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Nasir Adderley, Safety, Delaware Blue Hens
Height: 6’
Weight: 206 pounds
40-yard Dash: 4.54 seconds
Bench Press: 19 reps
Vertical: 39”
Broad Jump: N/A
Career Stats: 264 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 22 pass defended, 11 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 4 forced fumbles, 35 kickoff returns for 863 yards and one touchdown
Analysis
Strengths: When you watch the film, Adderley is all over the field. He has the speed and lateral agility to get sideline-to-sideline, and can also go downhill into the box when need be. He’s a playmaker in the secondary that closes in quickly on receivers and gets his hands on the football. Played corner for two seasons before switching to safety which could allow teams to use him in the slot. He tore up the Senior Bowl and was named a team captain, a pretty remarkable honor considering he’s coming from the “lesser” rank of college football.
Weaknesses: Like any of the players making the jump from FCS to the NFL, it remains to be seen if Adderley can compete with the elite talent at the next level. Draft experts feel he has a lot to learn in terms of play recognition and overall understanding of the safety position, but that will come with coaching. Can be overly aggressive in coverage and run support which can lead to big plays.
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Final Thoughts
Adderley injured his hamstring at Delaware’s Pro Day, but it is considered a minor injury. His ability to play both corner and safety will be appealing to a lot of teams. Some feel he compares to Earl Thomas, which might be a bit of a stretch, but there is no denying that all the physical and leadership traits are there. He is the top safety prospect in the draft and could hear his named called in the first round.