Grant Delpit and his draft stock had quite a tumultuous few months before the Cleveland Browns snagged the LSU safety with the No. 44 overall pick on Friday night. Looking back at the scouting reports written pre-draft by several notable draft analysts, the preseason top-10 prospect and the second-rounder the Browns drafted play out in the same person in Delpit.
From his NFL.com draft profile, written by Lance Zierlein,
Aggressive, urgent striker with good upside who posted a disappointing follow-up to an exciting 2018 campaign. His evaluation requires a full load of 2018 tape, where his coverage potential was better illustrated. He transitions with instinctive eyes and plays physically against tight ends. Willingness to rush in and hit has never been a problem in the alley or in his fits, but tackle inconsistencies have plagued him throughout his career due to angles and technique that could be challenging to fix.
Joe Marino from The Draft Network offers some promising words,
Delpit brings a lot to the table and he projects favorably to becoming a high-impact safety in the NFL. He’s versatile, physical, urgent, smart, athletic and his skill set is perfect for matching up against the pace and space present in today’s NFL offenses
Marino’s colleague Kyle Crabbs cites the worries about tackling but remains bullish,
“Grant Delpit projects as an impact defender at the NFL level. Tackling issues in the open field will put off some teams, but he’s physically capable of booming hits and his foundation as a player is a pretty rare blend of skills — making him an enticing every down defender that can be a centerpiece to weekly game plans.”
Matt Miller from Bleacher Report also brought up the decline in play while still liking the potential,
Which Grant Delpit are you getting? The 2018 version would be the top safety in the 2020 class and a top-20 selection, but the 2019 version often looked like a Day 3 pick. Delpit has the size and athleticism to be an immediate starter at either safety position, but he made too many business decisions when it came to tackling in his junior season. Delpit has a sky-high ceiling, but he has to turn back on the alpha-dog mentality he showed prior to his final season.
Finally, Dane Brugler of The Athletic concluded a lengthy section on Delpit with this summation,
“Overall, Delpit needs to shore up his tackling inconsistency, but he is a rangy, smart and energetic player who quickly finds the football and attacks, projecting as an interchangeable NFL safety with starting potential.”
It’s a picture of a player with some concerns but very high potential for a second-round pick.
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