NFL Draft 2019: Midseason stock report for DBs
About midway through the college football season is a great time to take stock of defensive backs who will be eligible for the NFL Draft. Here are some players whose stock is up, steady and down.
MORE: Where QBs stand at season's midpoint | RBs | WRs/TEs | OL | DT | DE | LB
STOCK UP
Recruiting: Thompson attended Alabama’s junior day, was offered by coach Nick Saban and committed on the spot. He was the first pledge in the Crimson Tide’s 2015 recruiting class.
Stats: Thompson leads the Crimson Tide with 40 tackles along with two interceptions, five pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Alabama is giving up 15.1 points per outing.
Farrell’s take: Thompson was a highly-ranked safety out of high school who had a good frame but was skinny, needed to fill out and get stronger. If I remember correctly, he was a five-star at one point but fell to a four-star because of those question marks. He’s come into his own this season and is rising on many NFL Draft boards now.
Recruiting: Days before National Signing Day, Oruwariye committed to Penn State. He had previously been committed to Vanderbilt and then-coach James Franklin, who had since taken the Nittany Lions job. Penn State won out over the Commodores and Rutgers in the end.
Stats: In six games this season, Oruwariye has totaled 24 tackles along with two interceptions and nine pass breakups. He’s also forced a fumble. The Nittany Lions are allowing 21 points per game.
Farrell’s take: A mid-level three star, Oruwariye had very good size for a cornerback coming out but was a bit of a project. He lacked explosion and flat out speed but always had excellent ball skills. Now he’s a big defensive back who is good in run support and can body up bigger receivers.
STOCK STEADY
Recruiting: Williams committed to LSU in May of his junior year. He picked the in-state Tigers over Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and others.
Stats: In seven games, Williams has 22 tackles and two interceptions. He has added five pass deflections as well. LSU is giving up just 16.9 points per game.
Farrell’s take: A high three-star out of high school, Williams was tall and long enough but needed to fill out and become more physical. However, he always had excellent ball skills and instincts. Williams was a willing tackler and always aggressive, so we knew he’d have a chance at success with some time, but were still worried about the overall balance of his game as a defender and tackler. Many schools tried to get him and his brother, Rodarius Williams, as a package deal, but Greedy stayed home at LSU while Rodarius went off to Oklahoma State when the Tigers never offered. Now he’s the best defensive back when it comes to ball skills in the draft.
Recruiting: In the summer before his senior season, Baker committed to Georgia as his recruitment was really ramping up with recent offers from Clemson, Tennessee, Kentucky and others.
Stats: Baker is fifth on the Bulldogs with 25 tackles along with two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and eight pass deflections. Georgia is giving up just 16.2 points per game.
Farrell’s take: Baker was a skinny cornerback with solid skills coming out of high school, but was a three-star prospect because of questions about his strength. He could run with anyone but he wasn’t very strong in run support and could get pushed around a bit. He had a good showing at the U.S. Army All-America Bowl and raised his stock a bit, but we still saw him as a project and mid three-star. However, he has developed into the best defensive back prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft so far and has lived up to the hype this season.
STOCK DOWN
Recruiting: Ole Miss beat out finalists Georgia, Florida State and LSU for Webster’s services when he committed in November of his senior season. Georgia’s hiring of then-assistant coach Jeremy Pruitt gave the Bulldogs a late chance, but Webster stuck with the Rebels.
Stats: Webster had a knee injury last year and is dealing with a hamstring issue this week. Playing in five games so far this season, Webster has totaled 15 tackles and two pass breakups. Ole Miss is allowing more than 35 points per game.
Farrell’s take: Webster was a high three-star cornerback out of high school with a good frame to fill out, solid footwork and good ball skills. He was recruited by numerous schools and was very smooth in solo coverage. However, the struggles of the entire Ole Miss defense have hurt many draft chances and he’s slid on some boards because of erratic play.
Recruiting: Arnette had been committed to South Carolina since the summer before his senior season but he was a late flip to Ohio State right before National Signing Day. Michigan was also a contender in his recruitment.
Stats: Arnette has totaled 21 tackles and five pass breakups in seven games this season. Ohio State is giving up 19.1 points per outing.
Farrell’s take: A high three-star cornerback with excellent size out of high school, Arnette was a project of sorts but had great upside. He’s been solid this season although has given up a few explosive plays and isn’t as consistent as some NFL scouts would like.
