The NFL Draft is still over two months away, but the anticipation and arm-chair general managing is in full throttle. Last week, the 2014 NFL Combine drew huge ratings for the NFL Network – proving once again that the American hunger for football has absolutely no boundaries. Major college pro days are in full swing, highlighted so far by the noteworthy workouts of sure-fire top ten picks like Auburn OT Greg Robinson and Buffalo LB Khalil Mack. NFL team player development personnel will be earning plenty of frequent flyer miles this week, with pro days scheduled for Clemson, Nebraska, Ohio State and Ohio State over the next 72 hours.
The Steelers will be keeping their eyes peeled at many of these events. It can be argued that the 2014 NFL Draft may be the most important in over two decades for Pittsburgh, with a roster depleted by age and salary restrictions and needs at such major positions such as cornerback, safety, inside linebacker, wide receiver and nose tackle. The team will be counting on several rookies to make immediate impact. After locking up TE Heath Miller, OLB Jason Worilds and SS Troy Polamalu with new or restructured contracts over the past few days, the Steelers have pinpointed their needs more clearly. Mock drafts on several major websites have the team concentrating their 15th overall pick on WR, CB, FS/SS or OLB. Today, we will be concentrating on the safety position, where the Steelers will be looking to replace longtime FS Ryan Clark and potentially find a playmaker to eventually take over for Polamalu.
The two names that have risen to the top of draft boards at the safety slot are Alabama S Ha’Sean “Ha Ha” Clinton-Dix and Louisville FS Calvin Pryor. Both are slated to be first round picks this May, and both bring unique abilities to the field. Should the Steelers decide to draft a safety with their first pick, they may have their choice of the two. Ahead of Pittsburgh in the first round are the defensive back-hungry Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams, both of whom will be heavily interested in both players. The Lions are more likely to draft a legitimate cornerback such as Oklahoma State DB Justin Gilbert, the highest-rated corner in the pool. St. Louis currently possesses both the No. 2 overall and No. 13 overall picks, and head coach Jeff Fisher is not shy about trading down to acquire more draft picks. The Rams have a very young team that will need a further influx of talent to compete in the ultra-tough NFC West (still a tough phrase to say, let alone write), and after targeting an impact player such as Robinson or Clemson WR Sammy Watkins, they may move on a trade that takes them out of the DB picture. That would leave the Steelers with a clear path to either of the top safeties.
Let’s take a look at both first-round grade safeties.
Ha’Sean “Ha Ha” Clinton-Dix – Alabama Crimson Tide – 6-ft, 1 in 208lbs 21-years old
Alabama has fielded some serious defensive talent during their incredible run of success over the past decade. Since 2004, the Crimson Tide has sent 27 defensive players to the NFL via the draft – including 11 defensive backs. Clinton-Dix has played alongside three NFL first-round picks in his three seasons in Tuscaloosa – Tampa Bay SS Mark Barron, Cincinnati CB Dre Kirkpatrick and New York Jets CB Dee Milliner. Practicing and playing with such high-quality talent can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, Clinton-Dix has had access to a pretty high collective football IQ, which may have rubbed off on him and taught him to avoid mistakes common to young players. On the other hand, he has shared the defensive backfield with players whom opposing offenses have game planned around, leaving him with ample opportunities to make plays.
Athletically, Clinton-Dix compares to Steelers S Will Allen. At 6-foot 1, he has the height to match up in coverage with most average-size NFL receivers and tight ends. He is not an imposing defender by any means – he is more lean than muscular – but he makes up for any perceived lack of physical ability with a penchant for taking good routes to the play. While he is not a ball-hawking defender, he is a solid tackler against the passing game, racking up 99 total tackles in 38 career games. His best statistical season on paper was 2012, when he totaled 23 solo tackles and five interceptions. When he gets his hands on the ball, he has very good open field speed and running ability with the rock (career 16.4 Interception return yard average). Against the run, he fits well into the Dick LeBeau 3-4 gameplan, seeking out the ball carrier and not avoiding contact of any sort. His open field tackling is adequate, and on film, you get a sense that he would only improve on his already solid ability to tackle in open space.
At just 21 years old and coming out as a junior, Clinton-Dix is just entering his prime years as an athlete. Once he gets into an NFL strength-training program, he should easily be able to pack another 10-15 pounds of muscle on his lean frame without jeopardizing his speed. At the 2014 NFL Combine, Clinton-Dix ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash and 7.16-second 3-cone drill. Those numbers did not improve his draft stock, placing him right in the middle of available defensive backs/safeties on both exercises. He will need to improve on both numbers on March 12 at the Alabama Pro Day. He also finished in the bottom third on bench press, with 11 reps of 225 lbs. While it can be argued that bench press repetitions have little bearing on actual game strength, comparably-sized safeties such as Brock Vereen of Minnesota (25 reps) and Kenny Ladler of Vanderbilt (24 reps) blew Clinton-Dix out of the water. Starting 19 games at Alabama against SEC opposition and playing in such high-intensity games goes far in determining a players worth outside of basic number-driven comparisons like the combine totals. With that level of experience under his belt, Clinton-Dix has a leg up on other available safeties in this draft in terms of seasoning.
In October of last year, Clinton-Dix was suspended indefinitely (ultimately missing two games) for a then-undefined team rules violation. It turned out that he had accepted a cash loan of “less than $500” from assistant strength and conditioning coach Corey Harris during the previous summer, a violation of NCAA by-law 16.11.2.2 which states “an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests may not provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or service, including, but not limited to a loan of money.” Clinton-Dix accepted responsibility for the violation and cooperated with the NCAA fully; including turning over bank statements to prove the loan was paid back to Harris. During the investigation, it was also determined that Clinton-Dix may have had contact with a professional sports agent. An internal review by the University declined to show any proof of the issue.
