DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2017 NFL Season 2017 NFL Draft Obi Melifonwu

This is what PFF has to say about Obi Melifonwu;

SAFETY RANKINGS
RANK PLAYER SCHOOL
1 Jamal Adams, LSU
2 Malik Hooker, Ohio State
3 Obi Melifonwu, Connecticut
4 Justin Evans, Texas A&M
5 Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
6 Marcus Williams, Utah
7 Xavier Woods, Louisiana Tech
8 Eddie Jackson, Alabama
9 Tedric Thompson, Colorado
10 Budda Baker, Washington
11 Delano Hill, Michigan
12 Nathan Gerry, Nebraska
13 Marcus Maye, Florida
14 Josh Jones NC, State
15 Jordan Sterns, Oklahoma State
16 Jadar Johnson, Clemson
17 Montae Nicholson, Michigan State
18 Chuck Clark, Virginia Tech
19 Kai Nacua, BYU
20 Shalom Luani, Washington State

MELIFONWU
SCHOOL: CONNECTICUT HEIGHT: 6’4”
POSITION: S WEIGHT: 224 LBS
TACKLES ASSISTS MT STOPS TARGETS REC CATCH % YARDS TD INT PDPASSER
POSITION FIT: Strong safety

What he does best:
• Ideal size, athleticism and physicality to play man against tight ends at the next level.
• Can cover a ton of ground in a flash and make it look easy because of his long stride.
• Played a variety of alignments at UConn and will offer the same level of versatility in the NFL.
• When he breaks down in space he is a solid open-field tackler who can wrap up and drive his man
backward as well as adjust to quick cuts.
• Excels at running at full speed to his target and either locating the ball at the catch point or playing
his man’s hands as the ball arrives.
• Closing, long speed uncommon for his size.
• Gave up more than 60 receiving yards in a game just four times total in the past two seasons.
• Held his own on multiple reps at cornerback during Senior Bowl practices.
Biggest concern:
• At times will attack the line of scrimmage out of control and overrun tackles.
• Not consistently physical with blockers – gets tied up too easily considering his size and strength.
• Can at times lose track of receivers through his zone by honing in too much on the QB.
• Will get too aggressive with run fits and leave cutback lanes into open space.
• 12 touchdowns against in three seasons, three in 2016.
Player comparison:
KAM CHANCELLOR, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
This comparison is low-hanging fruit, but the reality is there just isn’t another existing player in the NFL
who can play up to Melifonwu’s ceiling based on his size and athleticism. Chancellor’s role is one that
many teams try to emulate and Melifonwu is one of the few capable of living up to that type of hype.
Bottom line:
At 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds, Melifonwu flashes the all-around athleticism uncommonly seen for a man
his size. While he is certainly capable of covering the deep third, and displays the range and ball skills to
close and make plays to the boundary with consistency, he is capable of making a bigger impact at the next
level the closer he is to the line of scrimmage. His physicality is on display in man coverage, where
he is not afraid to punch his man off the line of scrimmage and at the break point in order to stay on his
hip. This makes him an intriguing matchup option against tight ends, which the league should view as
his greatest area of upside. With such a rare combination of size and athleticism as well as the ability to
tackle well in space, Melifonwu is possibly the most complete safety prospect in this draft class outside
of LSU’s Jamal Adams, and is worth a top pick, particularly for teams coveting a classic strong safety.

#1 Garrett
#12 Hooker
#33 Obi

Look at his combine numbers. There is no chance he lasts to our 33 pick.

#5 Hooker
#12 Barnett
#18 Obi
2018 1st

the thing that i'm most excited about this draft: we have a chance to really upgrade our secondary. we can draft a top notch S and CB.

If we add Garrett, a safety, and a CB in the first 3 picks ... wow

I don't know. Just looking at a few big boards he starts popping up around 26 or so. It's not like he is rated as a 10 10-15 player. I wouldn't say there is no chance. Seems to me there is a fairly good chance he could be there.

Plus, this is the year I would expect us to use some picks to move up. I am not saying it will be for this guy, though it could. I would not be surprised to see us trade up into the bottom of the 1st round. It's hard to believe we are actually going to draft 14 players.

