2020 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Grant Delpit

2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2020 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Trey Adams, OT, Washington Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Bradley Anae, DE, Utah Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn Joe Burrow, QB, LSU K'Lavon Chaisson, DE, LSU Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame Nick Coe, DE, Auburn Lloyd Cushenberry, C, LSU Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State Marlon Davidson, DE, Auburn Ashtyn Davis, S, California Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama Grant Delpit, S, LSU Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne Troy Dye, LB, Oregon J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Jacob Eason, QB, Washington Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU Jon Greenard, DE, Florida Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA Robert Hunt, G, La.-Lafayette Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn Austin Jackson, OT, USC Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah Josh Jones, OT, Houston Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Walker Little, OT, Stanford Jordan Love, QB, Utah State Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Zack Moss, RB, Utah Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri Patrick Queen, LB, LSU Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson Trey Smith, OT, Tennessee D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

Grant Delpit, 6-2/213 Safety LSU

Grant Delpit Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Instinctive

Real presence in the middle of the field

Physical

Hard hitter

Contributing run defender

Can drive and fill in the box

Around the ball

Good coverage safety

Versatile coverage safety

Can help cover big receivers

Able to zone cover in the short middle of the field

Ball skills

Interception threat

Capable of playing the deep center fielder

Plays fast

Athletic

Covers ground

Good vision, eye discipline

Asset to defend big receivers

Fluid; can turn and run

Good height

Should be able to play quickly

Experienced and successful against good college talent

Versatile

Leader

Field general presence

Upside

Weaknesses:

More natural at strong

Can take bad angles in coverage downfield

Can react a little late to deep routes

Misses a lot of tackles

Doesn’t have great top end speed

Doesn’t have great range

Doesn’t play with good strength

Summary: Some players are so good they jump out at you even when you are studying other players for another draft class. That was the case with Delpit, who was impossible to miss when watching LSU in 2018. The fast and physical safety was all over the field for the Tigers. Watching tape of LSU, Delpit jumped off the screen and commanded viewers to take notice. That season, Delpit had 74 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks, nine passes batted and five interceptions. He showed an excellent combination of size and speed to be a difference-maker at safety in the professional ranks. That impressive high quality play to go along with his skill set had NFL teams thinking he had top-20 potential for his draft class.

As a junior, Delpit was not as prolific on the stat sheet. LSU moved him around more, and he didn’t play as close to the line of scrimmage. Additionally, the undefeated Tigers blew out so many opponents that their starters played less and Delpit spent more time in coverage with teams forced to pass and play from behind. That hurt his tackle total and other metrics, but he also did not play as well in his junior year compared to 2018. Delpit had a superb game against Florida, one of the closest games LSU had during the regular season, with some mixed outings against Georgia and Texas A&M. In 2019, Delpit recorded 59 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and seven passes broken up.

In 2018, Delpit was such a prominent defender for the Tigers as his instincts had him routinely around the ball, making plays for his defense and making it difficult for the offense to move the ball. Delpit’s awareness and recognition skills are solid as he is assignment sound in pass coverage while also contributing stops in the ground game.

Delpit has potential on pass defense. He is a dangerous blitzer and adept at getting after the quarterback. In coverage, Delpit can help in a variety of ways. He has the speed to cover ground, but doesn’t have great range to be a deep centerfielder. He does a nice job of using his vision to play the ball and break up passes while covering wideouts. If Delpit gets stronger, he could help cover tight ends and big receivers in man coverage because he has the speed to run with them with the size to handle height. Right now however, tight ends could push him around, so he needs to grow more physical.

Delpit looks more natural and comfortable playing strong safety, but he played some free safety in college. Occasionally at free safety, he would react a hair late to deep passes and/or take a bad angle downfield. Hence, he is more natural at strong safety. He lined up all over the place for LSU in 2018 and 2019, including free safety, so he has some experience.

As a run defender, Delpit is a contributor. He uses his instincts to fire to the ball and make plays. In 2019, Delpit missed a lot of tackles and didn’t play with good strength, so he needs to improve that for the next level. Delpit is not the thickest or strongest of safeties, but he throws his body around and shows no hesitation to fire into the scrum and make a tackle. Delpit looks more comfortable near the line of scrimmage and being the eighth man in the box. In the NFL, he could be a valuable defender in stopping rushing attacks if he gets stronger, more physical, and cuts out the missed tackles.

Delpit could develop into a solid strong safety as a pro, and if he plays more like his 2018 version, he could end up being a good value as a late first-round or second-round pick. A number of team sources believe Delpit will be selected during Round 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Jamal Adams. In the NFL, I think Delpit will be a poor man’s Jamal Adams. Delpit may not ever be quite as good as Adams in run defense, but I think Delpit could be pretty comparable in pass coverage.

2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2020 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Trey Adams, OT, Washington Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Bradley Anae, DE, Utah Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn Joe Burrow, QB, LSU K'Lavon Chaisson, DE, LSU Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame Nick Coe, DE, Auburn Lloyd Cushenberry, C, LSU Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State Marlon Davidson, DE, Auburn Ashtyn Davis, S, California Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama Grant Delpit, S, LSU Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne Troy Dye, LB, Oregon J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Jacob Eason, QB, Washington Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU Jon Greenard, DE, Florida Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA Robert Hunt, G, La.-Lafayette Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn Austin Jackson, OT, USC Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah Josh Jones, OT, Houston Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Walker Little, OT, Stanford Jordan Love, QB, Utah State Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Zack Moss, RB, Utah Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri Patrick Queen, LB, LSU Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson Trey Smith, OT, Tennessee D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

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