Last season, Su’a Cravens proved to be one of the better defensive rookies in the NFL. Now, he will look to improve during his second year at a new position.
One word that has always been used to describe Su’a Cravens is versatile. Coming into the NFL, defensive coordinators saw endless potential for the USC product. Having played safety in college, many expected that he would be able to thrive in the new safety/linebacker hybrid role that has been emerging across the NFL in recent years. This trend saw players like Mark Barron and Deone Bucannon, both similar in size and skill to Cravens, find success. And Cravens was expected to be the next in that role.
When the Redskins selected Cravens in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, they brought him on to join what was a weaker linebacker corps. Despite his lack of prototypical linebacker strength, the team envisioned him to be a solid coverage guy who could provide that much needed versatility to their unit.
Cravens played mostly as a backup during his rookie year, but shined when he was on the field. In 11 total games, Cravens logged 23 tackles, a sack, five pass deflections, and a key interception that sealed a victory against the New York Giants. He flashed excellent athleticism at the linebacker position, and endeared himself to the Redskins fan base.
While Cravens is going to be in a starting role for the team in 2017, it will not be at the linebacker position. Cravens will play safety, a return to one of his starting positions from college, to create a new starting tandem in the Redskins secondary. It may not be easy for Cravens to make the switch, but if there is any guy in the league who can do it, he would be the one.
Su’a Cravens’ skill set
While versatile is the key word used to describe Cravens in most evaluations, his physicality cannot be ignored. With a 6-foot-1, 226 pound frame, Cravens was small for a linebacker. That is part of what prompted him to move away from the position. But for a safety, that type of frame is well above average, and that should allow him to be one of the strongest players at his position.
If Cravens can keep the weight on when he transitions, he will be able to turn into a big hitter. This will add a much-needed physical element to pair with Josh Norman. There were no big hitters among the safeties last year, with the exception of the over-the-hill Donte Whitner, so that could end up being a new, unique part of the Redskins defense.
At the same time, Cravens has to make sure that he can still play with solid enough speed at safety. While Cravens was fast for a linebacker, defensive backs are held to a different standard. One of the concerns with Cravens coming out of school was that he was a “tweener,” that is, someone who is between two different positions. That stemmed from concerns about his size/speed combination, as he was big enough to be a safety, but not necessarily fast enough. The opposite can be said of his skills as a linebacker.
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What Cravens needs to focus on during training camp and the preseason is upping his speed just a bit. He already has terrific instincts, as can be seen when he makes a break on a ball-carrier, but if he is to hold up in coverage, he cannot get torched by faster receivers. Sure, he can used his physicality to bump some guys at the line of scrimmage, if he is playing near it, but that will only go so far. Speed is a necessity in the NFL and Cravens has to prove that he has it if he is to succeed.
Still, that is merely a minor concern. Worst case scenario, Cravens should be a very good run stopper at safety and can be mixed into a rotation if he falls short in coverage.
Expectations for Su’a Cravens
Despite the questions about Cravens’ ability to adapt to the NFL safety position, he should end up being a good player there. The safety position was one of many weaknesses on the Redskins defensive front last season. Cravens should be an upgrade over the starters they marched out last season, and pairing him with D.J. Swearinger should give the whole defense a new flavor.
However, it still may take Cravens time to adapt to the position. He is a highly instinctive and smart player, but even the smartest guys need time to figure things out. It make be a few weeks into the season before Cravens is sound in coverage. It may take the whole season. It may happen in Week 1. There’s no telling what he will do.
No matter what, Cravens is going to have an impact on the team. He simply is a football player who will be able to find the right role with the squad as the season goes along. Keep a close eye on him in the preseason, as that will really give fans and coaches alike an idea of what he will be capable of in 2017.
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At the end of the day, Cravens should be a good tackler and should be able to play linebacker in some hybrid packages as well. The coaches will figure out the best way to utilize Cravens, and that will almost certainly turn him into a solid starter during his sophomore campaign.