Here are five safeties who could be on the board when Buffalo picks on the second day of the draft at No. 54.
The Buffalo Bills first scheduled draft selection won’t occur until Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft, as the team picks at No. 54 overall.
Luckily, the Bills do not have a glaring need on their roster, making this year’s draft quite intriguing. Buffalo’s front office, led by general manager Brandon Beane, can go in a multitude of directions with the pick, leaving quite a bit of interest and uncertainty with whom the Bills could select.
This installment of our position-by-position series looks at the safety prospects and which players could still be on the board when the Bills make their first selection at the upcoming draft:
Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Current roster
The Bills aren’t in desperate need for a safety. In fact, they’re really not in need of a safety at all. Jordan Poyer signed a two-year extension that keeps him in Buffalo through 2022. Micah Hyde’s contract, which he signed prior to the 2017 campaign, will expire after the 2021 season. The duo has combined to be one of the most productive safety combinations since their pairing in 2017.
Dean Marlowe, Siran Neal, and Jaquan Johnson are currently signed as depth players. Neal spent some time playing as the “big” nickel cornerback when called upon.
Hyde and Poyer are cemented on top of the depth chart. Buffalo could draft a player later in the draft, possibly Day 3, and see if this player can battle for a depth spot. However, they could also look for a player who could play in multiple roles, similar to how Neal is used against certain matchups.
When the Bills pick in the second round, they have to make the choice of selecting the best player available, who could be a safety, or looking to a position of where greater depth is needed. They might also look for a player who could be the heir apparent to either Hyde or Poyer, since the team lacks any glaring needs on the roster. A safety could be a luxury at this point, giving head coach Sean McDermott another tool to use on defense.
Eagles take Denzel Mims, Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn in Draft Wire’s latest mock draft
The NFL Draft is almost two weeks away and the intrigue surrounding the leagues’ selection process is certain to ratchet up with the announcement that format will have a virtual, “fantasy football” feel to it.
Draft Wire just released its latest three-round mock and the Eagles address some needs, landing a fast-rising wide receiver, one of the top safeties available and Jason Kelce’s eventual replacement at center.
21. Philadelphia Eagles
Denzel Mims | WR | Baylor
After filling their biggest need on defense by trading for Darius Slay, the Eagles free themselves up to do the same for their offense with this pick. Mims backed up his strong film by blowing up the NFL Scouting Combine, showing off the size and athleticism it takes to be a top target at the next level.
53. Philadelphia Eagles | Jeremy Chinn | S | Southern Illinois
103. Philadelphia Eagles | Nick Harris | OL | Washington
The selection of Mims would ensure that analyst were correct about him moving up draft boards, while the Eagles would either have the steal of the NFL draft or likely face more criticism for passing on guys like Brandon Aiyuk, Laviska Shenault, Chase Claypool, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson, and others.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com talked about Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn and the versatility he brings to the table.
The main priority for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers entering this month’s NFL draft will likely be finding protection for quarterback Tom Brady. While the six-time Super Bowl champion certainly brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Bucs, none of that will do them any good if they can’t keep him upright.
Last season, the Bucs’ O-line allowed Jameis Winston to be sacked 47 times, so it’s no wonder most mocks have the Bucs targeting an offensive tackle with the 14th pick in round one.
But, let’s not forget about the Bucs’ secondary. While Tampa Bay’s rush defense ranked first in the NFL last season, allowing just 73.8 yards per game on the ground, their pass defense was 30th in the league. So, while Tampa Bay may address tackle in the first round, looking for a safety or cornerback may take precedence in round two.
In his recent two-round mock draft over at ESPN, Todd McShay had the Bucs taking Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn with the 45th pick in round two. Chinn has many people excited with his size and versatility, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 221 pounds.
“As a run defender, Chinn is an instinctive playmaker with a strong nose for the ball and rock-solid tackling skills. He stones running backs in the hole and displays dependable wrap-up skills while corralling receivers in the open field. Chinn’s tackling skills, aggressiveness and overall physicality make him a potential disruptive force as a box-area defender at the next level. He has a knack for finding the ball and his instincts stand out when studying the tape. With Chinn also showcasing explosive playmaking skills on blitzes, he could be an intriguing defender to build a scheme around.”
Chinn could certainly help improve Tampa Bay’s secondary. The Bucs have young pieces to be excited about in both Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean, but with Drew Brees and Matt Ryan both in the NFC South, the Bucs’ pass defense needs to improve. Chinn may not be available after round one, but if he is, the Bucs should consider adding him to their roster.
