2017 NFL Draft: Three Underrated Safety Prospects

With the 2017 NFL Draft quickly approaching, here are three underrated safeties the Oakland Raiders could potentially target.

With an aging safety in Reggie Nelson starting alongside 2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph, the Oakland Raiders could be in the market for a safety via the NFL Draft.

They could look for one as early as 24th overall depending on who is available, or perhaps even the second round as well. But what about after that? If Reggie McKenzie decides to wait until a mid or late round, what are his best options?

Here are three underrated safeties in the 2017 class.

Justin Evans – Texas A&M

The consensus surrounding Justin Evans is that he’ll be selected in the third round. A couple of outlets have him as a second round pick, and a few more have him as a fourth round selection. Sports Illustrated has him ranked as the 10th best safety in this class, USA Today has him 9th, and several other sites have him in that same ballpark.

But when considering his film, size and athleticism, Evans seems more like the 6th or 7th best safety and one of the best 64 players in this class.

Evans checks in at 6’0″ and 199 pounds — a little on the light side, but good size overall. He’s an explosive athlete, and even though he didn’t test at the Combine, his athleticism is evident in his range on the field.

Evans is aggressive and physical in coverage, and has drawn comparisons to Karl Joseph as a result. He can deliver the boom, but at the same time, his play style results in quite a few missed tackles.

Most have Evans pegged as a box safety, but his range and ball skills will allow him to play free safety in the NFL, if a team so chooses. Considering the missed tackles, it might even be his best position. Which in the case of the Raiders, would work out perfectly with Joseph at strong safety.

Rayshawn Jenkins – Miami

Jenkins has ideal size for a safety, standing at 6’1″ and 214 pounds. At the Combine, he proved himself as one of the better athletes at his position, posting impressive scores across the board. 4.51 second 40-yard dash, 37″ vertical jump, 128″ broad jump and 19 reps on the bench press, which all were well above average.

Jenkins played wide receiver in high school, and some of those skills show when watching him at safety. He has soft hands and plus ball skills, recording 9 interceptions and 15 pass deflections during his time at Miami.

He’s also willing and able to punish pass catchers who come across the middle, and he’s effective in the box. He really does have a solid all-around game, and as a player projected in the fifth round by many draft outlets, he feels like a guy who should go a round or two earlier.

Jenkins will be able to play either safety spot, as his game doesn’t have many major weaknesses. He’s not great in any one area, either, which is why he’s projected as a mid-late pick. But he’s got as good of upside for a safety as you’ll find in this range of the draft.

Tedric Thompson – Colorado

Tedric Thompson is ranked all over the place, depending on which outlet you ask. NFL.com has him in round two or three, while CBS Sports has him in round seven. And it’s a mixture at various other popular sites.

We won’t know who is correct until an NFL team calls his name, but if Tedric is considered a mid or mid-late round pick, he’ll be a steal.

Thompson has good size at 6’0″ and 204 pounds, and his game is pretty simple to describe — ball skills, ball skills, ball skills. He recorded 13 interceptions and 26 pass deflections in his time at Colorado, and has some of the best ball skills in this entire class.

Per Pro Football Focus:

"QBs had a rating of 21.3 when targeting him in 2016, the lowest mark in FBS among safeties with at least 25 targets against."

At the Combine, he tested as a below average athlete, which is a concern. But on film, he does look much better than his scores would indicate.

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The bigger concern is his tackling ability, as he is an arm-tackler that whiffs far more than what would be considered sufficient. If he can work on wrap-up technique, that will go a long way towards making him a quality NFL starter.