Originally Posted by Saccopoo
(Post 6669065)
Ed Reed was selected at #24 and Polamalu at #16. And they are the best of their generation. Selected by teams who had most of the other key roster spots filled and could take a chance on using a first round pick on a safety. It's what good teams do.
While the importance of having a quality safety has increased since the pass interference rule enforcement after the 2004 season, it is still considered a support position that is the least important position on the defensive side of the ball.
While Eric Berry is an incredible athlete, he did nothing more statistically in his best season than a guy like Earl Thomas or Morgan Burnett did at the same position. A safety is basically limited to the number of opportunities that they are going to get in a game. Look at the numbers of the top safeties in the NFL. Their statistics are all virtually the same. The position caps itself in terms of production.
I don't know if by selecting Berry in round one that you get much if anything in terms of the position over say a guy like Robert Johnson in round five.
That's the problem with drafting a safety that high in the draft, and why you don't see many teams do it. Yes, I think that Berry has freakish athleticism, and has exceptional versatility in terms of what he brings to a defensive backfield. He is big enough, fast enough, athletic enough, instinctive enough to play any position in the backfield. In terms of giving you want you want out of his position, he's every bit the player as Bradford, Suh or Okung. Maybe even more. However, it's the position itself that is really going to make a GM/FO/Coach hesitate in terms of drafting him with a top ten pick, let alone a top five pick.
If Okung isn't available, I hope the Chiefs draft Berry. He'd be a better alternative than someone like Bryan Bulaga, Trent Williams or god forbid Dan Williams at that spot based on his athletic potential, college production and versatility alone. However, if they did pass on Berry, but picked up a guy like Morgan Burnett in the second, Darrell Stuckey in the third or a guy like Johnson or Myron Rolle in the fifth, I wouldn't be totally bummed out. They'd all offer the Chiefs an improved secondary.
In addition, you have to think about what the Chiefs want to do with Jarrad Page. Is he the free safety and do they then look at possible strong safeties? Or do they move him over to strong safety and draft a guy like Berry for the FS spot? Is a guy like Dajuan Morgan ready to turn the corner? Here's a third round draftee who's been with the team two seasons and was considered a versatile safety that could play a number of backfield positions.
I know that many people want and expect the Chiefs to draft Berry, but there are a lot of questions about that position as it relates to the Chiefs and the #5 pick.
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Berry is a real possibility for the Redskins
(https://chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=226360)