Safety Prospects Lead The Draft In Career Turnovers

Interesting - Five of the top six players with the highest turnover numbers in their careers are safeties. This according to Pat Kirwan of NFL.com:

This draft class has a number of defensive players who run off the field with the ball in their hand enough times to take notice. For example, how do you explain a linebacker who ran a slow 4.95 40-yard time yet had 10 interceptions and forced three fumbles? He plays faster than his timed speed and understands the most important thing is to get the ball back for the offense, but he's projected to be a fifth-round player.

Here are the players who found the football a lot during their college days and soon could be part of your team. Take a look at the combined number of interceptions, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries these draft prospects produced in their college careers.

Name School Pos. INT-FF-FR total Projected round

Eric Weddle Utah S 27 2nd

Michael Griffin Texas S 24 1st

Josh Gattis Wake Forest S 23 4th

Sabby Piscitelli Oregon St S 19 3rd

Leon Hall Michigan CB 18 1st

John Wendling Wyoming S 16 4th

Daymeion Hughes California CB 15 2nd

LaMarr Woodley Michigan DE 15 2nd

Dan Bazuin Cent. Michigan DE 15 4th

Aaron Ross Texas CB 14 1st

Tony Taylor Georgia LB 13 5th

Anthony Spencer Purdue DE 13 1st

Rufus Alexander Oklahoma LB 13 3rd

Tim Crowder Texas DE 12 3rd

How about the Texas defense, which had three players in this draft class who combined for 50 plays that got the ball back for the offense? Or Michigan, with two players creating 33 turnovers? The linebacker with the above-mentioned 4.95 (and a fifth-round grade) is Tony Taylor. Dan Bazuin not only forced nine fumbles and recovered six, but he also blocked four field goals.

NFL defensive coordinators will never stop talking about how important it is to get the ball back. I say it's more important to get players with a proven track record of getting the ball back and stop hoping they have a knack for it.

Whether is be Josh Gattis or some other defensive back, the Chargers are in good shape this draft to add a turnover machine in the secondary. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

FEATURED COMMENT

Antonio Gates is easily one of the best tight ends to have ever played NFL football, but I doubt he would get into the Hall of Fame now if his career were to mysteriously end now. Why? Because, despite eye-popping numbers and video-highlight reels to die for, careers like Gates' are a microcosm of what's wrong with the modern corporate game and inherent problems trying to rate individual players in a team sport.

If Antonio had had a stellar college career as a tight end and retired tomorrow, he might make it in; but as someone who was UNdrafted yet enormously successful, his career makes the prognosticator industry look less than the Grand Pooba's they purport to be. Ditto for Gates' quick ascent to lofty numbers. Naysayers will mention Brees' lack of success with the deep pass, or L.T.'s phenominal success will be used as a "qualifier" against Gates' induction merit as he was "only a part" of a great offensive team. It's ironic, even foolish, but Gates needs to escape the "shadow" of L.T.'s iconic career to solidly define his own. Nowadays Jackson, Sproles, and others are getting more balls thrown to them too. So it will be, by offensive design, probably difficult for Gates to continue on with the pace of his earlier success; and that's assuming he can stay healthy. But whatever accolades may come his way eventually, he has been just fantastic to watch as a Charger.

Personally, I'd even rate him slightly above the great Kellen Winslow here, and Winslow's in the HoF. Winslow's career here also reiterates my earlier point; he was pivotal to the NFL to a large degree because his position was pivotal to the passing attack introduced to the NFL by Don Coryell and his staff. Yet, AMAZINGLY, relatively few folks are clamoring so much for Coryell's overdue induction into the HoF!? Coryell deserves to be there as much as anyone, period! But Don loved football and football players first and foremost, and never did the Corporate or media dance. Truth is, none are so blind as those that refuse to see.

Posted by Anonymous on "Is Antonio Gates Already A Hall Of Fame Player?"