Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Draft Prospect Preview | S Grant Delpit, LSU
Grant Delpit, Safety
Height: 6-foot 3
Weight: 203 lbs
Grade: Junior
School: LSU
Grant Delpit will be a tremendous asset to whoever is lucky enough to draft him.
After going to multiple high schools, he settled in at IMG Academy in Florida. He excelled in his senior year, logging 47 tackles and five interceptions.
Born in Louisiana, Delpit committed to LSU, eschewing 25 other offers from prestigious programs around the country. Per 247Sports, it was his dream to play for the Tigers and “knew all along” he’d commit to LSU.
Delpit started strong, playing in all 13 games his freshman year, recording 60 tackles and one interception. In 2018 he saw a jump in his production, where he’d have a career-high five sacks and five interceptions.
This performance helped him earn the Jim Thorpe Award, as well as First-Team All-SEC and All-American Honors. Anchoring a top-35 defense (out of 130) in terms of points and yards allowed, Delpit was a key player in LSU’s victory over Clemson in the CFP National Championship.
Delpit knows he has big shoes to fill when he gets to the NFL. Greats like Tyrann Mathieu and Jamal Adams have gone on to success in the NFL. Mathieu was arguably the best player on defense for a Chiefs team that just won the Super Bowl.
Delpit seems up to the task, as he possesses similar qualities to his predecessors in terms of having a knack for making plays in big moments, like the ones he made in wins over Auburn, Georgia, and Mississippi State.
Delpit has experience playing all over the secondary, at times even playing linebacker. Because of his athleticism, knowledge, and recognition skills, he’s a chess piece that can be moved anywhere.
If there is a deficiency in Delpit's game, it's been his tackling, which isn't always consistent. However, his coverage skills alone make him a safe bet in Round 1.
While 2019 was better than 2018, he still has much to prove. Yet with an arsenal of range, acceleration, ball skills, Delpit is the definition of a reliable coverage safety.
Why He’s a Fit
The Giants need help at every level of their defense, but they sure could use a safety to cover the back end. Antoine Bethea, their safety from last season, probably isn't in the team's long-term plans.
Jabril Peppers had a promising debut season with the Giants post-trade, as he didn’t allow a touchdown in 33 pass target while posting a 74.1 coverage grade. However, Peppers seems more comfortable and effective in the box, moving forward to stopping the run and short passes.
Delpit, arguably the best safety in the draft, led his team in interceptions and sacks, his play reminding some of Jamal Adams and Tyrann Mathieu. LSU asked Delpit to play center field in zone coverage, lock up receivers in the slot, come down in run support and blitz off the edge, and he delivered, saying, "Who wouldn’t like doing all that...anywhere the coach puts me, I’m going to make the play."
NFL teams crave versatility with multi-positional defenders all over the field, which is a big reason Delpit is rising on certain draft boards.
