Kevin Byard - S - Middle Tennessee

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HardRightEdge

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As noted previously, I'm of the thinking the Packers need to add a safety, preferably a SS who leans more toward the coverage skill set.

So I'm not surprised the Packers invited a guy like Byard for a visit.

He's 5'11" 216, so his build suggests SS. However, from the clips I've seen he played primarily in 2-high safety. He does have ball skills:

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There are just a couple of spots in that tape that suggest he's not afraid to hit people, but this is not a box prowler.

He ran 4.48 at his Pro Day with a 38" vertical.

I've seen enough to bounce Killebrew in favor of Byard in my Amish Contest list.
 
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Deleted member 6794

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As noted previously, I'm of the thinking the Packers need to add a safety, preferably a SS who leans more toward the coverage skill set.

So I'm not surprised the Packers invited a guy like Byard for a visit.

He's 5'11" 216, so his build suggests SS. However, from the clips I've seen he played primarily in 2-high safety. He does have ball skills:

There are just a couple of spots in that tape that suggest he's not afraid to hit people, but this is not a box prowler.

He ran 4.48 at his Pro Day with a 38" vertical.

I've seen enough to bounce Killebrew in favor of Byard in my Amish Contest list.

Byard has most likely the best range and ability in the deep middle of the field of all safeties in this year's draft but he's not suited to play in the box. He comes up quickly but often takes bad angles and can be beaten by a quick step easily resulting in him not getting a chance to make a tackle.

He had a total of only two stops in 294 running plays, resulting in being dead last in run stop percentage of all draft eligible safeties.
 
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HardRightEdge

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Byard has most likely the best range and ability in the deep middle of the field of all safeties in this year's draft but he's not suited to play in the box. He comes up quickly but often takes bad angles and can be beaten by a quick step easily resulting in him not getting a chance to make a tackle.

He had a total of only two stops in 294 running plays, resulting in being dead last in run stop percentage of all draft eligible safeties.
Yeah, I read the nfl.com scouting report.

I don't want a box safety; I want a coverage safety. If either Hyde or Rollins is injured there is nobody backing up for 2-high safety, or arguably any safety. Randall was an ankle biter all over his college tape; now he's serviceable. I don't believe you can remake a player, but you can sharpen up what's there.

I have him down for the 5th. round; it's not like you get a complete player at the spot but you'd want somebody who looks good in one critical aspect of the game.

Out of curiosity, do you know how many "stops" PFF recorded for Clinton-Dix last season?
 
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Deleted member 6794

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I don't want a box safety; I want a coverage safety. If either Hyde or Rollins is injured there is nobody backing up for 2-high safety, or arguably any safety. Randall was an ankle biter all over his college tape; now he's serviceable. I don't believe you can remake a player, but you can sharpen up what's there.

I have him down for the 5th. round; it's not like you get a complete player at the spot but you'd want somebody who looks good in one critical aspect of the game.

Out of curiosity, do you know how many "stops" PFF recorded for Clinton-Dix last season?

My bad, I thought you would like to add a safety capable of playing in the box as well.

PFF doesn't offer premium stats for NFL players anymore, only a grading system. Clinton-Dix (89.8) was the fourth-highest ranked safety in run defense, a spot behind Burnett.
 
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HardRightEdge

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My bad, I thought you would like to add a safety capable of playing in the box as well

PFF doesn't offer premium stats for NFL players anymore, only a grading system. Clinton-Dix (89.8) was the fourth-highest ranked safety in run defense, a spot behind Burnett.
Wouldn't anybody? I'm looking for a mid-to-low round guy; you can't have everything at that spot. With Both Burnett and Dix being decent against the run, having a guy to defend the backend is a higher priority. You don't want to see it exposed as we saw with M.D. Jennings.

Byard did 22 lifts...he's no weakling. And we've seen a couple of guys in Dix and Randall go from poor tacklers to respectable. We could probably put Shields on that list as well.
 
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Deleted member 6794

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Wouldn't anybody? I'm looking for a mid-to-low round guy; you can't have everything at that spot. With Both Burnett and Dix being decent against the run, having a guy to defend the backend is a higher priority. You don't want to see it exposed as we saw with M.D. Jennings.

I agree that if the Packers decide to draft a safety it should be a player excelling at covering the deep middle of the field as Clinton-Dix is the only decent one on the roster.
 

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