Of interest to the Indianapolis Colts, Daniel Jeremiah released version 2.0 of his top 50 NFL draft prospects big board and included were only two safeties.
Safety, along with tight end and cornerback, is of course, one of the biggest positions of need that the Colts have this offseason.
Included on Jeremiah’s big board at the safety spot were South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori at No. 25 and Georgia’s Malaki Starks at No. 34
In various mock drafts, we’ve seen both of these players mocked to the Colts.
At 6-3 – 227 pounds, Emmanwori is expected to test extremely well at the NFL combine, and we all know how much GM Chris Ballard values players with high end traits.
Of note, however, with Emmanwori, is that he played most of his snaps near the line of scrimmage and what the Colts need is more of a deep safety, which would mean either he or Nick Cross would have to assume that role.
With Starks, his versatility and well-rounded ability against the run and pass make him a good fit for Lou Anarumo’s scheme, where that versatility and ability to disguise coverages is at a premium.
With that said, when it comes to both of these prospects, given where they rank among the rest of the class, it’s fair to wonder if either would be in play for the Colts at pick No. 14. If not, Indianapolis would either have to trade back–which is an option that I do believe is in play–or address safety on Day 2 of the draft, when both of these players are likely off the board.
Given all that Anarumo asks of the safety position in his scheme, addressing the need in free agency with a more experienced presence could be more valuable to the Colts, given that a lot is put on the plate of this position group.