Breaking down the draft profile of Alabama DB Xavier McKinney, a potential draft 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.
Up next is Alabama defensive back Xavier McKinney:
What he can do
– So versatile. Alabama played him everywhere. Deep safety, linebacker, slot cornerback. Versatility in Bama’s defense suggests high football IQ
– Highly active and comfortable in coverage in intermediate areas. Played down in the box a ton vs. several teams and was effective closing passing windows to the middle of the field and flying down to handle the flats
– No problems covering tight ends and running backs
– Played over 200 snaps in the slot and rarely looked overmatched
– Twitchy athlete in space. Doesn’t have impressive long speed but is quick and explosive in short areas. Loose hips give him effortless change of direction ability
– Fearless playing the run. Not a high impact run defender but more than willing to mix it up inside
– Doesn’t look big enough (6-0, 201) to play in the box at the next level. Slender-type build. Could be easily overwhelmed by physicality near the line
– Gave up a few big plays and isn’t super rangy playing deep but is generally strong in coverage in the free safety role
– Inconsistent tackler. Will stick and drive a ball-carrier on one snap and then dive and miss on another. Big-time hitter and can really lay the wood when he squares someone up, but still missed too many tackles in 2019
– Super effective blitzer. Knows how to time up blitzes with the snap. Slippery getting through gaps and around the edge and can be disruptive once he reaches the quarterback
– Can be late getting to the right spots. LSU had him in chase mode early
– Likely to have production playing the ball at the next level. Loves playing the quarterback’s eyes. Awareness, quickness and instincts keep him near the ball always
– Could really be an impact player on special teams, especially early in NFL career
How he fits
The Packers signed Adrian Amos and drafted Darnell Savage in the first round just last year, but Mike Pettine’s defense uses the safety position interchangeably between the deep half and in the box. McKinney lacks size and doesn’t look perfectly suited to play the hybrid linebacker position at the next level, but his ability to cover all positions in the intermediate areas and handle slot responsibilities should give him serious appeal to Pettine and the Packers. Amos, Savage and McKinney would really increase the versatility of the secondary, providing Pettine with a multitude of options for deploying the trio across the field, especially in passing situations.
NFL comp
Pro Football Focus compared McKinney to Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Malcolm Jenkins, a fitting pick for Alabama’s versatile safety/slot cornerback. Another great comp is Jimmie Ward, who blossomed as a versatile defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers.
Where Packers could get him
Possibly at No. 30 overall, although it’s possible he’ll be gone by then. Teams love versatility and players who can cover multiple positions. McKinney’s lack of straight-line speed and overall athleticism might scare off some teams. He figures to be in play for the Packers if he’s still there at No. 30.
With the 2020 NFL Combine complete and the draft just over a month away we now have a better idea as to where players from programs all across the country will land. Alabama products in the draft such as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receivers …
With the 2020 NFL Combine complete and the draft just over a month away we now have a better idea as to where players from programs all across the country will land.
Alabama products in the draft such as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III and even offensive lineman Jedrick Wills have bounced all around the first round during mock drafts leading up to now.
CBS draft analyst Chad Reuter’s most recent mock draft has some interesting moves regarding former members of the Crimson Tide.
Here’s where they land in Reuter’s draft:
25. Minnesota Vikings – Trevon Diggs, CB
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
His absence at the combine was acknowledged by Reuter, but his performance under Nick Saban in 2020 was more than enough to land him in the first round of this mock draft. It’s also a bonus that Diggs would be teammates with his older brother, Stefon Diggs.
The Philadelphia Eagles could choose to go defense with their first-round pick because of the deep draft class
The talk of the NFL Draft process has centered around the Philadelphia Eagles coveting a wide receiver in the April selection process.
Whether it be Henry Ruggs III, Tee Higgins or Justin Jefferson, the Eagles have been linked to a wide receiver, but with this draft class being so deep, could Howie Roseman forgo an offensive player in the first round to target a defensive playmaker at No. 21?
