The Dallas Cowboys are in attendance at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and they took the time to meet with LSU safety Grant Delpit
The NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped up and the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff and scouts seemed to take full advantage of the opportunities to meet with possible draft fits come April. The club had to be strategic, with teams now limited to just 45 18-minute interviews.
One of the players the Cowboys have met with was LSU safety Grant Delpit. Delpit has been shipped to the Cowboys in the first round of many mock drafts, due to the fact Dallas needs help in the secondary.
The Cowboys meeting with Delpit was productive according to USA Today’s Jori Epstein.
Cowboys' meeting with LSU safety Grant Delpit went well, per source. Team needs to upgrade its secondary, likes college football's top DB.
During Delpit’s three-year career at LSU he helped bring a National Championship to Baton Rouge, he totaled 120 tackles, eight interceptions and forced two fumbles. But many seem to still be questioning his ability to do what a safety is expected to do and that’s being a consistent tackler.
“That’s definitely a thing I had to improve on from last year. I got it fixed toward the end of the season. It’s all about the approach and not trying to do too much, just getting ’em on the ground. It’s a part of football, and I know I can do it,” Delpit said when speaking to the media on Friday in Indianapolis. “I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
The projected first-round pick did not participate in any of the combine drills due to him recovering from an ankle injury, which he played on during his junior season at LSU. But according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Delpit is will participate in drills during LSU’s Pro Day on April 3.
#LSU highly regarded S Grant Delpit, who played on an injured ankle this season, is here is Indy for Combine medicals and meetings and he’s close to full-go, source said. He’ll be full throttle for drills at LSU Pro Day on April 3.
The Cowboys need help on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the back end. Delpit has been mocked to Dallas in many of them, but so has Alabama safety Xavier McKinney. Delpit spoke Friday on why he thinks he should be the first safety drafted in April.
“I honestly think I’m the best safety in this draft without a doubt. Most versatile player, put me anywhere in the secondary, and I’m gonna play it. Make plays all over the field. Natural leader on the field,” Delpit said at the combine Friday. “I definitely think I’m the right choice, but it’s a team preference.”
The last time the Cowboys drafted a pure safety in the first-round was all the way back during the 2002 NFL Draft, when they selected Roy Williams.
The cornerbacks and safeties take the field at the 2020 NFL Combine. Here’s how you can watch the 2020 NFL Combine live stream drills
It’s the final day of the 2020 NFL Combine and after a flashy day for the defensive linemen and linebackers, the defensive backs are going to want to show off. You can catch the 2020 NFL Combine drills on FuboTV.
The next star cornerback or safety could very well be in this group. As could be a record-breaking 40-yard dash. Guys like Javaris Davis, Javelin Guidry and Troy Pride Jr. will all be looking to post the new fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history, beating John Ross’ 4.22-second time from 2017.
While Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah is widely expected to be the first defensive back off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft, guys like CJ Henderson, Trevon Diggs and Bryce Hall are all fighting to be the second cornerback taken. Grant Delpit and Xavier McKinney will hope an impressive performance at the 2020 NFL Combine could make them the first safeties taken in the draft as well.
With the NFL pushing more into pass-happy offenses, good defensive backs are beginning to be worth a lot more. So, expect scouts and general managers to be paying close attention to who shines and who falters in the final day of the 2020 NFL Combine.
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For Alabama defensive backs Xavier McKinney and Shyheim Carter, playing against Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III made them infinitely better.
INDIANAPOLIS — One of the reasons Alabama has had so many outstanding defensive backs during Nick Saban’s tenure is the simple fact that Alabama has also had a ton of great receivers during Nick Saban’s tenure. For multi-position DBs such as Shyheim Carter and Xavier McKinney, their times with the Crimson Tide was defined in part by the requirements to cover Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III. Not an easy thing, which is why Carter said flat-out during his Friday media session that no other receivers gave him more headaches than his own.
“The receivers at our school,” he said. “Man, it’s hard. It’s definitely hard. But they bring out the best in you every day. You really have to be on your Ps and Qs. You can never take a play off, or you’ll get beaten for a touchdown. Then, it’s the band playing in the background. It’s great going against those guys every day. You get a chance to showcase your talent in practice, and then you do it in a game, and for me, the practices were harder than the games. Then, there are 100,000 people in the stadium, and you’re just out there playing. Practice is like, that’s where you really play the game.”
