AJ Stamps, S, Kentucky: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Kentucky hasn’t been the team to make huge waves in the SEC on the gridiron but over past two years they’re beginning to produce more and more talent. Even with the abundance of versatile defenders in this year’s draft there are still some players being overlooked for all of the wrong reasons.

Kentucky’s safety AJ Stamps has been a player popping on many team’s radars and for good measures.

A talented player with great potential could be a name that fans could get to hear following up to the draft.

Player Info: 

5’11 193lbs

Free Safety

4.64 (40-yard dash)

Strengths: 

As a former receiver, Stamps possesses great ball skills and does a great job at high pointing the ball. He takes great angles down hill on passes and should be a useful piece in three safety sets. Plays more as a corner in coverage with trusting his eyes and teammates.

His ability to go out and actually occupy a strick zone is pretty impressive when he’s the high third. When it comes to the impact of both defender and receiver, Stamps does a nice job at picking by all means to disrupt the ball.

Would love to see his first year in a cover-4 scheme where he gets up help from his co-partners on the field. Though he gets caught looking in the backfield, Stamps does a great job at processing offensive sets quickly and anticipates plays better than most top safeties.

Weakness:

Toughness is a needed requirement that comes with being an NFL safety and Stamps doesn’t seem to have it. At times during games you see multiple plays where if Stamps stepped up to line, he could have made the play. Instead he will shy away from contact when taking head on.

He has no problem with making unseen hits but doesn’t do well when confronted by contact.

There are some positions that go unseen with the lack speed but safety is not. Defensive backs have to have at least one of other: Elite speed or great field awareness. You can’t get by without the other. Stamps could really use a team with great back-end veterans to help him understand both the defense better. He isn’t the biggest speedster on the team and it shows on film.

Draft Projection: 7th – UDFA