Whether it be at the safety, cornerback, or defensive end position, the quality of player drops after the top 3 or 4 highest rated guys come off the board.
At wide receiver, the Eagles could get a player in the second, third or fourth round with the same NFL projection as some of their first-round counterparts.
In a recent NFL mock draft from The Athletic’s Bo Wulf and Zach Berman, the Eagles go defense in one mock, choosing to double-back and address the wide receiver position with later round picks.
If guys like Ruggs III and Justin Jefferson, the Eagles could decide that guys like Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault, Jalen Reagor, KJ Hamler, Denzel Mims, and Brandon Aiyuk could hold similar value.
At that point, could the Eagles choose to address the needs at defensive end or safety with their first-round pick?
With guys like A.J. Epenesa, Javon Kinlaw, Neville Gallimore, Marlon Davis of Auburn, Xavier McKinney, Grant Delpit and others available, the Eagles could shock the world and go defense with the first-round pick.
it would have to be a player the Eagles could utilize as an integral part of their defense for years to come, but it’s definitely a possibility, especially if the player the Birds covet is off the board.
The New Orleans Saints invested early in their secondary but waited on help at wide receiver in Dane Brugler’s latest 2020 NFL mock draft.
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The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and everyone is updated their mock drafts. We took a shot at our own take earlier this week, and the latest mock-up comes from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, one of the most accurate experts in the business. Brugler projects the Saints to select Alabama Crimson Tide prospect Xavier McKinney, one of the best safeties in this year’s draft class. But he only sees that happening with a few important caveats:
If Vonn Bell leaves in free agency and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson stays in a nickel role, safety becomes a question mark for the Saints. McKinney will have spacing issues in coverage, but he limits mental mistakes, especially vs. the run as a downhill tackler.
McKinney measured out as a marginal athlete at the combine, timing the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds at 6-foot-0, 201 pounds. His best results came in the jumps, leaping 36 inches vertically and 122 inches broad, both good-but-not-great marks.
However, freakish athleticism isn’t really McKinney’s best bid for the NFL. He’s regarded as a heady player who is quick to learn from his errors, and is difficult to fool with complicated passing concepts. He was disruptive in two years as a starter at Alabama, creating plenty of splash plays. He was credited with 169 combined tackles (104 solo, 11.5 for loss of yards), 6 sacks, 15 passes defensed (5 interceptions), and 6 fumbles forced (1 recovered) in his final 28 games. That would go a long way towards replacing Vonn Bell’s impact plays.
Later on in the third round, Brugler connected the Saints to Liberty wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden. Gandy-Golden was the 13th wide receiver to be selected in the top three rounds in Brugler’s mock draft, ahead of UCF’s Gabriel Davis, South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards, and Florida’s Van Jefferson.
Gandy-Golden is a huge target (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) who lacked speed and flexibility in athletic testing at the combine, performing best in the broad jump (127 inches). He still starred at Liberty with 150 receptions for 2,433 yards and 20 touchdown grabs — in just 24 games over two years. The jump in quality of competition from Liberty’s schedule to the NFL would be tremendous, but there might not be many better options if the Saints wait so long to address the position.
Contract talks resume with Dak Prescott. Landing spots for Byron Jones. Mike McCarthy’s draft philosophy.
The Dallas Cowboys are going to lose Byron Jones. It’s not a foregone conclusion, because in the land of NFL contracts anything can happen, but teams are seemingly lining up for the five-year veteran and he walked away from Indianapolis’ scouting combine with the understanding of where Dallas stood financially. It’s not at the top of the corner market. That has a cascading effect, in both free agency and the draft, yet most mocks have yet to catch up to that realization. Touchdown Wire’s post-combine mock has.
In the grander scheme of things, the NFL has a secret the general public hasn’t caught on to, at least those who are complaining about the possibility their favorite team (cough, Dallas) will pay a top star (cough, Dak Prescott) at the top of the market.