I'm a UConn fan and I'd prefer the Buddah Baker. Jabril Peppers too

Can you explain why? Just curious. I'm not as well-versed with Obi's game

This FO only has a year of track record, but it seems to me that Obi is the type of player they like. I've been thinking they like sitting at #33 for it being the first pick of a new day, but recently someone pointed out that first round picks are eligible for an extra year on the rookie contract, and that's an attractive value. I could see them moving back into the 1st for a third player, and although Obi isn't the first player that comes to mind for such a move, he would be a good choice.

I definitely see the value in drafting someone at 32 as opposed to 33 from a contract standpoint, but I'd really only do that for a QB. Having pick 33 is a very nice luxury from a bargaining/strategic standpoint

In short, because I'm on vacation with only iPad and no comp, he never stood out much to me. I don't think his play matches a first or second round pick. I guess the word would be raw, at this point a better athlete than player. He's a big guy, very athletic, but never struck me as a natural football player

He was probably the best player on an awful uconn team this year, but I didn't think he was that good. I watched plenty of Ibrahim Campbell in college, and I'd have chosen him over Obi. Campbell made more plays vs better competition.

I just didn't notice Obi always being around the ball. But maybe I missed something (as I thought Campbell would be an okay starter here). UConn became really hard to watch as the season went on. Really hard. So I'm going off 2015 and early to middle 2016

Thanks Petey. I literally never saw him play once so I trust your judgment. It's tough to take a "raw" player at an inferior school in an early round.

So I'll trust you and hope we don't draft him that high

ENjoy your vacation buddy

That would be great. Or Garrett and two safeties and a CB later, but I think there's a QB somewhere in the second two of those first three picks. Even so, if we could get Adams or Obi, and Budda, Williams or Maye plus a CB like Jackson, Tankersly or Willson we'd be looking pretty good.

Yeah I agree. How about Garrett, Adams, Baker, and then the best CB

The FO was smart in that we don't need to draft a single OL. It eliminates a big area of concern (plus, it's a terrible OL draft, so everytime one is taken it slides a good prospect back)

I would be thrilled if we came away with Garrett, Adams, Marcus Williams, and any one of Tankersley/Tabor/Wilson/Sutton/Lewis/Jones.

Haha, I dunno if my judgment is that great. I'm afraid to post in that wrong about, right about thread

But I've def seen the guy play, knew who he was before the combine, and didn't see early pick in my mind. But like I said, I was a big fan of Ibrahim Campbell when I lived in ChiTown, and thought he'd be a lot better than he showed us last season

Athletic but raw. Doesn't that describe at least 3 players from last year's draft class? Ogbah, Lewis and S Coleman were all described as athletic but raw. They all shared a third characteristic, they were all high character young men.

People have argued that Barnett is a better alternative than Garrett because he has better technique. But Garrett is the more athletic. I think this FO prefers athleticism; you can teach technique, you can't teach athleticism. There is more potential for improvement. That's where the 3rd element to the equation comes in, character. It's one thing have a higher potential, but to realize that potential, one has to be ready and willing to make the effort.

To me, Melifonwu fits that mold, very athletic but raw (room to improve) with the character to realize his potential.

CBS just bumped him down from 26 to 35 today.

Here's my thoughts via film breakdown from an Obi game.^^ Would be interested to see what other see and what plays we agree/disagree on.

I don't think his film is bad at all.

He is a projection as a center field FS because he seldom was used in that role. He can play around the box but he's not a thumper nor does he play with a lot of physicality. You're not gonna confuse him for Adams. He's a wrap and drag tackler that doesn't look to blow people up. But he's a sure tackler, doesn't have as many missed tackles or poor angles as Hooker. He's also very good in man coverage, step for step in trail tech and covers people up with sheer size. If Obi is running stride for stride with most receiving threats the QB is probably looking elsewhere.

Obi has rare size/length and coupled with his freak athleticism imho make
a key chess piece to match up and nullify TE threats which was a weakness that cost games last year.

Know this is a DB threat....but guys, Hue WANTS a bigger, taller, stronger armed QB than Kessler- IF we go two D players- JMHO...we for SURE take a QB with our third highest pick...want to upgrade the D, but my perception of reality is QB is taken, traded for with picks, or something....GO Browns!!! PS and I can live with Kessler as starter, this year!!!!

I think his stock has overtaken Budda's. One of the two may be gone at 33.