Self-Scouting: Evaluating recent five-star safeties
Last week and into this week, Rivals.com is taking a look at five-stars at each position from 2012 to 2015 and how they fared compared to our ranking to determine which spots we got right and which ones we got wrong. We move to safeties.
MORE SELF-SCOUTING: QB | RB | WR/TE | OL | ATH | DT | DE | LB | CB
FIVE-STAR SAFETIES
Derwin James, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Quin Blanding, John Smith, Su’a Cravens, Leon McQuay III, Max Redfield, Vonn Bell, Shaq Thompson, Landon Collins
OVERVIEW
When it comes to safeties there were a lot of hits, as many of the players at that position were first- or second-round selections - even if some of them are now playing new positions.
James, Fitzpatrick and Thompson were taken in the first round, and now Thompson is playing linebacker for the Carolina Panthers.
Smith (now Smith-Schuster), Cravens, Bell and Collins were second-round picks. and Smith-Schuster was picked as a receiver after playing both ways at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly and then playing offense at USC.
Of the final three five-stars during this period in Rivals rankings, only McQuay was drafted, and that was in the sixth round.
Despite having a great career at Virginia where he had well over 100 tackles in all four seasons, Blanding went undrafted but has since been picked up by Carolina. Redfield was expelled from Notre Dame prior to his senior season and finished his college career at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He played in the AAF before it went under.
FARRELL'S TAKE
Not a bad group of five-star safeties here, including James, the best I have ever scouted at the position. And many of these guys have gone on to become NFL stars. I’m not sure why it’s easier to rank and scout safeties than it is corners but they seem to stick out more and continue to develop.
Fitzpatrick was a corner for the longest time for us and we moved him to safety at the end, and he’s proven he could play anywhere. Blanding is the biggest surprise because he was so good in college and I thought there would be a home for him in the NFL. The fact he wasn’t drafted is astonishing to me.