Dallas Cowboys Draft: Top-10 safeties and their potential fit

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SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Byron Murphy #1 and Taylor Rapp #7 of the Washington Huskies hit Solomon Enis #21 of the Utah Utes and forced him to drop the ball during the Pac 12 Championship game at Levi’s Stadium on November 30, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Taylor Rapp, Washington

Instead of starting with more popular names like Adderley and Thompson, I am starting with Rapp because the Cowboys have a higher chance of drafting him than the other big names in this draft. So with that clarification out of the way…

What’s Good: Tackling, Aggression

What Ain’t Good: Lateral Quickness, Ball Skills, Field Positioning

Rapp is an interesting safety. He played center fielder for the Huskies while also playing inside the box on several occasions. Regardless of where he lined up, he found success. As a blitzer, he shoots through the gap using his speed ending plays in the backfield with his superior tackling and aggressiveness. He isn’t afraid of big guys and is actually pretty good when playing man coverage against a tight end.

With all the props we give him, he has some extremely noticeable flaws. His change of direction isn’t particularly great and he stands a good 20 yards from the line of scrimmage when placed into coverage. This was perhaps the most puzzling thing I noticed when watching his film. He was so far from the ball on run plays and his position immediately allowed for 10 yard passes to go for an extra few yards. Even on the goal line he’d be 8 yards deep in the end zone.

Perhaps the only explanation is his lateral quickness. His straight line speed seems fine but his inability to change direction smoothly limits his effectiveness in the open field. With the extra 5 yards he is away from the LOS, it allows him to direct his body to the ball carrier without giving up a bigger play.

In addition, when the ball is in the air, he doesn’t go after the interception. He tries to hit the receiver so he drops the ball. While his timing in these situations were generally good, this might not translate to the NFL as well if he’s playing so close to the LOS.

Could he be a Cowboy?:

Yes, if he falls to 58. Flaws aside, Rapp’s aggression, tackling ability, and other intangibles like intelligence and leadership will certainly boost the Cowboys secondary. I predict he should do well enough at the Combine to keep his current draft stock afloat, this being the 2nd round. The only time I could see the Cowboys having the opportunity to select would be in the 2nd round because he will surely picked by another team.

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