Washington Football Team: Three defensive prospects who fit best in 2021
No. 3 – Richie Grant, S, UCF
The redshirt senior, Richie Grant would be a fantastic option in the second round of the NFL Draft. For Washington, he’d firmly assert himself as the starting free safety, filling in the role as a single-high Cover 1 and Cover 3 safety.
Standing 6’0″ and 194 pounds, Richie Grant has the size to play in a slot cornerback role, or as a true single-high safety. The Washington Football Team, since the arrival of Ron Rivera, has held versatility above all when drafting players, and Grant would embody that sentiment.
Grant had a successful college career. Throughout his four seasons at UCF, he allowed an average reception percentage of just 56.8 percent, while steadily improving across the board every season. He also had a combined 86 stops through four years and proved to be as versatile as they come when it comes to the asks of the position.
Grant’s versatility shined most notably during his senior season, where he played 226 snaps as a free safety, 144 snaps as a slot cornerback, and 237 snaps in the box. He’s truly a chess piece and someone who can play all over the field, but he is most impactful in coverage.
In coverage, Grant is coming off a 2020 season where he allowed a reception percentage of just 43.8%. In addition to that, he had five pass breakups and three interceptions. His 2020 season in coverage was capped off by him allowing an NFL adjusted passer rating of just 32.2 when targeted.
In other words, Grant is a menace in coverage. He’s someone who flourishes as a single-high safety, yet he can cover all over the field and in whatever scheme that’s asked of him.
This is significant in the case of Washington because according to PFF’s defensive trackers, the Washington Football Team played Cover 1 and Cover 3 for over 50% of their snaps last season. As a single-high safety, Grant has displayed pro-level instincts and versatility to go along with a ball-hawking ability that’s been proven with his 10 career collegiate interceptions.
Grant’s role as a single-high safety in college will translate to the pro level, as Washington would use him in a role similar to Jeremy Reaves or Troy Apke. In Grant’s case, he would finally solidify a back-end unit that desperately needs it, as he is a major upgrade at the position.
Washington continuously blew coverages last season no matter the scheme they ran. With no clear answer at FS, a position that’s haunted the team since the passing of the late-great Sean Taylor, there’s been turnstile at FS. With a second-round selection of Richie Grant, Washington would finally have the answer for that position going forward.