The Indianapolis Colts are focused on their talent evaluation of the players entering the NFL Draft. This year the team’s needs aren’t as abundant as they were last year. For example, after selecting Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick, they no longer need a quarterback.

Heading into this year’s draft the positions of need are a little more defined. The Colts still need a dominant edge rusher, help in the secondary, another linebacker, and a tight end. The order of preference is dependent upon who you speak to. There are some other positions of need. However, these are the positions that require the most immediate attention. 

Safety is back on the list of needs. Well, that depends on what the Colts do with free agent Julian Blackmon. The safety position has gone in a bit of a similar direction as the running back. Teams don’t value it as much and believe it is a spot that is easier to replace. If the team re-signs Blackmon, then they may not look to draft one until later, if at all. Last year, the Colts selected Daniel Scott, who unfortunately tore his ACL in OTAs. With Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas, and Scott on the roster, the team needs just one more. This could be Blackmon, another free agent, or a rookie.

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Dadrion Taylor-Demerson – Texas Tech

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is the least experienced collegiate safety on this list. He is, however, another safety that is more of a coverage asset than a run-stopper. But that’s not to say he’s a total liability in stopping the run. He’s drawing comparisons to current free agent safety Jordan Whitehead. When looking at his two years of college production in Lubbock, he put up almost identical numbers.

Taylor-Demerson needs to work on his route recognition and adjustment as he’s a step slow at times. He has short arms, and this could be a concern when trying to break up passes or disengage with blockers. Like all rookies, there are things he needs to clean up. And in his case, he needs to be better at not quarterback-watching, causing him to bite big on play action, and jet sweeps, allowing receivers to get behind him. 

Now, there is a lot to like about Taylor-Demerson. He offers coverage versatility, and there were numerous times when he played as a single high safety. He does have good route anticipation and recovery speed. He’ll need to do a better job of diagnosing the play pre-snap, but he’s able to diagnose and adjust post-snap. Taylor-Demerson also does a nice job of getting his head turned around quickly and high-pointing the ball in coverage.

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Kenny Logan Jr. – Kansas

Another fifth-year senior makes the list in Kenny Logan Jr. Unlike Tyler Nubin, Logan is already 23 and will be 24 in November. So, there is concern as to how much more growth he has left. However, watching his film he reminds me of another former Colts safety Antoine Bethea. Logan isn’t a ball-hawking safety, like Calen Bullock, nor a hard-hitting one like Malik Mustapha, but he is a solid, reliable player on the backend of the defense.

Despite Logan having good size, he isn’t very physical even though he chooses to lower his shoulder for the big hit as opposed to just making the sure tackle. This is something that will need to change at the NFL level. Either he’ll need to bulk up or just make the tackle instead of going for the big play. Like most rookies, Logan needs to refine his technique so he’s not so susceptible to the double move and, therefore, be handsy when in pursuit.

As previously stated, Logan isn’t a “thumping” safety, but he does show some ability to be a physical hitter. He does show good instincts in playing zone coverage, and in the red zone he excels in playing the back line, therefore taking away the fade route. He is a sure tackler who has good straight-line speed.

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Malik Mustapha – Wake Forest

There have been many great safeties to play in the NFL and, therefore, many players for the younger generation to try and emulate. For Colts fans, one of their favorites is Bob Sanders. So when Malik Mustapha said at the combine that he models his game after Sanders, it certainly got the fanbase’s attention. When watching film on Mustapha you can see the impact Sanders had on Mustapha’s play.

Unfortunately for Mustapha, his style of play isn’t in as high of demand. His coverage leaves a lot to be desired, giving up a lot of big plays. Considering how fast he is, clocked 23mph in a game, it’s surprising that he gets beat over the top so often. And when Mustapha gets beat, he gets grabby. Another reason he struggles in pass protection is he plays more reactionary than instinctive or anticipatory, and he’s beatable on pump fakes due to his aggressive play on the field.

Similar to Bullock, Mustapha will rotate and play on obvious running plays in his rookie season. That is, until he’s able to be less of a liability in the passing game. He contests catches well with good timing and can disrupt the passing lanes. He tracks the ball well in the air, and due to his strength, he can disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage. Mustapha closes quickly on the ball carrier as he tries to run through them. He is a sure tackler with good balance and tackle-ready posture. 

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Calen Bullock – USC

From a skills standpoint, Calen Bullock profiles as a complement to the next player on our list. Bullock is also very light for the safety position and there is some thought that maybe he’s an NFL cornerback rather than a safety at this level. What position he plays will be dependent upon what team selects him and how they feel they can best maximize his abilities. The fact that there is some possible position flexibility can certainly help his draft stock.

There are legitimate concerns about Bullock’s size being able to hold up throughout an NFL season. He’s a solid tackler when he’s able to wrap up a ball carrier from either the side or a good angle. If he meets a ball carrier head-on he tends to give up some additional yardage. And as one of the last guys to prevent a touchdown, this weakness can be problematic. He’s a former wide receiver which helps and hurts him when playing coverage and reading a quarterback’s eyes. Quarterbacks can be successful in playing to Bullock’s desire to jump routes.

However, because he is a former wide receiver, he’s able to take advantage of his ball-hawking skills. Due to this skill, he’s able to succeed both in the zone and in man coverages and utilize his length and feel to disrupt passes and catches in crucial moments. If the coaches on Bullock’s NFL team can have him play in coverage with better play diagnosis, there is a possibility that he can even play in some single high safety situations. For his rookie season, he’ll most likely rotate and play on obvious passing downs. That is, until he’s able to add some bulk and be less of a liability in the running game.

Tyler Nubin – Minnesota

Tyler Nubin is a fifth-year senior out of Minnesota who showed consistent improvement and development during his collegiate career. He possesses the ideal body frame to play safety at the NFL level. But like every rookie entering the NFL, there are strengths and weaknesses to his game.

By the time training camp starts, Nubin will be 23 years old, making him older than second-year man Nick Cross. Raising the question of how much more development there is left. Nubin already needs more explosiveness and long speed, which is not optimal for an NFL safety. And when there is a lack of speed, this can lead to a player being more grabby, which can lead to penalties. It also means that the angles he takes and positioning need to be on point, as he doesn’t have the necessary speed to recover. His tape suggests that he may succeed more as a strong safety rather than a free safety.

Speaking of playing strong safety, Nubin is a disruptive force in the passing lanes and downhill pursuit. As a fifth-year senior, he shows strong leadership and communication skills, which are critical for the position. Now, while he profiles better as a run support safety than a coverage one, he does excel in zone defense, where his fluid movement and adaptability in coverage, combined with strong ball-tracking skills shine. 

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