Why This ASU Prospect Could Be a Draft Steal
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Day 3, or the last day of the NFL Draft is where many are projecting ASU Safety Xavion Alford to go in the NFL Draft. This might be a shock to Sun Devil fans, as many were a fan of him. So why is Alford projected to go late and what value could be bring to NFL Teams?
Resurgence of Safety
For a while in the NFL, safety seemed like a position was not as valued by teams. However, the past couple of years in the NFL, safety has been a position that has had more of an emphasis on it. Whether it be Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton or Los Angeles Chargers Derwin James have been some of the best defensive players in the NFL over the past couple of years. Even the NFC team in the Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks have a great safety with rookie Nick Emmanwori. Emmanwori has been a big part of Seattle's great defense, which has them in the Super Bowl.
The reason that the safety position is getting more popular now is due to the fact that a lot of NFL defenses are playing deep. Since the league has so many deep throwers of the ball such as Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes or Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, NFL defenses have adapted by playing deep, meaning having one or two safeties backed up behind the rest of the defense.
Versatility of Alford
Another reason that safetey has been popular in the NFL is due to how versatile they can be and Alford diffently fits that descreption. Alford is great in coverage as he can read defenses well and has great speed. However, Alford is also very solid in run defense. His great speed translates well to tracking down and tackling opposing teams's ball carieers. With safeties such as Kyle Hamilton sometimes playing a linebacker like role in the NFL at times, Alford's very nice run defense should translate very well to the NFL.
Alford's Leadership
Not only is Alford great on the field, he is also very good off of it. Alford has been described as a very vocal leader on the Sun Devils defense. The impact he had off the field will be remembered as someone who had a great impact for Kenny Dillingham's team. Leadership off the field is a great trait to have as it can translate to a team that is smart and resilient.
So why is Alford projected to go later?
So, after it is established that Alford is a great player and that there is a need for his position, why is he projected to go later in the draft ? One thing to point out is that Alford had a serious injury last year and that teams are sometimes hesitant to take a flyer on a player with a season ending injury, so that is something to keep in mind. So even though Alford has the talent of a Round 2 or 3 player, he could go later due to his injury and this being a deep safety class. However, whoever gets Alford will be getting a really good player that contribute both on and off the field.
Overall, Xavion Alford made a huge impact at ASU in a big positive way and it should set him up well for a good NFL journey.
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Tanner Cappellini holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University and is pursuing his dream of being the person at the games, practices, and events who takes others inside the team they love.