The 2020 Cowboys Offseason Manifesto series at Cowboys Wire is underway. In the first edition, we look into the overall financial landscape of the league. With the NFL pressing the players to agree to a new CBA prior to the season, with 18 months left of negotiating before any games are missed, there has to be a solid reason why.
There is. NFL salaries look to be on the verge of an NBA-style jump. The evidence and what it means is all gathered in one neat package.
One of the few first-round mock drafts that seems to acknowledge the Cowboys being prepared to lose CB Byron Jones, Florida CB C.J. Henderson makes his way to the stage for Dallas at No. 17.
The Dallas Cowboys have a ton of decisions to make this off-season. How do they handle Dak Prescott? How do they handle Amari Cooper? How do they handle Byron Jones? With it seeming likely that Jones tests the free agency market (and the Philadelphia Eagles seem all too willing to swoop ini with an offer) it is likely the Cowboys need to find a cornerback early in this draft.
They find that in Henderson, the Florida CB. He faced questions this past season about his willingness to stick his nose in against the run, and people have wondered if he made a few “business decisions” last year. But you draft corners to shut down receivers first, and help against the run second.
Henderson can do the first part of the job description, and do it very well. That, plus the 40-time he posted of 4.39, is going to help his draft position. If Dallas has to go corner here — and signs seem to indicate they will need to — Henderson makes a ton of sense.
Dallas might be as busy as any team league-wide when the new league year and free agency start on March 18. There’s a plan in place and there are a few layers to it.
Javon Kinlaw, Xavier McKinney, and Henry Ruggs III have been linked to the Cowboys with the 17th pick. Who does Matt Miller have at that spot in his latest mock draft after the combine?
The safety position has been and will be a huge topic when it comes to the Cowboys until it fully gets solved. Alabama’s Xavier McKinney has been a named linked as much as any to the Cowboys in the first round.
As usual, the Dallas Cowboys were the talk of the NFL Combine with all the free agency news and potential players they could add in the draft. Also, Jerry Jones admits he thinks of Dez Bryant.
The Cowboys have had the mindset that the best way to build a team is through the draft. New head coach Mike McCarthy could provide a different direction to their plans in that regard.
Most mock drafts have the Cowboys going defense in the first round. Now, an offensive player gets some shine in the form of Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb.
The biggest topic in Dallas these days would have to be when is Dak Prescott getting his new deal? David Moore, Calvin Watkins, and Michael Gehlken breakdown what could be holding up a long-term contract as well as free agency needs and players that need to step in 2020.
The agent of Byron Jones met with the Cowboys at the NFL Combine, and the understanding was that the former All-Pro would hit free agency once the two sides parted. Patrik Walker dives into all the latest surrounding the shutdown corner.
With the Combine in the rear view mirror, whose stock is rising, whose is falling and how has the board potentially changed?
Ah, mock draft season. With Indianapolis behind us, we can now start to imagine how the draft could play out given what we saw from the prospects at the 2020 Scouting Combine. Whose stock is rising, whose is falling, and how could — I repeat, how could — that impact the draft?
Here’s just one man’s shot at putting it together.
We can work our way into this mock with a selection that makes the most sense. The Bengals are moving on from Andy Dalton, and Joe Burrow’s magical season has rocketed him to the top of many draft boards. His decision-making, pocket presence and leadership abilities are perfect for what Cincinnati needs right now. Plus, the storyline of “local boy comes home” is sure to get fans excited.
Schematically, Burrow is a fit for what Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is looking to do offensively. With some weapons around him and some additions to the offensive line, Burrow could be in position to contribute early in his career.
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sport)
There does seem to be some smoke building around the idea of Washington doing this year what the Arizona Cardinals did a season ago: Let a new regime pick their quarterback. Last year the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury and let him pick the quarterback he wanted to build around. The result? Arizona moved on from Josh Rosen after a single season and drafted Kyler Murray.
Could the same thing happen to Dwayne Haskins? Rumors around Indianapolis last week seemed to indicate that it was at least a possibility. Washington reportedly met with Tua Tagovailoa and the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that new head coach Ron Rivera told the Alabama passer that, according to a source, “[t]hey want to bring in Tua, just get it going and compete.”
