Switching positions.

[sportscurmudgeon]

Originally Posted by skinster

I'm looking at this year's draft prospects, and once again there seems to be a severe lack of Free Safeties at the top of the draft. This seems to happen pretty often. There just seems to be a general lack of Free Safety talent in the league, While corners seem to be taken in plenty throughout the top draft. Although there seems to be plenty of gaurds/interior linemen this year, I would say that the same phenomenon happens with those positions also while tackles seem to be taken plenty throughout the draft.

I don't understand why teams don't draft corners and move them to free safety, or draft tackles and move them to guard. I understand there are nuances to the position/different skills required to be good, but it seems like there are enough similarities between these two positions that the transition could be made. Antrel Rolle to free safety, robert gallery/chris williams to guard. It almost seems like these guys got demoted but still ended up contributing more to their respective teams.

It almost seems as if the best football players play corner and tackle. There's just superior talent there. I don't understand why teams regularly draft poor talent at safety and guard in the later rounds over drafting superior potential at those positions simply because they were assigned a different position in college.

I may be off base here, but at the very least I think there's a little truth in what I'm saying

Two points:

1. Cornerbacks tend to be "faster/smaller guys" than safeties in college so perhaps teams prefer not to move them to safety until their speed diminishes and/or they "bulk up" a bit. Remember that Ronnie Lott - - who was "pretty good" as a safety started in the NFL as a CB with the Niners.

2. Check out the starting guards in the NFL and you will find that a lot of them played tackle in college and have been moved inside to play guard.

[Jontrem]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

Two points:

1. Cornerbacks tend to be "faster/smaller guys" than safeties in college so perhaps teams prefer not to move them to safety until their speed diminishes and/or they "bulk up" a bit. Remember that Ronnie Lott - - who was "pretty good" as a safety started in the NFL as a CB with the Niners.

2. Check out the starting guards in the NFL and you will find that a lot of them played tackle in college and have been moved inside to play guard.

Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott are two guys who made the switch to safety after starting as CBs I think. Those two moves worked out pretty well!

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by Jontrem

Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott are two guys who made the switch to safety after starting as CBs I think. Those two moves worked out pretty well!

To add on that, Malcolm Jenkins of the Saints started there as a corner and they moved him to FS. Not saying he's anywhere near the class of Lott and Woodson, but it's worked out pretty well for him.