Redskins: 3 safety prospects to watch at the 2019 NFL Combine
By Ian Cummings
The 2019 NFL Combine officially starts on Tuesday; it’s the event in draft season that can make or break a prospect’s draft stock.
We’ve seen the perennial risers and fallers. In 2017, Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu had a stellar combine showing, and ended up going in the second round to the Oakland Raiders. Just one year after being drafted, he was released, and he’s now a reclamation project in New England.
On the other side of the spectrum, you’ll find examples like Ravens tackle Orlando Brown. Brown, a long-term starter in college with highly-regarded polish, had a historically bad combine performance as an offensive lineman. Once talked about as a top fifteen pick, he plummeted to the third round, where the Ravens scooped him up. Now, he’s their starter.
The Washington Redskins need to watch the combine with this in mind: Good football players can test with below average numbers athletically, and bad football players can be good athletes. The key is finding the best mix of both, and projecting who might use their physical talents to improve.
There are a lot of prospects to watch in the upcoming combine class. Earlier this morning, we gave you some names to keep an eye out for at wide receiver. Now, let’s take a look at three safeties for whom the NFL Combine will be especially important.