My thinking here is this: This is lying season. Most people believe the draft begins at the second pick, and Washington holds a lot of cards. They could stay pat and select the best overall player in the draft, the Ohio State edge rusher. But if a team is dying to move up to draft a quarterback, they’ll entertain offers. One way to drive up the price? Float the idea that you are in the quarterback market as well.
For now, I think these are all smoke screens. Washington stays pat and takes the pass rusher.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
(Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports)
Here is where things could really get sporty.
There are concerns in Detroit regarding the status of quarterback Matthew Stafford. Back injuries the past few seasons have some wondering if it is time to prepare for a world without Stafford in Detroit. The issue is, Stafford’s contract is such that it makes much more sense from a salary cap perspective to move on from Stafford in 2021, rather than 2020.
Under Stafford’s contract, if he were to be traded or cut before June 1st, the Lions would be hit with $32 million in dead cap space for 2020, and would have a cap “savings” of minus $10.7 million for the 2020 league year.
However, if they decide to move on from Stafford prior to 2021, they would actually free up around $14M of cap space.
So the thinking here could be: Draft Tagovailoa, redshirt him for a season while Stafford plays through 2020, and then move on when Tagovailoa is fully healthy and it makes more sense from a cap perspective.
So it is a possibility that the Lions could go with a quarterback here.
At the same time, Matt Patricia must be feeling the urge to win now, and the idea of drafting a quarterback to simply redshirt him while the flames are fanned under your seat cannot feel too pleasant. In the end Detroit entertains the idea of Tagovailoa, but goes with the potential shutdown corner in Okudah.
4. Los Angeles Chargers (via trade with New York Giants): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Now we have our first trade.
A running theme of this mock draft so far has been the Alabama quarterback. In the mix to Washington with the second pick. A potential option for Detroit with the third pick. Now this draft enters a stretch where quarterback is a possibility for a number of teams, including the Chargers at six and the Carolina Panthers at seven.
Tagovailoa has been linked to the Dolphins for a long time now, and the Chargers can read the tea leaves as well as anyone else. If they decide that Tagovailoa is their quarterback of the future, they’ll need to get in front of Miami to ensure that he is wearing the powder blues next season.
Conceptually, while there might be better fits for Tagovailoa’s skill-set, such as the Panthers as we argued yesterday, the Chargers will have the time to build around Tagovailoa and construct an offense around his strengths: His accuracy in the short area, his processing speed, and his familiarity with run/pass option designs.
5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Interestingly enough, Miami might be just fine with the Chargers leap-frogging them, as they end up with the passer that some in the building have been targeting for over a year. It was just a year ago when reports out of Miami were that Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross was interested in two quarterbacks: Tagovailoa and Herbert.
Now, with both an option for the Dolphins in this year’s draft, many have linked Miami to Tagovailoa. But the decision to hire Chan Gailey as their offensive coordinator does give them a potential schematic fit with both quarterbacks. As we argued yesterday, the Dolphins are a great fit for Herbert’s skill-set, given his background in Oregon’s spread system. That would ease his transition to the pro game, and with both Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick in place, they could potentially move one of those players late in training camp, depending on Herbert’s progress as a rookie this summer.
6. New York Giants (via trade with Los Angeles Chargers): Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said a number of things during his media session in Indianapolis that stuck with me. Two in particular. One I will take to heart, and the other I will ignore with this move to trade down and select the Georgia offensive tackle.
When addressing the media, Gettleman indicated that trading down does carry a bit of risk. What if you trade down, he theorized, from four to eight with four players that you like on your board? You might miss out on all of them is the fear he expressed.
But given how Gettleman could play the board, and still select one of the four impressive offensive tackles in this draft, gives him an option to pick up some additional selections in this draft and continue to build around Daniel Jones.