Nov 23, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Shyheim Carter (5) smiles for a photo during Senior day before the start of their game against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
And then, if you do get beaten on a play, there’s the inevitable jawing. Followed by the inevitable Nick Saban yelling. Not a pleasant experience.
“Oh, yeah. It’s a great competition. When the receivers beat us, or we shut the receivers down, they talk a little bit. Coach Saban, he really doesn’t like that. He’ll get on everyone about that.”
Getting beaten, or hearing the talk? Which doesn’t Saban like?
“He doesn’t like either, actually. He coaches hard. If you get beat on a technique, you’d better do it the right way next time. But if we’re like, jawing at each other? He definitely gets on us.”
With that in mind, I asked both Carter and McKinney for scouting reports on Jeudy, the premier route-runner in this draft class, and Ruggs, who is clearly the No. 1 speed-burner.
Carter on Jeudy: “Oh, man… quick-twitch guy, he’ll get in and out of his breaks, and you can never really tell when he’s getting in and out of his breaks. It all looks the same. He’s just a really hard guy to cover. You’ve definitely got to be on your Ps and Qs on every play. Even when it’s a run, he’ll do a great job of selling the double-move, selling the play-action. Yeah, he’s just fast.”
So with him, I asked, the hardest thing is that you don’t really know what you’re getting off the line based off what he does. What his release is.
“Yeah, it’s definitely hard.”
What about Ruggs,” I asked Carter. We know he’s fast.
“Obviously, yeah,” Carter said with a laugh. “But he’ll go up and make the contested catches; he’ll definitely come down with it. He’ll get in and out of his breaks really well, too. He’s so fast – with guys like that, you try to deny them the ball as much as you can, because if he gets the ball in his hands, he can go.
He’ll take a screen and just house it whenever he wants, I said.
“Right, exactly.”
INDIANAPOLIS — Alabama defensive back Xavier McKinney speaks during his media session at the 2020 scouting combine. (Doug Farrar/USA Today Sports Media Group)
“That was a great group of receivers,” McKinney said when asked about that particular challenge. “Going into the NFL, that will really help me improve, knowing that I played against a lot of good receivers during my time at ‘Bama.”
McKinney on Jeudy: “Fast. Quick. Runs good routes. Can catch the ball. A good all-around receiver. That’s somebody that… I faced him every day in practice, and he’s a nightmare. I’ll tell you that. Being able to practice against him has made me better in so many ways. It’s sharpened me and helped me improve my game. I’ve also helped him improve his game, so being able to face a guy like Jerry, it’s been nothing but a blessing.
What about Ruggs? “Man, all of those guys. I’d face them every day in practice. We’d go two-on-two slot coverage, and those are the guys I want to go against, continuously. Those guys, and then [receiver Jaylen] Waddle… just knowing that those guys would make me better is something that I like. I like competing, and you want to go against those guys as much as you can.”
Both Jeudy and Ruggs project to be high first-round talents in the NFL. McKinney does as well, and while Carter might be more of a third-day guy, there’s no question that these turf wars every day in practice made everyone involved better players.
Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”
Should the Vikings go with a safety in the first round of the draft? It’s possible they might.
With Anthony Harris possibly on the move, it might be time for the Vikings to find a safety in the first round of the draft. Personally, I don’t think this is the best move, due to the positional needs elsewhere, but a case can be made that missing Harris would be detrimental to the Vikings’ defense to the point where going for a safety in the first round makes sense.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a position with a plethora of first-round caliber talent this season. However, if Grant Delpit is available, Minnesota could try and take him. Delpit is athletic and helped anchor a good LSU defense, but his stats won’t jump out at you. He had two interceptions and seven pass deflections. However, the year before that he had five interceptions, so he’s capable of being a ball hawk.
More and more, defensive players are asked to play multiple positions. The importance of versatility comes up in the draft more than ever.
INDIANAPOLIS — In his 2019 season, per Pro Football Focus, Clemson linebacker Isaiah 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. That Simmons was able to do everything he did at an abnormally high level in Clemson’s 3-1-7 defense is why he’s a top-10 prospect in this draft class.
