2021 NFL Draft safety rankings: Grant and Moehrig battle for the top spot
By John Blair
8. Darrick Forrest, Cincinnati
5-foot-11, 200 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fifth round
Part of the reason Cincinnati has had such an outstanding defense the past couple of seasons is their great safety play. While James Wiggins might be the higher-rated Bearcat safety his teammate Darrick Forrest is not far behind. Forrest’s best season was in 2019 when he recorded 106 tackles and was named to the All-AAC team.
Forrest is likely best off at strong safety in the NFL for a couple of reasons. One of these is his aggressive play vs the run and the fact he has a nose for finding the ball carrier. He is also a physical defender who has no trouble bringing down larger ball carriers. Another reason why he is best at this position is he can be a liability at times in coverage. He tends to peek in the backfield at times which allows receivers to get behind him.
9. Richard LeCounte III, Georgia
5-foot-11, 196 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fifth round
Coming out of high school Richard LeCounte III was rated as the second-best safety in the 2017 recruiting class. Despite this high ranking though he did not put up big numbers his first two years on campus, however that changed in 2019 when he finished second in the SEC with four picks and also came away with three last year in just six games. Unfortunately, his career ended on a poor note as he was in a motorcycle accident which cost him the rest of the 2020 season.
As a prospect, he is a player with good ball skills and has the ability to play center field in the NFL. The biggest concern with how well he will hold up in coverage is his poor 40-yard dash time which was 4.78 seconds, but he plays much faster than that on the field. When it comes to defending the run he is a willing tackler and isn’t afraid of contact. However, he does play out of control at times which leads to him missing his share of tackles. In terms of where he will fit in at the NFL level, he will likely be a backup who sees significant time on special teams.