I think the tackling issue can be addressed through coaching. Most big hitters coming out of college are criticized for occasionally missing a tackle by failing to wrap up. Griffin seems coachable and dedicated to getting better. I'm not sure you can fault the Texas secondary for allowing big yards to teams like Ohio State and USC that burned everybody they played.
Adding Bullit into the comparison I did previous ....... 40 yard dash minus short shuttle 1. Sabby Piscitelli (.53) .. Melvin Bullitt (.51) 2. Michael Johnson (.42) 3. Eric Weddle (.36) 4. Aaron Rouse (.34) 5. Reggie Nelson (.33) 6. John Wendling (.32) 7. Michael Griffin (.30) 8. Josh Gattis (.24) 9. Brandon Merriweather (.14) 10. LaRon Landry (-.01) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kirwan Power/Explosion Number 1. John Wendling -71 2. LaRon Landry - 68.5 3. Josh Gattis - 67 4. Michael Griffin - 65.5 .. Melvin Bullitt - 65 5. Sabby Piscitelli - 63.5 6. Michael Johnson - 63 7. Aaron Rouse - 61 8. Eric Weddle - 55.5 9. Brandon Merriweather - 55 10. Reggie Nelson - DNQ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 cone drill 1. Michael Griffin - 6.60 2. Reggie Nelson - 6.67 3. Josh Gattis - 6.72 4. Eric Weddle - 6.78 5. Aaron Rouse - 6.81 6. Sabby Piscitelli - 6.84 .. Melvin Bullitt - 6.90 7. John Wendling - 6.96 8. Michael Johnson - 7.04 9. Brandon Merriweather - 7.06 10. LaRon Landry - 7.11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Short shuttle 1. Sabby Piscitelli - 3.90 .. Melvin Bullitt - 3.97 2. Michael Griffin - 4.10 3. Michael Johnson - 4.11 4. Eric Weddle - 4.12 5. Reggie Nelson - 4.15 6. John Wendling - 4.16 7. Aaron Rouse - 4.19 8. Josh Gattis - 4.27 9. Brandon Merriweather - 4.33 10. Laron Landry - 4.36 11. Marvin White - 4.39
Bullitt looks like he could be a good one. A bit of a late bloomer but he is big and very athletic. 41" vertical is absolutely sick and his short shuttle was excellent. He might be a solid 2nd or 3rd rounder. Sure seems like there are plenty of good safeties to be had in rounds 2-3.
That is my point. The "value" of a first round safety doesn't seem to be significantly better than the ones available with our (current) three selections available in rounds 2 and 3.
Video selection of many prospects at Cleveland Browns site. Scroll through view box at bottom/middle of page. I'll list the DB's we've discussed here, but you can find prospects at all positions on the above link. Sabby Piscitelli video Eric Weddle video Aaron Ross video Brandon Merriweather video Aaron Rouse video LaRon Landry video John Wendling video Michael Griffin video Marvin White video Reggie Nelson video
I like Rouse a lot, but then I am something of a VT homer!! I agree that I think there are several very good safeties to be had in later rounds. Meachem at 30, anyone? I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
after seeing the videos this is my order Landry is a given he wont be there so i will exclude him and in case we have the chance pick any one of the rest of the safties 1a Merriweather (i think we need some attitude from the U) 1b Regie Nelson 2 Weddle (nose for the ball) 3 Piscitelli (playmaker) 4 White (sleeper must have in later rounds) 5 either one on the longjorns (i dont like safies from the state of texas example, Kiel and "the sheriff" Stanley Richard)
I think it's very tough to judge the Safety position from watching games on TV, which is all we have to watch. Much too often the camera view doesn't even show the Safety. Going by what I have seen, I like Griffin. I've seen him do well in coverage and I've seen him stop runs at the los. One thing I've seen him do that I don't like is that he likes to come up and put the big hit on a guy without rapping up. I guess all the Safety's like to put on the big hit but sometimes a guy will just bounce off and regain his balance if they don't wrap up. I think the coaches would drill him on that though. Landry and Nelson will be gone before our pick so I like Griffin.
