Which now is a thing bc flo likes the idea.
Jaden Hicks Wazzu.
Interesting hes grading as a sure day 2 prospect.
He needs a scheme like bruan Flores to reach his potential. As a traditional safety. He probably is only a special teamer. Playing instead like how flores utilized Metellus. Hybrid box safety/ inside lber. Hicks looks like a playmaker. He did it all, in the same mold as metellus, for wa state cougars. Rushing the passer, sealing the edge in run game, swallowing TE's in pass coverage. Just dont match him up on a wr, he'll get beaten every time. But in the box? Dude is a beast! Metellus is 5-11, 200 range. Hicks is 6-2 220. Used correctly- hes a stud.
Oregon states Kiltan Oladapo.
Same as above. Near identical size & tape.
A hybrid downhill safety/ lber.
Hicks ran 4.7 at combine. Oladapo 4.58.
The "Beaver Banger" was one of the main contributors on the pac 12's #1 defense.
Dude hits like Butkus, runs like a rb.
Cole Bishop- utah.
The enforcer gor 3 seasons on anither really good pac 12 D.
A bit more of a traditional safety that timed 4.5.
Meaning he probably doesnt last to day 3.
More in the mold of Hit man Harry, or a snall notch below perenial all pro kyle hamilton. 6-2 205 & hits like rudolph. Skinnier frame makes me question if he'll hold up playing that style in the nfl. Alot of hits on his body over his 3 seasons, yet. Hes held up.
Played both in the box & as traditional deep FS.
Harry aint gonna last much longer. & Bushop is versatile. Flo loves versatile. This might be the pick if hes there at #108.
Theres also a handful of cb's with similar size & Speed that are likely day 3 or fa types bc their cover skills suggest they need to switch to safety. The Vikings did that with the Cal Bear cb, Cam Bynum, & with very good success.
There're players to be had on day 3. Ballers that can contribute. With the lack of high picks- both 24 remainder & in 25. Finding scheme fits & nitch contributors is going to be important. Such as the rb Milton that might win you a few games late, holding a lead by milking down the clock behind an avg line.
Or a wr like gould that stops in the open zone quickly on a few key 3rd downs. Or maybe its a big hitter like the Beaver Banger, giving Metellus a breather & forcing some key fumbles.
Todays lbers arent that much bigger than Wazzu's Hicks. Nobody is better than flo, in training defenders into that butkus killer/ mlber instinct.
You can use that style of undersized box player more often, if you add a few of those base d-line "immoveable objects" if you have 3 down linemen that all require double teams. Who blocks the safety speed guy playing inside lber? Answer= they become free runner playmakers.
Aka- the Josh Metellus clean up battalion.
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