Clinton-Dix would be a fine fit for Pittsburgh, with tremendous upside potential. Should he be available at No. 15, the Steelers would seriously consider drafting him. With veteran Ryan Clark all but gone and just Will Allen and second-year pro Shamarko Thomas left as possible replacements, Clinton-Dix would have an opportunity to win the starting free safety job in camp.
Calvin Pryor – Louisville Cardinals – 5-ft, 11 in 207lbs 21-years old
The other first-round safety option for the Steelers is prolific 21-year-old Calvin Pryor of Louisville. Pryor was flat-out dominating statistically in his college career, with numbers that dwarf Clinton-Dix across the board. Pryor was a major part of a two-year run for the Cardinals that included the programs first trip to the Sugar Bowl in 2012 (a 33-23 win over SEC Champion Florida), and a dominating 12-1 season in 2013 that culminated with a 36-9 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the Russell Athletic Bowl. His 2013 season vaulted him into a first-round grade, with 71 tackles and three interceptions. In his three seasons at Louisville, Pryor compiled 204 total tackles, two sacks, seven interceptions and a staggering nine forced fumbles. When watching film of Pryor, it is hard to not compare his style of play to a young Troy Polamalu – zeroing in on the ball carrier and making quick, strong tackles. At times, Pryor can be almost too aggressive – again, similar to Polamalu – which causes him to give up the occasional big play.
Coming out of Port St. Joe (Florida) High School in 2011, Pryor was not considered a can’t-miss prospect. He was ranked as the No. 31 safety prospect in the Country by Rivals.com, and was not recruited heavily by any of the football-factory Florida universities (Florida State made a late push, but declined a formal visit). After a brief recruiting period that included Arkansas, Baylor and Maryland, Pryor decided to attend the University of Louisville. The true freshman made an immediate impact for the Cardinals, helping them to a 7-6 season and a berth in the Belk Bowl against North Carolina State. He would carry that success into 2012 when he started 13 games and in the Big East top ten in solo tackles (52), total tackles (100), interceptions (2) and forced fumbles (5). By 2013, Pryor had established himself as one of the top defensive playmakers in the Nation.
In comparison to Clinton-Dix, Pryor is a less-polished defender. He makes up for it with physicality to the highest degree, especially in pass coverage. Clinton-Dix has more range, but Pryor forces drops by simply being around the play. His hard-hitting tackling has been the stuff highlight videos are made for, as he explodes to the ball in a way that is usually reserved for linebackers. Against the run, Pryor comes up and fills gaps, able to shift to the left or right depending on the blocking up front. In coverage, he has the athleticism to play up or back and still get into position to make a play when the ball is in the air. Once again, his explosive tackling cannot be overstated. He has been ranked the most violent hitter in the 2014 Draft by several media outlets.
At the Combine, Pryor ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash – the exact same time as Clinton-Dix. His 18 reps of 225 lbs in the bench press exercise placed him in the top ten among the defensive back/safety group. On March 15, Louisville will hold their 2014 Pro Day and Pryor will hope to improve on his 40-yard dash time, as well as posting a good time in the 3-cone drill (he did not run the drill in Indianapolis). Currently, most mock drafts have Pryor going late in the first round – well behind Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. He may however, fit better into the Steelers defensive scheme than his counterpart. There is a possibility that Pittsburgh could trade down 5-10 slots in the first round and still have a chance to land Pryor, while potentially gaining an extra draft pick.
Pryor also ran into a team rule violation in 2013, as he was suspended for one game due to an unreleased internal reason. Obviously, this could affect this draft stock, if ever so slightly. While both Pryor and Clinton-Dix have suspensions on their record, the Steelers showed with the drafting of OT Mike Adams in 2012 that they are willing to look past personal issues if the talent is there.
Other Possible Targets
While Clinton-Dix and Pryor are the only legitimate first-round grades at safety in this class, there are a few other players the Steelers could target in the later rounds if they choose to go a different direction in round one.
Marqueston Huff (5-foot, 11 inch 196lbs.) of Wyoming moved up draft boards after a tremendous showing at the Combine. He projects most likely as a cornerback in the NFL, but is listed as a FS. His best attribute is his speed (4.49 40-yard dash), but a subpar tackling technique has him graded as a 2nd-3rd round pick.
Craig Loston (5-foot, 11 inch 217lbs.) of LSU is a 2nd-3rd round grade who projects as a SS. He has NFL cover skills and plays aggressively against the run. He was the on-field leader for the LSU defense. He had some injury issues in college that cost him time each season. Most scouts believe he will eventually work his way into being a starter in the pros.
Brock Vereen (6-foot 199lbs.) of Minnesota started 32 games over the past three years. His work ethic is exceptional, and has enabled him to overcome a lack of size. He graded out very well at the combine, running a 4.47 40-yard dash, the best of any safety. He is not considered a coverage safety, and despite so much playing time he only managed to secure 4 interceptions in his college career. He is considered a 3rd-4th round pick.
Deone Buchanan (6-foot, 1 inch 211lbs.) of Washington State was a first-team All-American in 2013. He is a punishing tackler and a potential special teams ace. His average game speed makes it tough for him to make up for mistakes in judgment. He is a 4th-5th round strong safety who has fallen a bit on draft boards due to man-coverage limitations.
If the Steelers decide to draft a safety in the 2014 Draft, there are plenty of options for them to choose from. It will be intriguing to see if they feel one of these players can fit into their scheme.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
