Even with the Ravens continuing to make moves to fill up holes on the roster one that still remains is at Free Safety. There was a rumor that Baltimore may still have some interest in retaining James Ihedigbo but that appears to have been more one sided. Perhaps then if the young Safety, Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix who has drawn some comparisons to Seattle’s Earl Thomas is available he may be a logical pick to wear purple in 2014.
(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
Let’s take a look.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Safety
Alabama
Height: 6’1″ Weight: 208 lbs. 40 Time: 4.58
Strengths:
-Strong field awareness; Excellent Center Fielder
-Decisive; Closes to the Ball Quickly
-Fluid fundamentals allow solid coverage skills
Weaknesses:
-At times overaggressive; Can bite on play-action
-Leaves cut back lanes exposed due to over-pursuit
-Show better consistency wrapping up in open field
At first glance Clinton-Dix is a very balanced player who has a tremendous blend of size, speed, and football instincts that could lead to a long and successful career as a professional. Teams are looking for players that possess his skill-set. A guy who can cover a lot of ground in One High sets, guard in the slot if needed or even take on Tight Ends and not get overpowered.
He excelled in pass coverage and has shown an ability to shadow players running deep routes. His size allows him to stay with bigger targets and his speed while not elite level can help him stick with speedier targets. Clinton-Dix was also fantastic in run support and was able to get to the backfield quickly and stop the ball carrier.
Like any player he has some negatives. His overaggressive nature can be exploited with play-action and he sometimes launches too early with his head down in the open field looking for the big hit instead of the sure tackle. Still you won’t find many for his position that come with what appears to be a ready to contribute resume as him. His stock has been on the rise as of late and if he’s still on the board when the Ravens select at Number Seventeen they should seriously think about taking a chance.
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.