Full 7-round Browns mock draft: Spring Break edition projects all the 2020 NFL Draft picks for the Cleveland Browns
It’s Spring Break for most school districts right now, though with buildings closed it’s hard to tell much of a difference. Spring Break means the NFL Draft is coming very soon, and that means it’s time for an updated Browns mock draft.
These projections are the players I believe the Browns would take in the given situations. They do not necessarily represent the choices I would make at the given picks, though in the later rounds my own preferences do hold influence.
For context with the first pick at No. 10 overall, I simulated the first nine picks 20 times at The Draft Network and averaged out the players’ draft positions. The results:
1 – Joe Burrow
2 – Chase Young
3 – Jeff Okudah
4 – Mekhi Becton
5 – Tua Tagovailoa
6 – Justin Herbert
7 – Isaiah Simmons
8 – Tristan Wirfs
9 – Derrick Brown
The No. 10 pick is going to be an offensive tackle, more than likely. With South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw still on the board I do think Browns GM Andrew Berry and his draft crew will at least discuss taking him. The same would be true if Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons, whose draft slot appears quite volatile, is still there. But unless the Browns make a move for Trent Williams, left tackle has to be the top priority.
Becton and Wirfs, my top two choices personally for the No. 10 pick, are gone. That leaves Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills and Josh Jones as the viable options for the Browns. My belief is the Browns would target Wills in that scenario as the best fit for Kevin Stefanski’s offense and the higher floor.
I don’t see this Browns regime being overly enamored with Thomas and his technical inconsistencies he showed at Georgia, not over what Wills showed at Alabama anyway. Jones is very intriguing but is the least NFL-ready, a rough gamble for a Browns team built to win right now. In a trade back, or if the Browns land Trent Williams in a trade to buy a year or two, I think Jones becomes much more viable.
Breaking down the draft profile of Southern Illinois DB Jeremy Chinn, a potential pick for the Packers in the 2020 draft.
The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Next up is Southern Illinois defensive back Jeremy Chinn:
What he can do
– Looks like a linebacker (6-3, 221) but has multi-dimensional abilities as a safety
– Playmaker. Intercepted 13 passes and broke up 31 others. Had at least three interceptions and five pass breakups during each of his four collegiate seasons. Also forced six fumbles. Terrific ball skills. Will go get it in the air. Turnover creator
– Iffy in man-to-man coverage. Lost several one-on-one reps at the Senior Bowl. Big question mark as he transitions from DII to the NFL
– Way too passive at times. Instincts issue? Processing issue? Urgency could use improvement
– Explosive mover. Ran 4.45 at 221 pounds and hit 41″ in the vertical leap and 138″ in the broad jump
– Big hitter. Confident hitting the strike zone of the ball carrier
– Can be a devastating blitzer and quarterback spy. Explodes through gaps and closes down the quarterback in a big hurry
– Didn’t affect the run game as much as size/athletic profile suggested he should
– Missed two huge tackles on long touchdown runs vs. North Dakota State
– Can show great burst closing downhill or with range side to side from deep safety
– Versatility should be one of his top assets, but might lack instincts to play more than one position at a high level
How he fits
Chinn’s size and athleticism could provide an ideal fit for Mike Pettine’s defense. He needs development in many areas, but it’s easy to project him as an interchangeable safety who can line up deep but also play the overhang defender role as a hybrid linebacker. He’s big enough and certainly athletic enough to handle the duality of the position. His range and the flashes of playmaking ability help provide the groundwork for a potentially impactful player at the next level. Taking Chinn could provide a re-do on failed second-round pick Josh Jones, who never fully developed into a multi-faceted role and was released after two seasons.
NFL comp
Jones. Like the former Packers safety, Chinn is a physical and athletic marvel, but concerns about his football instincts and coverage ability make him a boom-bust project. Potential high reward player if development stays on track. The risk is him following Jones’ path and flaming out before he’s ready to be a difference-maker.
Where Packers could get him
It will depend on how much the NFL loves him. He could be the first safety off the board in the first round, or he could fall deep into the second round. The NFL loves big, athletic players with potential versatility. Teams are also wary of big projections from small schools. It’s a balancing act. Chinn could be a possibility at No. 30 or No. 62.
Jeff Okudah of Ohio State leads a deep draft class of defensive backs. Xavier McKinney, Antoine Winfield and Trevon Diggs aren’t far behind.
With the 2020 NFL Draft fast approaching, it is time to start finalizing draft boards. Not just for NFL teams, but for the team here at Touchdown Wire. Here is Touchdown Wire’s list of the top 25 defensive prospects in the 2020 draft class.
1. Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
If there’s one thing NFL teams need more than anything else on defense right now, it’s the prototypical lockdown cornerback who can take an opponent’s No. 1 receiver through any route in any coverage. Of the cornerbacks in this draft class, Okudah is the one who raises no questions regarding his ability to do so. After playing 70% of his snaps in man coverage in 2018, per Sports Info Solutions, Okudah dipped down to 54% man coverage last season, upped his zone percentage and still allowed just 21 catches on 54 targets for 280 yards, three interceptions, one touchdown, and an opponent passer rating of 46.8. There may be more physically talented players in this class, but outside of the top quarterbacks, none are more positionally important.
2. Isaiah Simmons, Defense, Clemson
(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
In his 2019 season, per Pro Football Focus, Simmons played 299 snaps in the box, 262 snaps at slot cornerback, 132 snaps at free safety and 116 snaps at defensive line. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Simmons also played 13 snaps at outside corner, to make his versatility even more impressive. Asked at the scouting combing what his position was, Simmons simply responded, “Defense.” In the modern NFL, a player who can do everything from blitzing, to taking on the run game as a linebacker, to coverage as a slot defender and safety, is of prime value as defenses move to nickel and dime defenses as their base.
3. Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
(Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)
Young has often been compared to fellow Ohio State alums Joey and Nick Bosa, and from a traits perspective, those are pretty good matches. In 2019, Young put up 16.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and 31 quarterback hurries. And if you’re concerned about his getting shut out in sacks through his last three college games, a cursory look at the tape will tell you that he still had a massive effect on opposing offenses.
Chase Young this week on the three-sack drought: "Being the best defensive end isn't about sacks, it's about being the most disruptive player on the field. You can do that without having a sack… I had a lot of quarterback hits, a lot of pressures."
At 6 feet 6 and 302 pounds, Kinlaw fits the physical profile of the ideal multi-gap defensive lineman who can get nasty everywhere from over the center to outside the offensive tackles. In 2019, he raised his sack total from four in 2018 to six in his final college season, adding seven quarterback hits and 28 quarterback hurries. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Kinlaw’s potential is that he’s turned himself into a wrecking machine without the benefit of advanced hand technique. Once he reaps the benefits of NFL-level coaching, he projects well as an All-Pro-level disruptor.
5. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
(John Reed-USA TODAY Sports)
Brown’s relatively weak combine performance might debit him in the eyes of those who haven’t studied his tape. Similarly, his total of 12.5 sacks over four seasons at Auburn could push him under other defenders in your mind if you’re just box-score scouting. But when you watch Brown do his thing on the field, the perspective is entirely different. At 6-5 and 326 pounds, Brown had 10 quarterback hits and 20 quarterback hurries in 2019, adding four batted passes and two forced fumbles to his statistical arsenal. Brown is an ideal three-down defender who can stop the run as well as he can blast through double teams.
6. Xavier McKinney, DB, Alabama
(Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)
Multi-positional defensive backs are all the rage in today’s NFL, and Nick Saban has been grooming them at Alabama for a while. Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Steelers was an early part of paradigm, and McKinney is ready to follow in Fitzpatrick’s footsteps. Last season, per Pro Football Focus, McKinney played 285 snaps in the box, 271 snaps at free safety and 227 snaps in the slot. The 6-1, 200-pound McKinney also played 38 snaps on the defensive line and five snaps at outside corner. Playing all those positions, he allowed an opponent passer rating of 73.6 and came away with three interceptions, as well as 21 total pressures in just 71 pass-rushing snaps. If you can’t get Isaiah Simmons in your 2020 draft because he goes too early, McKinney is more than an acceptable substitute.
7. Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
In 2019, Queen established himself as one of the linchpins of the Tigers’ championship defense after lining up for just 255 total snaps in his first two collegiate seasons. The 6-foot, 229-pound first-year starter proved to be the model of the modern linebacker when he finally got his shot, playing 780 snaps in 2019 and showing the ability to excel everywhere from the box to the slot to the occasional go at outside cornerback. More impressively for Queen’s NFL future is his ability to face up against top running backs and make stops when stops are needed. Not every light linebacker can do that, and once Queen gets the hang of the intricacies of coverage (especially zone coverage), he could be one of the NFL’s best three-down linebackers.
8. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
(Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)
Winfield missed all but a total of eight games in his 2017 and 2018 seasons due to injuries, but he came back with a full head of steam in 2019, picking off seven passes and giving up just 11 catches on 22 targets and an opponent passer rating of 45.5. A healthy Winfield has all the athleticism and range you’d want in a deep-third safety, but what really makes him the best in this class at that particular designation is his ability to read offenses and coverages on the fly — as he detailed to me in a recent film session, he learned a lot from his father, who played cornerback for the Bills and Vikings from 1999 through 2012.
