Safety Attributes

Is this you? Are you a Safety? Can you play the pass and support the run? Can you support the run violently and with reckless abandon only after it has been determined to be a run? After all, a Safety that gets beat deep on a run fake isn't a Safety at all, he's a linebacker.

Here are five keys I use when breaking down the safety position

Playmaking Ability

Are they around the football? Do they finish when they break on a route? You want safeties that will make impact plays and I begin to question kids that don’t show up when the ball is in the air. Ask any Defensive Coordinator and they will tell you the same thing: they want playmakers in the secondary. That’s why you are getting paid; to find, train and play the Playmakers. I can teach tackling technique but if the kid doesn’t make any big plays, be careful how high you grade them.

Range

Look past the kid’s 40-times. I don’t care if a kid runs in the mid 4.6s, because that doesn’t impact his ability to break from the middle of the field and get outside to the numbers if they can read the QB in the pocket. Don’t look at top end speed as a true judge of a safety’s ability. That doesn’t add up to production if they can’t get out of the middle of the field or break off of the numbers in Cover 2. The top safeties in any league can break on the throw and find the football at the point of attack—regardless of what the stop watch says.

Coverage Skills

The days of the “in the box” safety that earns his paycheck in the run game are gone! In today’s Spread Formation, pass happy leagues, defensive coordinators want the ability to keep their base defense on the field vs. three wide receiver looks. And to do that, you need a safety that can walk down over the slot. Plus, think of the evolution of the TE position? It is only a matter of time before high school coaches start recruiting from the basketball team and imitation Jimmy Grahams, Vernon Davises, Rob Gronkowskis, and Tony Gonzalezes start showing up! These players are working the middle of the field and producing inside of the 20-yard line. Can the kid play off-man, use their hands in a press alignment and mirror a release to maintain leverage? Good questions to ask when you grade the kid’s skill set in man-coverage situations.

Football IQ

I don’t need to interview a kid to find out if he understands the game, because the tape will tell me. Can he jump routes knowing he has help to the inside or over the top? Does he play the technique of the defense called in the huddle? Will the kid take the proper angle to the ball depending on the split, release and stem of a WR in the route scheme?  Plus, where are his eyes? Studying a kid’s ability to read his run-pass keys is crucial. You can begin to understand how well any kid knows the game by turning on the tape if you look for the right things.

Toughness

You can’t play soft and survive in the secondary. In your review, see if the kid will attack the “C” gap from a Cover 4 (quarters) alignment, “spill” (inside shoulder) vs. a pulling guard in the run front and deliver violent contact (plus power) when they finish off ball carriers. I want safeties that are a little nasty and aren’t afraid to come downhill on a receiver or a ball carrier. There is no reason a safety should allow a WR to block them in the open field or get swallowed up in the run front. And when they blitz, do they display a physical style of football in getting to the QB? They will have to play hurt and banged up, so don’t forget to grade your safeties on “toughness.” It does matter.

Looking For a Cornerback???

What does a Cornerback look like? How can you tell that one kid will be better suited to play this role than another kid?

Here is what I look for when I sample Defensive Back talent

Technique

I always start with technique at the CB position, because I want to target prospects that have some polish to their game. Watch their footwork and watch their hands, Check the quickness and athletic ability to open their hips and run. You want to see a clean “plant and drive” or break on the ball, a corner that can “mirror” the release of a WR, and maintain initial leverage. Remember… if they are sloppy with their technique in practice that is what you are going to get on Game Night. You don't have time to waste trying to coach up technique to get a Sloppy player ready to play.

Speed and “Recovery” Speed

CB is a stopwatch position. You need to get a 40-time on all of your corners. However, you must also apply that to the game tape. If you have a 4.5 guy, do you see that speed on tape? Check out how the kid plays the top of the vertical route tree (corner, post, fade) and see if it matches up with his 40-time. It is one thing to run a 4.5 (or even 4.4) but if you don’t see it translate to the field, this is a problem. A 4.6 guy can play like a guy who has 4.4 speed if he has solid technique, understands WR splits  and their inherent route combinations and plays through the initial release. Bottom line: don’t be sold on 40-time alone with the CB position.

Press Coverage: 

I don’t see a ton of press-coverage in the High School game and when I do, the technique is average at best. Think about this: these kids should have to play press-coverage to take away the slant and the fade on the goal line, the 3-step game in blitz-man and vs. a stack or bunch look. Do they punch with the proper hand (outside hand vs. inside release, inside hand vs. outside release), slide their feet and cut off the initial stem of the receiver? Playing from a press-look isn’t about being the toughest guy on the field (although I can dig it). Instead, it is about playing with the proper technique and killing the route on the release.

Finish the Play 

My main focus when watching practices last year was seeing if the CBs wanted to compete in one-on-ones. And part of that is making the play on the football. PBU’s (passes broken up) are nice—and do end drives—but you want CBs that finish the play and force turnovers. That translates to wins in any league and you want to find CBs that come up with INTs. Elite CBs in high school often don’t see much action throughout the season and offenses can scheme away from them because of the wide numbers on the field, but keep an eye on their “finish” when they drive on a route.

Tackling: 

You have to tackle in our league and there is no such thing as a “weakside or field corner”. No other way to say it, because every defense carries Cover 2 in their game plans and when a WR  “cracks” or stems inside to the safety, the CB must then replace the safety in the run front. Do they wrap up or do they ankle dive at the ball carriers legs with their heads down? Are they physical and willing to attack the line of scrimmage? Plus, can they play from an off-man position, drive on the slant, the out or the one-step “smoke” route and make the tackle in space? I played for coaches in college (read Dick Tomey) that wouldn’t allow a CB to even step on the field if they went into a shell when the ball carrier pressed the edge of the defense. You can’t play soft with the big boys so find out if your prospects want to hit.

Have a Bad Day All Day!!!

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Who is Doing What and Where are They Doing It?

I am always on the prowl for DB videos, especially those from major college programs. I found a great video from the Georgia Bulldogs. I really love the Corner Blitz Drill and defeating the Stalk Block. Awesome! 

Have Bad Day All Day!!!