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Adrian Amos, FS, Penn State
While it may seem like he can, Charles Woodson cannot play forever. When he leaves, the Raiders will be left with a giant hole at safety, unless they address the position in the 2015 NFL Draft before Woodson retires.
Adrian Amos is a player that can do it all and has few weaknesses. Amos is one of the best coverage safeties in the 2015 NFL Draft as he gave up only 14 catches on 39 targets last season. This ranked first of any safety in division one football according to Pro Football Focus.
Amos also ranked fourth in yards per coverage snap allowing only 0.30 yards per coverage. As a result of his impressive coverage, Amos led the nation in opponent passer rating. Quarterbacks throwing to Amos were held to a ridiculous passer rating of 13.0 (second best safety in this category was 28.1).
While Amos made a name for himself with shut-down coverage, he quietly was also one of the best pass rushing free safeties last season. His pass rush productivity of 11.2 ranked eighth in the nation according to Pro Football Focus.
Amos has everything you want in a coverage safety as he is athletic with good range and displays excellent ball skills. While he may not always make the elite play, he is consistent and is rarely out of coverage. His most impressive trait is that he can play in the slot (1/3rd of his snaps last season came from the slot). This is a rare trait for safeties to have and it makes Amos versatile allowing him to play in more defensive schemes.
The reason why he will likely fall to the fourth round is because his run support needs to improve. But I think Amos would be a steal in the fourth round for the Raiders.
After starting 37 consecutive games over the last three seasons for Penn State, Amos would enter the Raiders with experience in a top conference. He has proven extremely durable and does not have any injury history.
Amos also has all the athletic traits NFL teams look for in safeties as he ranked in the top ten in almost every event at the 2015 NFL Combine. His performance was topped with the second best 20 and 60-yard shuttle dashes and a 4.56 40-yard dash ranking 7th best among safeties.
While Amos may not be an elite safety, he has the potential to be a very good one. With the addition of Leonard Williams, the Raiders now have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Pair that with an impressive linebacker corps featuring Khalil Mack and the Raiders defense will create havoc on opposing offenses. This will open up opportunities for the defensive backs.
So while Amos may not be elite, the Raiders do not need an elite safety. They need someone that can play consistently and get the job done. That is exactly what Amos will be able to do, and one year of sitting behind Charles Woodson and Nate Allen will only help his development.
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