Raiders NFL Draft: A Safety Option For Every Round

Oct 2, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Mitchell Juergens (87) runs after a reception as Connecticut Huskies safety Obi Melifonwu (20) pursues the play during the first half at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Mitchell Juergens (87) runs after a reception as Connecticut Huskies safety Obi Melifonwu (20) pursues the play during the first half at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
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Tedric Thompson

Tedric has good size at 6’0″ 204 pounds, and his game all about one thing — ball skills, ball skills, and more 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."

If an NFL team wants to find a player who is going to create turnovers later in the draft, Tedric is the guy for the job. But there are several concerns, which is why he’ll likely be available around this time.

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

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.

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