DRAFT TRACKER 2017

It is impossible to ignore Likely's diminutive stature and it's impossible to ignore the fact that he's having to come back from an ACL tear. It's equally impossible to ignore his elite quickness and hyper-competitive nature. His lack of size will put a ceiling on his draft stock, but Likely is talented enough to become a slot corner in the NFL. His ability to take over return duties should add value for a player who can make a team better regardless of what the tape measure says.

Griffin plays the game with an aggressive tilt both in coverage and in his run support. Griffin has good ball skills with a closing burst to challenge throws, but his anticipation is just average and he may not be able to play off of receivers and still be as effective with his ball production. Because he lacks long speed but is an effective tackler, he could be targeted by a defense favoring Cover-2 coverage.

Clark is a little smaller than the NFL norm and that will likely hurt him some on draft day since the safety position is often drafted based heavily on physical traits. Clark is a willing tackler who can play a combo safety role thanks to his instincts and ball skills. Position coaches may end up liking him much more than the evaluators who are tasked with finding traits-based talent. Clark could become a third safety who works his way into playing time.

Maulet’s size will require him to move inside to the slot where his athleticism and ball skills are a plus. While Maulet was a much better football player this season and clearly understood how to play his position better, he will need to run well at the combine for teams to consider drafting him. He should post some athletic numbers, but since he’s just 5-foot-9, he needs to prove that he can hit a functional top speed.

On the surface, Allen is nowhere near ready to play NFL football. He lacks smooth feet and hips in coverage, a feel for routes and is below average playing the deep ball. His issues as a tackler make it unlikely a team would trust him to move to safety. However, his elite size, speed and length are sure to garner attention and he does flash some potential as a bump-and-run corner. Allen could be a late-round pick who is stashed on a practice squad while a team tries to improve his technique.