So while I dismissed the idea of Gettleman’s trade down fear, I will take to heart something else he said. He was asked about the most important position to help a young quarterback and he instantly delivered an incredible response: “Offensive line. I’ve found that it is hard to complete a pass when lying on your back.” And in, perhaps, a shot at all the discussion over Gettleman’s thoughts on analytics he added: “I’ve done that study.”
Here, the Giants trade back and get an NFL ready offensive tackle with experience on both the right and the left sides of the line. Given his SEC pedigree, Thomas has faced some imposing pass rushers during his time in Athens, and he’ll be ready to go up against some of what the NFL has to offer. The combine might have vaulted Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton up many boards, but something tells me that Gettleman will value what Thomas put on tape.
The Panthers could go in a number of directions with this pick. Quarterback is in play, depending on what new head coach Matt Rhule decides to do with Cam Newton and how he handles Kyle Allen and last year’s draft pick Will Grier. Rhule has said all the right things about Newton, he likes Grier dating back to their games against each other in the Big 12, and Allen showed promise at times last year. So it is likely that Rhule keeps all three in Carolina and looks to address other needs.
Offensive line is also an area they could address, and given what we saw from Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton at the combine as well as what we saw on film all season from Jedrick Wills Jr., any one of those players could be in play if the board falls this way.
They also have needs on the defensive side of the football. They could use help up front, they could use some help at linebacker in the wake of Luke Kuechly’s retirement, and they could also use some help in the secondary.
In Simmons, they could get help at all three levels of their defense. They would get a player who has lined up on the defensive line, in the slot, as a box safety and even as a boundary cornerback. They would also get an explosive athlete who posted a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, to go with a vertical leap of 39” and a broad jump of 11’. All while measuring in at 6’3 and ½” and weighing 238 pounds. He is an absolute freak of nature, and would revamp their defense in an instant.
In a draft that is talent-laden at the wide receiver position, we have yet to hear one WR called. That streak continues, as the Cardinals pass on every wide receiver on the board to address another glaring need: Offensive line. The Cardinals desperately need to protect Murray next season, and Becton can help in that effort.
Murray was sacked 48 times last season, tied with Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan for the most times sacked in the league. Now yes, sacks are not an offensive line statistic and the quarterback contributes to those sack totals, but the Cardinals do need to give him more time in the pocket. Murray was hurried 63 times last season, fifth-most in the league. With D.J. Humphries and Justin Murray as their starting tackles last season, this position could use a boost.
They get that in Becton. The massive left tackle showed some power and explosiveness both on film and during his combine workout. He has very fluid footwork for a man of his size, and his length will be an asset in Kingsbury’s offense. He could be the guy to protect Murray’s blindside for the next decade.
The 49ers may need a top safety in the NFL draft, but they probably won’t stay in the first round to take one.
The 49ers’ list of NFL draft needs will get a shake up once free agency opens, but for now, it a safety is a popular choice in mock drafts for San Francisco.
Todd McShay’s mock didn’t change for the No. 31 pick after the combine, with LSU safety Grant Delpit heading to the 49ers. McShay’s colleague Mel Kiper Jr. also has Delpit falling to San Francisco.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has the 49ers taking a different safety – Alabama’s Xavier McKinney.
It’d make sense for San Francisco to prioritize that position in the event that they lose Jimmie Ward in free agency. Ward is coming off the best season of his career and played a pivotal role in the back end of the 49ers’ No. 1-ranked pass defense. Letting him walk without addressing the vacancy is a risky proposition with Tarvarius Moore as the only logical replacement on the roster. Moore is a fine player, but leaning on him to be the surefire Day 1 starter is a heavy burden for an unproven third-year player.
The bigger key for the 49ers, regardless of their top positional need, will be restocking draft picks. Jeremiah’s mock is the only one that explicitly states San Francisco won’t pick at the No. 31 spot since they’ll need to trade back to recoup some picks in the middle rounds.