Still, the Bills reportedly met with one of the top-safety prospects ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn. The Draft Wire reported that meeting:
The Bills locked in Jordan Poyer to a contract extension this offseason, meaning his pairing with Micah Hyde will be intact for the foreseeable future.
Still, the Bills reportedly met with one of the top-safety prospects ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn. The Draft Wire reported that meeting:
Considering his draft status currently, the meeting is intriguing as well. Buffalo doesn’t pick until the 54th selection after trading away the No. 22 overall pick to the Vikings for Stefon Diggs. It currently seems unlikely that Chinn would be there at 54, but if he is, keep his name in mind. ESPN draft guru Todd McShay released his latest mock draft on Tuesday and he has Chinn off the board at the No. 45 pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At SIU, Chinn, a senior, finished his career with 13 interceptions, 31 passes defended and six forced fumbles. The Bills’ meeting with him was a video one during to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
What makes Chinn such a highly-touted prospect are his numbers. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound defensive back has impressive size and just as impressive combine numbers. Chinn ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash time and followed that up with a 41-inch vertical jump.
Who can be the Dolphins’ backup plans to LB Isaiah Simmons?
Any hope that the Miami Dolphins might have had for drafting linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the 2020 NFL Draft without an earth-shattering trade somewhere along the way went up in smoke at the 2020 NFL Combine. It took all of 4.39 seconds for Simmons, at nearly 240 pounds, to blaze his way into a lock for the top-10 picks in April.
That’s good, right? Given that Miami owns the 5th overall pick? Well, not exactly, because the Dolphins also have a dire need at quarterback and will almost assuredly be spending that first draft pick on their quarterback of the future. Which means Miami must boldly jump up from 18 (to perhaps 7 with the rebuilding Panthers?) to draft Simmons and give up a significant amount of draft capital if they indeed invest in their quarterback early on.
Conversely, might the Dolphins be better off looking for a backup plan to the all-time Swiss army knife defender?
Yes, because this year’s NFL Draft boasts two more freak athletes from small schools — and Brian Flores would likely love to tackle coaching either one of them.
Their names? Kyle Dugger of Lenoir-Rhyne University and Jeremy Chinn of Southern Illinois.
As a safety prospect, Dugger is an elite athlete effectively across the board. He jumped higher in box explosive tests than Simmons and nearly matched his 40-time, although that came with 20 less pounds on his frame. And, coming from Lenoir-Rhyne, Dugger’s football intelligence isn’t quite as polished as Simmons’.
Where might Dugger be had in the Draft? If a team totally falls in love with his potential, who knows. But conservative bets put him in the 2nd-round — meaning he might be a candidate for the Dolphins at either 39 or 56, assuming they sit tight.
Chinn tested even more dynamic as an athlete in Indianapolis and his tape is littered with reps in coverage, as a blitzer and defending the run for Southern Illinois. Yes — he’ll face a jump in his athletic testing, but that’s evident with athletes as any and every level. Chinn is another Day 2 target — so if the Dolphins do indeed miss Simmons in the top-10, they should be eyeing this athletically gifted duo early on Friday night.
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Southern Illinois safety prospect Jeremy Chinn
Jeremy Chinn | S | Southern Illinois
Elevator Pitch
Chinn is a small-school prospect that has been a fast riser ever since Senior Bowl week down in Mobile, Alabama. His performance in Mobile and the NFL Combine has given a buzz around Chinn. A highly productive player at SIU with 243 tackles, 13 interceptions, 31 passes defended and six forced fumbles.
Chinn shows really good ball skills. His 13 career interceptions shows that he had a nose for the ball. Some of them were heads up plays on tip drills and others playing underneath coverage and using every bit of his 41″ vertical to climb the ladder. His catch radius very reminiscent to a big wide receiver. He uses his length well.
When it comes to tackling, Chinn brings physicality. It is rare that when he gets his arms on a ball carrier that they can break free. Shows good form when wrapping up. When unloading on a ball carrier, has the power to separate ball carrier from the ball.
His speed is on full display, can get through gaps with ease. Chinn also has speed to get upfield quickly, great on click and close. His relentless motor shows up in backside pursuit. Playing from deep, can get to sideline when attacking the ball in the air.
Weaknesses
Chinn is a bit behind in his mental processing, much better with reaction than with instincts. Working on film review and coaching will definitely be needed in terms of getting him up to speed. His focus should be on better understanding his keys.
He will need work on his technique in man coverage, although he showed flashes against Ole Miss’ A.J. Brown in 2018. Often times uses his athletic ability to make up for technique. With the rise in competition, Chinn won’t be able to rely on it and will need to focus on becoming a better man coverage piece at the next level.
