DB Watch List

Knowing that Ward and Reid both have health issues, Tartt still hasn't put it all together, RR is getting smoked at CB, and DJ is getting his last shot to prove something...I think its safe to say we will go DB early and often next year.

Below are the listed DB's (in ranked order) from Draft Scouts top 100 players

Derwin James | S | Florida State | Junior A former five-star recruit with freakish athleticism, linebacker-esque hitting ability, and cornerback-like ball skills. That's a description of either former Florida State safety Jalen Ramsey or current Seminoles star Derwin James. At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, James is enormous for the position. He's super-fluid on the field with quick play-recognition gifts, as evidenced by his 91 tackles as a true freshman in 2015. He missed most of 2016 with a knee injury but should be back to 100 percent for the 2017 campaign.

Tarvarus McFadden | CB | Florida State | Junior McFadden and James form the best safety-cornerback duo in the country in 2017. Last year, McFadden reeled in eight interceptions, which led the nation. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he dominated with size and athleticism at times but had moments that showed a lack of sound tackling ability. From a physical perspective, it's all there for this Florida State standout. He'll be returning from a torn labrum this season too.

Minkah Fitzpatrick | CB | Alabama | Junior The latest in an unfathomably long line of first-round caliber cornerbacks from Alabama during the Nick Saban era, Fitzpatrick has played both safety and corner for the Crimson Tide. The NFL will like that versatility. He's 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds with good strength and plus ball skills. He had two picks as a freshman in 2015 and intercepted six passes as a sophomore. Oh, and he's already returned four of those picks for touchdowns.

Jaire Alexander | CB | Louisville | Junior At 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, Alexander could add some weight to his frame as he gets ready to make the jump to the next level. In 2016, he reeled in five interceptions and defended nine other passes in his target area. Louisville will be in the spotlight often, so Alexander will have ample opportunity to make big plays with everyone watching.

Marcus Allen | S | Penn State | Senior Allen was the Nittany Lions' most impactful secondary member in 2016. He had 110 tackles and six tackles for loss. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he has NFL safety size. He was a terror against Minnesota, when he tallied a remarkable 22 tackles with one tackle for loss.

Armani Watts | S | Texas A&M | Senior The 5-foot-11, 200-pound lightning bug is a striker on the back end for the Aggies. Unfortunately, his season was cut short in 2016. The year before, Watts recorded 126 tackles and six tackles for loss. He had 56 tackles, six tackles for loss, and two interceptions in eight games last year.

Quin Blanding | S | Virginia | Senior A 358-tackle career over four seasons for a safety would be outstanding .The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Blanding has that many tackles in just three seasons with the Cavaliers. He'll check the "production" box of the scouting process, that's for sure. In 2016, he had two picks and two tackles for loss to go along with his 118 tackles.

Adonis Alexander | CB | Virginia Tech | Junior Virginia Tech has sent a plethora of pro-ready cornerbacks to the league, and Alexander is next in line. At 6-foot-3 and close to 200 pounds, he has Richard Sherman-esque size and length and has reeled in six interceptions in his two years in Blacksburg.

Iman Marshall | CB | USC | Junior Another corner taller than 6-foot, Marshall has six interceptions in his two years at USC (three each season) and has 17 pass breakups. He's a former five-star recruit Rivals rated the top cornerback in the country in the 2015 class. Marshall oozes athleticism.

Ronnie Harrison | DB | Alabama | Junior Harrison is a 6-foot-3, 218-pound secondary menace for Alabama. He has four interceptions for the Crimson Tide in two seasons and upped his impact in 2016 by accumulating 83 tackles.

Anthony Averett | DB | Alabama | SeniorThe 6-foot defensive back has played multiple positions during his time in Tuscaloosa and emerged as a reliable secondary member a season ago when he totaled 48 tackles, eight pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He'll team with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Tony Brown to formulate a scary-good defensive backfield for the Crimson Tide this season.

Jordan Thomas | DB | Oklahoma | Senior Like many Oklahoma defensive backs before him, Thomas has been a productive leader for the Sooners on the back end during his career. He has seven interceptions over the past two seasons, and although that number dipped from five to two last year, he had 17 pass breakups. At 6-foot and 192 pounds, Thomas has good size for an NFL corner.

Godwin Igwebuike | S | Northwestern | Senior If you've watched a Northwestern football game over the past two seasons, Igwebuike has likely stood out. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety is as active as they come in all phases. Last year, he had three games with double-digit tackles and had fewer than five tackles in only one outing for the Wildcats.

Jamar Summers | CB | UConn | Senior Summers put himself on the map with an eight-interception season in 2015. Last year, he picked off two passes but had 59 tackles, four tackles for loss, nine pass breakups and a forced fumbled -- he clearly rounded out his game.

Trey Marshall | DB | Florida State | Senior In more of a full-time role than his first two seasons with the Seminoles in 2016, Marshall had 58 tackles with two tackles for loss and four pass breakups. The 6-foot corner will have plenty of opportunities to make plays this year as a member of Florida State's loaded defense.

Tony Brown | CB | Alabama | Senior Another 6-foot defensive back, Brown was a key role player on Alabama's defense in 2016, recording 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups playing next to Marlon Humphrey and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/an-incredibly-early-look-at-the-top-100-prospects-in-the-2018-nfl-draft-1-20/

James would be awfully tempting if he's on the board when we pick(which he may be)

But corner is what would likely be higher on the need list. OL/CB/WR is likely our priority assuming we sign Cousins or we somehow think Beathard is the next Brady/Montana.