I like him too but I wonder if he's one of those guys that's a jack of all trades, master of none? I like Sabby too and I've seen quite a bit of him. He's one of those guys that has good anticipation. He also has long arms and good hands. What the hell is a whitie?
You are very much right. Even those videos I linked are crummy. Way too many of them are at field level angles, and that's the WORST shot to judge the defensive backfield.
Ya i don't like either. I'd rather have a smart, less athletic safety than a suberb, dumbass athlete. From a few highlight videos, I've become a Griffin, Piscitelli, and Gattis fan. None of them are slow, or get burned often, yet have good hands and intelligence. Weddle is supposedly smart and a good tackler, but many highlights are of him making a solid tackle AFTER he lets a pass get completed. I'd compare him to a poor man's Brian Russell. Smart, in the right position, but I wouldn't say a game changer. If Nelson's biggest knock is his intelligence, it could seriously affect his all-around play. He reminds me of Florence without the great tackling ability, but better hands. This isn't all bad, but I don't want our last line of defense to have a dunce cap under his helmet. Rouse reminds me too much of Archuleta, which isn't good in my opinion. Just a small LB, at best a hard hitting Donnie Edwards out-of position at safety. I don't see AJ touching Merriweather at all. He made a big stink about character players, so choosing him first would be hypocritical. The guy can tackle though, and is a good cover safety, which we really need, but he showboats a lot. He might be a star, but it's not gonna be in SD. This is my rank for Safeties we're in position to get: 1) Griffin (forget Landry, not at our spot. Probably a more athletic McCree, and can play both ss or fs for us) 2) Piscitelli (nothing bad about him, big, fast, and can play both ss or fs, which we like. I'm not even white, and I'm rooting for him) 3) Nelson (If we put him in a position to make simple decisions, and with McCree calling the DB adjustments, he can excel for us) 4) Gattis (might take time to develop, but is versatile, and has good speed and hands) 5) Weddle (like him 'cuz he's smart, but with McCree there, where's the playmaker?) Don't like Rouse at all, and don't know enough of Wendling, even though not impressed from what I've seen.
By Michael Lombardo SDBoltReport.com Posted Apr 7, 2007 Another private visit has been confirmed as the San Diego Chargers continue with their pre-draft preparations. The team has again met with a safety, this one a mid-round prospect with the athleticism and intelligence that General Manager A.J. Smith is looking for at the position. This small-school specimen outperformed his mid-major venue and has played his way onto San Diego’s draft board. John Wendling (6-foot-1, 222 lbs.), a terrific two-way safety from the University of Wyoming, visited Chargers Park on Thursday. His four-year totals include 259 tackles, 14 pass break-ups and seven interceptions. He has played both safety positions and is equally impressive filling against the run and dropping into coverage. A true workout warrior, Wendling ran a 4.4-sec. 40-yard dash, an incredible time for a player of his build. Although he doesn’t always play up to his impressive measurables, that speed is consistently evident when he is closing on a play. Where Wendling needs the most improvement is in coverage. He appears a bit stiff in the hips and can look uncomfortable in space. Fortunately, he compensates for those shortcomings by diagnosing plays quickly and making timely plays on the ball. Wendling is also impressive on special teams. During his college career he blocked two kicks, rushed six fake punts for 119 yards and returned 11 kickoffs for 202 yards. Additionally, his physique and aggressive mentality make him an ideal fit for both kick-coverage units. A leader both on and off the field, Wendling would be a classic Smith selection. Smith loves to take players from small schools, as they often slide farther than they should on draft day. He is more concerned with what a player can do than where he has done it, meaning he is unlikely to hold Wendling’s mid-major level of competition against him. In San Diego, Wendling would challenge for the starting strong safety job as a rookie, assuming Smith doesn’t draft another safety ahead of him. He and Marlon McCree would give new defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell great flexibility in the secondary, as both can play near the line of scrimmage and can patrol deep, too. Even if Smith does select a safety in round one or two, that would not preclude the selection of Wendling. Because of his versatility, special teams ability and modest third- or fourth-round grade, Wendling will be hard to pass up, especially if he slides to the end of round four.
I agree with your ranking. I still hope our 1st pick will be the best safety available and then we can go for our WR.
