will be expected from Savage. Based on what we saw last year and what we’ve heard from teammates and coaches this offseason, there’s little reason to think he won’t deliver.
Why he’ll break out:
- Savage’s superior blend of athleticism, football instincts and positional versatility make him a potential NFL superstar. Whether the Packers need him to play slot cornerback, free or strong safety in a two-high look, single-high safety or box safety, he can do it. With 4.36 speed and elite click-and-close, his sideline-to-sideline playmaking ability is almost unlimited.
- Now that he’s had a year to learn defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s playbook, Savage should have an increased comfort level with the scheme and his roles within it. That should allow him to play faster in 2020.
- Savage has good veterans to learn from in fellow safety Adrian Amos and cornerback Tramon Williams. Having experienced players who can help him identify and correct his mistakes as well as teach him the tricks of the trade will lessen his learning curve.
- Savage will benefit from having impact players around him. With Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Kenny Clark and possibly Rashan Gary applying pressure up front, he shouldn’t need to hold up in coverage for too long. Having a reliable veteran presence like Amos alongside him at safety and a shutdown cornerback like Jaire Alexander to corral the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver will also make his job easier.
- The Packers defensive scheme will put him in position to succeed. Pettine loves to move his safeties up, down and all around the defensive formation. That will play perfectly with one of Savage’s biggest strengths: his versatility.
Why he might not break out:
- Progression isn’t always linear. Savage’s play could stay at a similar level to his rookie year or he could regress next season. A breakout season might not be in the cards until 2021 or later.
- Missed tackles and poor pursuit angles could remain an issue (had a missed tackle rate of nearly 13% last season).
- Injuries could hinder his progress.