While replacing Ward – if they lose him – with a first-round talent is ideal for the 49ers, it doesn’t seem feasible given their slew of needs and the likelihood of a trade back. Unless one of Delpit or McKinney or any other safety getting first-round buzz sees a slide outside of the top 32 picks, chances are they won’t last long enough for San Francisco to draft one of them.
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine was a massive success for several former Alabama players, and now it’s time to see how mock drafts are reflecting that success. Most recently, Daniel Jeremiah, a draft analyst for NFL.com, mocked six former Crimson Tide …
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine was a massive success for several former Alabama players, and now it’s time to see how mock drafts are reflecting that success.
Most recently, Daniel Jeremiah, a draft analyst for NFL.com, mocked six former Crimson Tide standouts in his latest first-round projections, which included the following players:
Miami Dolphins, No. 5: Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback
Jeremiah’s thoughts:If Tua’s medical reports continue to come back clean, he won’t get out of the top five.
Our thoughts: If Miami wants Tua, they’re going to have to trade up with either the Redskins at No. 2 or Detroit at No. 3. The positive reports on his medicals will force a team’s hand.
Arizona Cardinals, No. 8: Jedrick Wills Jr., Offensive Line
Jeremiah’s thoughts:The Cardinals re-signed left tackle D.J. Humphries in February; adding Wills would give QB Kyler Murray two athletic bookends to work with.
Our thoughts: All signs point to Arizona getting Murray more help at No. 8 overall on the offensive side of the football, whether that’s at wide receiver (CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy) or offensive line.
Las Vegas Raiders, No. 12: Jerry Jeudy, Wide Receiver
Jeremiah’s thoughts:The Raiders (26.2 points per game in 2019, 24th in the NFL) need to score more. Enter Jerry Jeudy.
Our thoughts: Jeudy would be everything that Jon Gruden and company wanted Antonio Brown to be in that offense. Pick No. 12 would be excellent value too.
Miami Dolphins, No. 18: Henry Ruggs III, Wide Receiver
Jeremiah’s thoughts:The Dolphins have needs everywhere, but it would be fun to watch Ruggs reunite with Tua to ignite a stagnant offense.
Our thoughts: Hard to imagine the Broncos passing on Ruggs if he’s available at No. 15, but their loss is Miami’s gain in this mock. Ruggs would add a much-needed speed element to the offense to complement DeVante Parker and Preston Williams.
Jeremiah’s thoughts:This is a perfect scheme for Diggs, who has elite ball skills.
Our thoughts: Seattle loves the length and ball skills at cornerback, but is Diggs enough of a willing tackler to keep Pete Carroll happy? If the answer to that question is yes, he should thrive.
San Francisco 49ers, No. 31: Xavier McKinney
Jeremiah’s thoughts:The 49ers will not pick here. They don’t have a single pick in the second, third or fourth round, so trading back for more selections is a necessity.
Our thoughts: Completely agree that San Francisco will be looking to move down here, but where does that leave McKinney? I do like that Jeremiah has McKinney going ahead of LSU safety Grant Delpit, who wasn’t listed in the first round.
Daniel Jeremiah sends Xavier McKinney to San Francisco in his post-combine mock draft, but with an important trade caveat.
The 49ers probably aren’t going to use the No. 31 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Their roster doesn’t necessarily require a first-round talent, and they wind up skipping one of the draft’s top safeties in Daniel Jeremiah’s post-combine mock draft … sort of.
Alabama safety Xavier McKinney is on Jeremiah’s board when the 49ers pick with the penultimate pick in the first round. Jeremiah mocks McKinney to San Francisco, but his explanation of the selection includes an important, realistic caveat.
“The 49ers will not pick here,” he wrote. “They don’t have a single pick in the second, third or fourth round, so trading back for more selections is a necessity.”
This seems like the most logical route for San Francisco to go. A first, two fifths, a sixth and two sevenths probably isn’t enough draft capital to restock the 49ers’ roster in a year where they’ll be somewhat handcuffed in free agency.
Moving back from No. 31 could net multiple Day 2 and early Day 3 picks, and adding multiple players in the top 150 is more crucial than adding one in the top 32.
