Indianapolis drafted FS Antoine Bethea in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. He projected as an effective No. 3 behind then-starters Michael Doss and Bob Sanders. After all, Bethea could line up at strong or free safety, and he was an excellent special-teams player at Howard. So while the lower level of competition likely inflated his stats, the Colts could use him in a limited role.
Then Doss missed the entire 2006 preseason with a lower leg injury and sustained a season-ending knee injury later that year, giving Bethea a chance to prove himself. He took full advantage. Bethea has now started 43 regular-season games and six postseason games the past three years. He even earned a trip to the Pro Bowl as an alternate following the 2007 season.
Looking back at this pick now, it appears that too much emphasis was placed on Bethea's playing at an FCS school. After all, he ran well at the combine and put up respectable numbers at the collegiate level. It's also worth pointing out that Bethea played in a similar defensive system at Howard to what the Colts run, and his familiarity with the scheme likely made the transition to the NFL easier.
Here are three safeties from well-known schools and one small-school prospect who are expected to come off the board on Day 2 of the 2009 draft. These four could prove to be steals. I include possible landing spots for all four.
Chris Clemons, FS, Clemson
Clemons flew under the radar last year for several reasons: Clemson had a turbulent 2008 season, Clemons lacked highlight-reel plays and he lined up next to projected early-second-day pick SS Michael Hamlin. But Clemons' stock spiked after he weighed in at 208 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the combine in February. Not surprisingly, scouts are now even more intrigued by his upside; it's not like he's a slouch on film, either. Although Clemons isn't much of a playmaker or a big hitter over the middle at this point, he shows above-average range in coverage and is a willing run defender who generally wraps up on contact on film. He should make an immediate impact covering kicks as well.
New Orleans did well to sign free agents Darren Sharper and Pierson Prioleau after deciding not to re-sign unrestricted free agent Josh Bullocks and making Kevin Kaesviharn a cap casualty. That said, Sharper is 33 years old and Prioleau is 31, so the Saints would be wise to add depth and youth at free safety. Enter Clemons, who would bolster depth and could very well develop into an effective complement to 2006 second-round pick SS Roman Harper. Harper is an effective run-stopper who can hold his own in underneath zone coverage, but he lacks elite range and man-to-man cover skills. Adding a safety like Clemons, who can play a center fielder type role behind him, would give Harper and a Saints pass defense that surrendered too many big plays last year more of a security blanket.