In his 2019 season, per PFF, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney played 285 snaps in the box, 271 snaps at free safety, and 227 snaps in the slot. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound McKinney also played 38 snaps on the defensive line and five snaps at outside corner, to make his versatility even more impressive. That McKinney was able to do everything he did at an abnormally high level in Alabama’s multiple defense is why he’s a top-20 prospect in this draft class.
Nov 23, 2019: Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Xavier McKinney (15) returns an interception for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Western Carolina Catamounts at Bryant-Denny Stadium. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
You get the idea. LSU’s Grant Delpit, by most marks the only safety ranked higher than McKinney in this class, played 385 snaps at free safety, 316 snaps in the slot, and 149 snaps in the box last season.
Jan 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana: LSU Tigers safety Grant Delpit (7) hoists the national championship trophy after a victory against the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
In an NFL where five different linebackers spent over 100 coverage snaps in the slot last season (Carolina’s Shaq Thompson, Seattle’s K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks, Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David, and Denver’s Todd Davis), and seven different safeties (led by Carolina’s Eric Reid) had over 40 tackles against the run, the importance of the multi-position defensive player — or, one might say, the “positionless” defensive player — has never been more obvious. That will be reflected in the 2020 draft class, and beyond.
Redskins head coach Ron Rivera, who coached Shaq Thompson and Eric Reid in Carolina, now has to find the kinds of versatile defensive players he had before. Rivera mentioned linebacker Cole Holcolmb as one possibility, and was happy to talk about the decisive advantage that kind of range gives your defense in general.
“There are a couple guys who will tell you that I love position flex,” Rivera told me. “I believe in it. I think it’s huge. Shaq was a great example. Here was a guy who could play the nickel position for you, and run with receivers, and at the same time, go back in the box and play the SAM linebacker position. That’s an invaluable player. That’s the kind of player you look for in the draft. The guy who has that position flexibility.
“I think we have some guys who can do that at different positions. [Holcolmb] went out in space, and then came back in as a box player. Those are the kinds of guys you want, because you want that position flexibility. If you don’t have to rotate a guy off the field — if he can stay on the field — you can change your defense, and your defensive looks, and your defensive philosophies. You start rotating guys in, and you’re tipping your hat a little bit: ‘Hey, here’s our nickel package.'”
Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, who saw his defense finish 31st in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics in 2019, didn’t really have that guy last season, and the team paid for it — especially against today’s monster tight ends. First-round safety Johnathan Abram was supposed to help define that positionless position last season, but he missed all but one game in his rookie campaign with a torn rotator cuff. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the now-Las Vegas Raiders to gamble (sorry) on another such player in this draft.
“I think the league’s going that way too on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Mayock said. “You start looking at guys on the offense that can play in the slot, play at running back, be H-backs, there’s not really a label for them. There’s just either dynamic players, or they’re not. And then you start looking at trying to match up with those guys on defense. When you start looking at any division, particularly ours, and the tight ends, for instance, that we have to play in our division, and you kind of go, ‘Who matches up?’ Do you want to play man coverage, and who matches up with those type of guys. They’re big guys who run fast. Who do we have? So more and more defenses around the league are saying, who are the guys you don’t necessarily have to put a label on, that are dynamic football players. Isaiah Simmons has played on the back end. He’s played at linebacker, he’s come off the edge. And really, I think the only limitations on him, are the ones a defensive coordinator puts on him.”
Matt Rhule, who replaced Rivera with the Panthers, comes from a three-year stint as Baylor’s head coach in which his offenses tested opposing defenses to put athletes all over the field. So, he’s as conscious as anyone in the NFL of the new paradigm.
“I would just call it the position-less player,” Rhule said on Tuesday. “The days of saying, ‘Hey, we need a MIKE linebacker or we need this.’ There’s certain traits you’re looking for, but you’re looking for position-less players. The offenses in the league are changing, so the defenses have to be able to do a lot of things. I think we’re just looking for traits. We’re looking for, ‘Hey, this guy can really do this or really do that.’ I think you’re seeing a lot more of that in the Combine as college football has really spread out. We’re going to try and stay ahead of the curve on that, make sure we keep bringing guys in who can do a lot of different things for us, that give us multiplicity within the roster.”
