The Jaguars look at a top strong safety in the upcoming draft

The Jaguars may not consider safety a priority but if they decide to draft one, Jeremy Chinn is their man.

Most of the top safeties in the draft are best suited for the free safety position. However, the strong safety position is very important. It could be a position the Jaguars look to strengthen in the NFL Draft.

A strong safety plays on the strong side of the line of scrimmage. The strong side is the side on which the tight end lines up. He is responsible for pass coverage on running backs and tight ends. Equally important is his ability to tackle and he must play much like a smaller linebacker. He must be at least 6-foot tall and weigh over 200 pounds since he will engage defensive linemen on the field.

The Jaguars’ two starting safeties are Ronnie Harrison and Jarrod Wilson.

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Jeremy Chinn played at Southern Illinois in the Missouri Valley Conference. He is 6’3” and weighs 221 pounds.  He ran a 4.45 forty yard dash. His Combine grade was 6.15. This means he is a good backup and has a chance to be a starter.

"Per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Chinn is a “Safety prospect with compelling size, speed, and athletic ability. He has man cover skills. Very willing and able as a tackler, but despite his diverse skill set, his effectiveness can wane when asked to multitask. Chinn is at his best when he’s actively engaged and not sitting in space dissecting what comes next.”"

The Jaguars still have holes in their defense to fill. The secondary is in the process of changing with new faces being added through free agency. There is a good possibility general manager David Caldwell will look at the Draft to add depth.

Zierlein wasn’t the only one who was impressed with Chinn’s ability on the field. Per Walter Football, he projects as a 2-3 round draft choice. Chinn is the fourth-ranked safety on the website’s draft board

"Per his scouting report, “Chinn had a solid week at the Super Bowl and interviewed well with teams.  Chinn then had a superb Combine to help his draft stock. Teams feel Chinn is rising as they feel he could be a hybrid linebacker and a safety who is used in a variety of ways.”"

When I began learning about the ins and outs of the safety position and checking various draft boards to find the best safeties and potential Jaguars players, I was impressed with Chinn. He has all the physical attributes to become a star. He is a hybrid safety/linebacker and is versatile enough to play in a variety of formations.

He has moved up the draft boards of many teams and is no longer a sleeper as I once hoped. Chinn will have his opportunity in the NFL.  The Jaguars could select him in the second or third round and fill an important need.