There is a scenario though where they simply don’t find a trade partner and wind up using their first-round pick. A player like McKinney sliding to them would be ideal, especially if they lose free safety Jimmie Ward in free agency.
McKinney (6-0, 201 pounds) showed a lot of versatility as a tackler and in coverage while playing for the Crimson Tide. The ability to hold his own down in the box while also bringing the athleticism to play the ‘eraser’ role at the back end of the defense. That multifaceted skill set gives the 49ers an advantage when it comes to mixing up and disguising coverages.
His numbers match the style of play he showed at Alabama. He filled the stat sheet during his three years with 175 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, five interceptions, 15 pass breakups, a fumble recovery and six forced fumbles.
If the 49ers aren’t able to trade back from their first-round slot, landing a player like McKinney to insert into their secondary wouldn’t be a bad consolation.
The defense took their turn over the weekend, but not everyone rose to the occasion, including one of the Cowboys’ top targets at safety.
Mere mortals spent the weekend running errands, going out with friends, sleeping in, and maybe enjoying a little downtime from work. For those looking to make a living playing defense in the National Football League, though, the stakes this past Saturday and Sunday were exponentially higher.
Defensive linemen and linebackers competed in their drills in Indianapolis on Day Three of the NFL Scouting Combine, while safeties and cornerbacks had to wait until the final day to show teams what they can do on the field. Representatives from Dallas were undoubtedly paying close attention, as the Cowboys’ defense in 2019 exposed several glaring weaknesses that need to be addressed heading into next season.
Here’s a quick look at who overperformed and who underdelivered in Indy.
Day 3 Winners
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
Simmons is sure to be one of the defensive darlings from the 2020 Combine, and with good reason. The Clemson junior torched the competition with 4.39-second 40-yard dash, even beating the combine times of noted speedsters Derwin James (Chargers safety, 2018) and Jalen Ramsey (Rams cornerback, 2016). And remember, he’s a linebacker. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow said that Simmons was the single biggest thing he had to worry about in the national championship game. High praise, indeed. the 2019 Butkus Award winner didn’t even participate in drills in Indianapolis, but his freakish workouts will make him a blazing-hot commodity out of the Day 3 position group.
Gay may have been something of an under-the-radar secret before Indianapolis, but his weekend work at the combine assured that it’s not just the hardcore draftniks who know his name now. His bench press, broad jump, vertical jump, and 40 scores were all Top 5 for linebackers, and he demonstrated notably quick feet during drills. If there’s knock, it’s off-the-field issues; Gay has admitted to cheating on a chemistry exam in 2019 and getting an 8-game suspension because of it. He also reportedly got into a physical altercation with his team’s quarterback late in the season. But his combine numbers will help some team decide he’s worth taking a chance on.
Gallimore doesn’t move like a big man, but the 304-pounder ran the fastest 40 for a three-bill D-lineman since 2000. He went on to show incredible change of direction skills, impressive power, and quick feet every time he was asked. Gallimore was the top high school prospect coming out of Canada in 2015, and ended up leading the Sooners to a Big 12 championship as a college senior with a season that earned him third-team AP All-American honors.
Zuniga is known to evaluators as a player who’s shown flashes of greatness, but couldn’t do it consistently. Last year, he played just five games for the Gators due to an ankle injury. The redshirt senior needed a great combine. He had it. With good speed, a position-best broad jump, and a solid vertical score, Zuniga put himself in a much better light by the end of Day Three.
Athleticism Scores for the 2020 edge rusher class are now official.
Jabari Zuniga (Florida) tops our list with a 93 Athleticism Score, followed by James Smith-Williams (NC State), Malcolm Roach (Texas), Kenny Willekes (Michigan State) and Alton Robinson (Syracuse). pic.twitter.com/0qQavgPPHS
“Loser” is a harsh label to slap on the 2019 unanimous All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. But Brown has drawn early comparisons to NFL legends thus far, and his combine performance was just average at best. Some drills were legendarily poor; his 3-cone time was the fourth-worst in combine history. Of course, a subpar workout doesn’t make Brown a bust, but it could cause him to slip a bit in April’s draft and cost him some dollars on his rookie deal.