Rhule said that it’s to the point now where he wouldn’t necessarily take what a player did in college and fit him into those same positions at the NFL level. It’s all about physical and mental attributes. The Steelers proved this last season when they traded for Dolphins Swiss Army knife Minkah Fitzpatrick, put him at deep safety almost exclusively, and turned their defense around. The ideal is not to fit a player in to multiple roles because those roles are needed; it is to align the player’s skills to those positions, regardless of need. Multiplicity becomes its own strength. On the other hand, Mike Tomlin and his defensive staff didn’t care that Fitzpatrick played six different positions for Nick Saban; they saw that Fitzpatrick could do the one thing they needed him to do.
“I think it comes down to traits and how they fit and that’s why that whole process we had, ‘Hey, this our vision for what a three technique looks like in our defense,'” Rhule said of the balancing act between traits and positional requirements. “Doesn’t mean we have to find the best three technique in college, it means we have to go find the guy in college that has the traits we think we can coach. I think it’s really a fun process to find those traits and say, ‘What’s the vision for them within what we do?’”
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim, who’s had multi-position players on his mind and on his defense since Arizona selected Washington State safety Deone Bucannon in the first round of the 2014 draft and turned him into a versatile “Moneybacker,” sees the game the same way today — through the eyes of players like Isaiah Simmons.
“I think with any player, you have to have a plan for him,” Keim said. “Which is, where are you going to play him, how is he going to align for you, and with players like that, his flexibility is his strength, his ability to match up in coverage and do the different things he can do. He’s a dynamic athlete, you know he can play in the slot, he has some cover ability of wide receivers. I saw him play twice live this year, he’s not only a long athlete, but he’s got those short area movement skills that a lot of longer players don’t have which again can translate to a very good cover guy at our level.”
Which is to say, Isaiah Simmons isn’t a linebacker or a safety or a cornerback; he’s an athlete. Xavier McKinney and Grant Delpit aren’t safeties per se as much as they are athletes who can be poured into the (hopefully) intelligent designs of their coaching staffs after their general managers pinpoint the traits that best match what the defensive is trying to do schematically. This is the way of the new NFL, which means it’s going to be the way of the draft, and the college pipeline that feeds it.
Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”
The Lions Wire staff has identified which safeties Detroit Lions fans should be watching at the 2020 NFL Combine.
The 2020 NFL Combine on-field workouts begin Thursday, February 27th in Indianapolis but the safeties won’t take the field until the final day of on-field drills — Sunday, March 1st.
This is the final article in this year’s Lions Wire NFL Combine series, where the writing staff has identified players they will be tracking in order to determine potential fits within the organization.
There are several on-field drills that emphasize a player’s abilities and the main areas Lions’ scouts will likely be focusing for the secondary are:
Balance through the hips, watch when they’re asked to flip sides
Backpedal, quick feet
Fluid speed/acceleration when they change direction
Tracking with their eyes
Natural hands catching
Grant Delpit, LSU
Suggested by: Max Gerber and Scott Warheit
Once considered a lock for the top-10, parts of Delpit’s skill set were exposed in 2019, including a surprising lack of consistency as a tackler. If teams attribute this decline to injury — he was and currently is dealing with a banged-up ankle — then he could be higher on NFL boards then most perceive right now.
While the tackling issues will likely be a problem for teams — especially the Lions — he has a ton of other skills, that collectively are difficult to find in one package. Delpit is highly intelligent, possesses sideline-to-sideline range, is explosive to the ball, can drop in the box and can roam centerfield.
That positional versatility will be appealing to the Lions and if they want to use Will Harris in the box more in 2020, Delpit is arguably the best single-high safety in this class.
Xavier McKinney, Alabama
Suggested by: Derek Okrie
McKinney has more positional flexibility than he gets credit for — having played in the box, over the slot, and single-high at Alabama — and has an incredibly reliable skill set. He is highly intelligent, an aggressive tackler, comfortable in space, can cover tight ends and running backs, and has a nose for the ball. McKinney is another top option, who if added to the Lions secondary, would give them three position-fluid athletes.
It wouldn’t be at all surprising if McKinney was the top safety on the Lions draft board.