If we're really lucky both Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo would hit the open market. Most cap room and need at the position & Kyle Shanahan as HC/OC...come on down!

But don't wanna derail the thread...definitely have to keep an eye on the FSU duo, agree with you they're the best duo around. I'm also curious to see how Kevin Toliver out of LSU does this year. Skill is there consistency is chit though. If he has a good year he can climb up into early round talk.

Originally posted by genus49:
James would be awfully tempting if he's on the board when we pick(which he may be)

But corner is what would likely be higher on the need list. OL/CB/WR is likely our priority assuming we sign Cousins or we somehow think Beathard is the next Brady/Montana.

If we're really lucky both Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo would hit the open market. Most cap room and need at the position & Kyle Shanahan as HC/OC...come on down!

But don't wanna derail the thread...definitely have to keep an eye on the FSU duo, agree with you they're the best duo around. I'm also curious to see how Kevin Toliver out of LSU does this year. Skill is there consistency is chit though. If he has a good year he can climb up into early round talk.

Those aren't my write ups's lol

I like Harrison and Summers a lot, will be following both closely.

Those 'Bama boys would look good in red and gold. They're natural fits since we use Saban's pattern matching concepts here in SF, and Saban looks for the same attributes we do. The transition for those guys would be seamless.

Jaire Alexander | CB | Louisville

I remember him standing out but is probably smaller than what we are looking for

Jaire Alexander is my draft crush at corner if we go the CB route. I prefer shorter corners and think tall corners are always overrated every year (a few exceptions). He has great burst and seems to have a good football IQ.

Originally posted by ChaunceyGardner:

Jaire Alexander | CB | Louisville

I remember him standing out but is probably smaller than what we are looking for

I sure hope he isn't overlooked cause of his size.

Originally posted by Hysterikal:
Jaire Alexander is my draft crush at corner if we go the CB route. I prefer shorter corners and think tall corners are always overrated every year (a few exceptions). He has great burst and seems to have a good football IQ.

I tend to agree, but I understand why these "Seattle-style defenses" prefer tall CBs. The CBs in these defenses only play on a vertical plane, so being tall, long and physical is advantageous when jamming, stacking and squeezing wide receivers. They don't need as much lateral agility or hip fluidity because they only play on a Y-axis. A lot of open field tackling in this defense, too.

Originally posted by Heroism:

Originally posted by Hysterikal:

Jaire Alexander is my draft crush at corner if we go the CB route. I prefer shorter corners and think tall corners are always overrated every year (a few exceptions). He has great burst and seems to have a good football IQ.

I tend to agree, but I understand why these "Seattle-style defenses" prefer tall CBs. The CBs in these defenses only play on a vertical plane, so being tall, long and physical is advantageous when jamming, stacking and squeezing wide receivers. They don't need as much lateral agility or hip fluidity because they only play on a Y-axis. A lot of open field tackling in this defense, too.

Great points I just look at corners ability to stay in the pocket of a receiver. If we are running cover 1 primarily then I don't see why we wouldn't want someone who can be put in man to man and hold them to minimal target/receptions. Alexander handled both the Clemson receivers last year it almost seemed like he was toying with Watson. If we were to run a cover 3 D which Seattle doesn't run as much but they made it popular I would say yes. But from what I've seen is lots of man coverage and a complete reliance on the FS being a stud. Like Seattle FS is imperative and if Ward can't perform then Derwin all f**king day.

I like summers, but at FS. I like McFadden, Fitzpatrick, and Marshall.

Not listed, I like Quenten Meeks out of stanford

We're definitely a cover 3 defense predicated on Saban's rip/liz/mable pattern-matching philosophies. That is why you'll see straight up man at times.

Some of my top CB & S prospects for 2018.

Note: These are the only ones I've had a chance to scout so far

CB:

1. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
2. Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State
3. Jaire Alexander, Louisville
4. Anthony Averett, Alabama
5. Donte Jackson, LSU
6. Iman Marshall, USC
7. Quenton Meeks, Stanford
8. Adonis Alexander, Virginia Tech
9. Kevin Toliver II, LSU
10. Denzel Ward, Ohio State
11. Brandon Facyson, Virginia Tech
12. Deion Harris, North Dakota
13. Juan Thornhill, Virginia
14. Greg Stroman, Virginia Tech
15. Carlton Davis, Auburn
16. Tony Brown, Alabama
17. Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma
18. Duke Dawson, Florida
19. Devron Davis, UT-San Antonio

S:

1. Ronnie Harrison, Alabama
2. Derwin James, Florida State
3. Armani Watts, Texas A&M
4. Quin Blanding, Virginia
5. Damon Webb, Ohio State
6. Jordan Whitehead, Pittsburgh
7. Todd Kelly Jr, Tennessee
8. Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern
9. Marcus Allen, Penn State
10. Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech
11. Andrew Wingard, Wyoming
12. Chase Hansen, Utah
13. Jamar Summers, UCONN
14. Chris Hawkins, USC
15. Jaleel Wadood, UCLA
16. Trey Marshall, Florida State
17. Nick Washington, Florida
18. Van Smith, Clemson
19. Drue Tranquill, Notre Dame

I need to watch some film on Harrison if AB has him rated above James.

My sleeper is Alijah Holder out of Stanford, if he stays healthy he could have a huge year opposite Meeks..