Derrick Brown didn't work out well Saturday. Big deal. Guy will be a star. I remember when Terrrell Suggs had a bad pro day. Phil Savage walked by after and said, "not good." He later laughed about it because he didn't care. Savage and the Ravens picked Suggs, who became a star.
The junior had been a standout on the Hawkeyes defensive line since his freshman year, but his combine stood out in all the wrong ways. Once projected to be a first-round selection, the consensus now says his weekend’s lack of athleticism will drop Epenesa into the second round. There’s already talk of the 275-pounder needing to put on some weight in order to play at the pro level.
Here's A.J. Epenesa's numbers compared to EDGE defenders since 1999:
The junior lit up the stopwatches in his 40-yard dash after impressing scouts with 20 reps in the bench press. He drilled well, too, showing off a nice catch radius. That will serve him well in the upcoming draft, since most of the concerns about Henderson are about his tacking abilities. They’re probably not serious enough to drop him out of the first round, though. And for some evaluators, it’s a nitpicky gripe about a true shutdown cover man who’ll be paid to do his best work to prevent catches, not clean up after them.
#Florida CB C.J. Henderson was excellent today. I asked a scouting buddy about him yesterday about his tackling concerns. He said “who cares? When is tackling ever brought up about these free agent CBs that are about to get paid? Can he cover? That’s all I need to know.”
Chinn showed that the small-school guys can play, too. The safety’s broad jump was the second-best across all positions at the combine, and he wowed with most of his other drills, too. The Southern Illinois Saluki continued to attract big buzz following his invitation to the Senior Bowl. That could translate to a draft day leap for Chinn, of whom CBS Sports insider Jason La Confora says, “multiple teams… have a late-first/early-second grade on him.”
Okudah came in to the weekend as a near-lock to be one of the first players selected in April. His workouts did nothing to dampen that expectation, with excellent 40 times and vertical and broad jumps that were near the very top. The unanimous first-team All-American did go down awkwardly during a drill, though, and had to skip the rest of the Day Three events. The hit to his head/neck area isn’t expected to be much to worry about, but it cut short a superb combine performance.
The first thing most evaluators mention regarding Bassey is his lack of size. But during coverage drills, in Indianapolis, the Wake Forest product showed great hands and fluid movement that could well put the three-year college starter on track for a Day Two selection in April’s draft.
Sharing the Buckeye secondary with Jeffrey Okudah is tough duty, but Arnette didn’t do much to shine on his own in Indy. After a wrist injury in college, he had returned to Ohio State for one more season in hopes of catapulting his draft stock, but a relatively slow (for his position) 40 time didn’t move him out of being projected Day Two pick.
Speed kills in the NFL, but the lack of it can also kill a prospect’s chances of grabbing a first- or second-round look. Dantzler was once projected as a Top 5 corner in the 2020 Draft, but a 4.64 time in the 40 is going to make that tough to achieve. That comes after he skipped the team’s bowl game specifically to prepare for the draft. He’s tall and physical, but teams won’t like the fact that he couldn’t turn on he jets when he needed to. Dantzler may fall as far as the third round now.
Only one cornerback in recorded Combine history (https://t.co/7upObwAeU3) has run 4.64 or slower and been a good (by really any definition) CB in the NFL.
One of the Cowboys’ supposed top targets did not have a good weekend. The Crimson Tide junior came up limping at the end of his first 40-yard dash and had to withdraw from on-field drills. Still projected to be a first-round pick, McKinney will now have to wait until Alabama’s pro day to solidify his draft status.
Appreciate the @nfl for allowing me to participate in this year’s combine. Was a dream come true. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to fully compete due to leg cramps. Looking forward to further competing @AlabamaFTBL pro-day.