Alabama safety Xavier McKinney always trusts his instincts. Once he sees it, there’s little time wasted with attacking. pic.twitter.com/9Kh6L4fSkk
Another safety capable of playing single-high, over the slot, and in the box, Davis’ instincts aren’t as polished as McKinney or Delpit, but he could be the next safety off-the-boards immediately after them. Like Delpit, he is most comfortable up top where he can use his track athlete range to attack. Davis has a nose for the ball and the aggressive demeanor to make plays, filling the playmaker role the Lions are desperate for in their secondary.
California S Ashtyn Davis is a former track star with impressive tackling form and a strong motor.
Able to play in the box or as a single high, his versatility and athleticism should be on full display at the @seniorbowl.
At 6-1, 217 pounds, Dugger is a rare athlete who looks like a linebacker but has a safety-like range. His physical strength and nose for the ball always keep him in the play, even when it looks like he will get lost in the wash. His lack of experience playing high-level competition is his only true knock but he showed the gap was much smaller than anticipated when at the Senior Bowl last month.
In the Lions scheme, he would fit into the Tavon Wilson role, and if you are a fan of Isaiah Simmons but don’t want to pay the high cost, Dugger is a player to keep on your radar on Day 2.
Antoine Winfield, Minnesota
Suggested by: Erik Schlitt
Despite being listed as a redshirt sophomore, Winfield is not as young as he appears, turning 22 years old during the season after receiving two medical redshirts in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, he lit the Big Ten on fire with nine turnovers — seven interceptions and two forced fumbles — and is capitalizing on his momentum by making the jump to the next level.
Winfield is strong in coverage and run support, using angles and excellent fundamentals to close down lanes. He is most comfortable at the single-high position, relying on his intelligence, instincts, and closing burst to make plays on the ball.
[lawrence-related id=37698]
Jordan Chinn, Southern Illinois
Suggested by: Jeff Risdon
At 6-3, 219 pounds, Chinn joins Dugger — and Isaiah Simmons if you consider him a safety — as draftable options with rare size for the position. He looks like a box safety/undersized linebacker but his background as a corner shows through when he is tasked with covering a tight end or running back. With the Lions, Chinn would likely fill the Tavon Wilson role.
Brandon Jones, Texas
Suggested by: Matt Urben
Jones trusts his eyes and has the speed to run will all sorts of offensive skill players at the intermediate and deep levels, but his best work is when he stays in zone concepts rather than man coverage. In the Lions scheme, Jones would fit in mostly as a single-high safety with the potential to occasionally drift over tight ends and wide receivers in the slot.
Antoine Brooks, Maryland
Suggested by: Zack Moran
A box safety who can live in shallow zones but not man coverage, Brooks is an aggressive tackler who will make his living as a situational/reserve defender and special teams standout. Fitting him in the Lions scheme will be challenging but he could fill the Tavon Wilson role if he wasn’t asked to cover as often.
Tanner Muse, Clemson
Suggested by: Sonja Greenfield
At 6-2, 230 pounds, Muse is bigger than a few of the true linebackers in this class. With the Lions, he could be an option as a Miles Killebrew replacement, as he can contribute on every special teams unit and could be a situational reserve WILL linebacker.
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is set to get underway this week. And there is a long list of college football’s top prospects hoping to make an impression on league decision-makers and draft pundits, including 10 former members of the Crimson Tide. …
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is set to get underway this week. And there is a long list of college football’s top prospects hoping to make an impression on league decision-makers and draft pundits, including 10 former members of the Crimson Tide.
As a result, we decided to break down each of those 10 players and what fans should expect as the weigh-ins, on-field drills, interviews and other events get started.
Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback
Oct 19, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) before the start of an NCAA football game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Tua Tagovailoa won’t be participating in drills at the Combine, but it will still be an important week for the Alabama quarterback.
The status of Tagovailoa’s hip will be a heavy talking point among NFL evaluators, and it’ll be even more of a talking point with teams behind closed doors. All signs point to the injury making excellent progress.
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of some defensive players and that is what these NFL Mock Drafts have the Cowboys drafting come April.
NFL draft season is in full swing as February starts to wind up. The NFL Scouting Combine begins Monday, as quarterbacks, tight ends and wideouts have already gathered in Indianapolis, with the 2020 NFL Draft set to take place two months from now, April 23.
The question many are wondering is, who will the Dallas Cowboys draft 17th overall in the first round? In the final pre-combine days, the general consensus is that Dallas will look to add defensive talent. Which makes a lot of sense due to the fact the Cowboys have 18 contracts expiring from the defensive side of the ball, seven of whom are from the defensive line.
Here’s a look at a few of the more notable awardings for Mike Nolan’s unit.
Dallas needs to find a playmaker at safety, as the team averaged just over one takeaway per game in 2019 to finish among the lower third of the league in that category.
In what I imagine might be the most emphatic “If he’s here at [my team’s pick], I will [do something uncharacteristic, absurd and ebullient to thank the universe for its gracious boon],” Javon Kinlaw makes it to No. 17 and the Dallas Cowboys.
The last pass-rusher the Cowboys had at defensive tackle was Jason Hatcher, in 2013, with an absolutely shocking 11 sacks in a career that, to that point, had averaged less than three sacks a year. It’s been a bleak and barren wasteland since. While Kinlaw may not be the solution in 2020, he certainly is the best chance they’ve had a blue-chipper there in a while. I like the fact that Kinlaw will be starting from Day 1 too. I think the best thing for his development is experience.
Outside of Jeffrey Okudah, the Cowboys would have their choice of defensive backs in this mock draft scenario. The Cowboys were tied for the league low in passes intercepted (seven) last season and Delpit is a rangy playmaker with eight interceptions and 24 passes defended in his three seasons at LSU.
13. (VIA the Indianapolis Colts) Xavier McKinney – S
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
With a roster built to win now, Dallas goes up and gets an immediate impact player at safety. McKinney has the sort of all-around game that can do anything asked of him in Mike Nolan’s defense. He had grades over 79.0 in run defense, coverage and pass-rush each of the past two seasons.
The Cowboys tried to land Earl Thomas last offseason, but they haven’t been able to upgrade their hole at safety. Perhaps they’ll do that with this pick.
Grant Delpit is an exceptional talent who was once considered a top-10 lock, but has struggled a bit in 2019.
For those keeping score, McKinney was selected six times, Delpit twice and Kinlaw made his way out of the top 15 into the Cowboys arms just once.
The Dallas Cowboys are once again linked to a safety in a national mock.
There is an obvious theme at this point of the offseason which has emerged. The Dallas Cowboys are going to take a safety with their first-round pick. Now, everyone knows things are very much in the air when it comes to the litany of offseason moves ahead of Dallas. Yet, with no idea whether or not the corner, wide receiver or defensive end will return, the safe picks have Dallas choosing a safety with No. 17.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN’s long-time draft analyst, doesn’t dive into the danger end of the pool in his latest mock draft, either. Available on ESPN Insider (pay wall), Kiper selects Alabama safety Xavier McKinney for Dallas.
Still on the board at those other positions of interest?
CB CJ Henderson, Florida (No. 20 Jacksonville)
WR Tee Higgins, Clemson (No. 21 Philadelphia)
WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama (No. 22 Buffalo)
CB Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn (No. 24 New Orleans)
S Antoine Winfield, Jr., Minnesota (No. 25 Minnesota)
DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M (No. 27 Seattle)
DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State (No. 29 Tennessee)
5 possible surprise picks for the Eagles in the 1st-round of NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft is fast approaching and with the Eagles looking to make changes up and down the roster, Howie Roseman and company could have a few surprises in store.
The Eagles have been linked to Henry Ruggs III and Tee Higgins for weeks now, but what if Howie Roseman believes in the depth at receiver in the draft and decides to lean another way in the first round?
With the Eagles looking to make a splash, here are five players who could be sleeper picks for Philadelphia in the first round.
With a name to match his game, Winfield Jr., the son of a former Ohio State and NFL star, is rising up draft boards because of his ability to dictate a game at different levels.
Winfield Jr. announced that he was skipping his final two years of eligibility after earning consensus All-American honors and tying the single-season Gophers record with seven interceptions.
Winfield led the Gophers with 88 total tackles while helping them knock off Auburn in the Outback Bowl to finish 11-2 for the most wins in program history since 1904.
