5 NFL Draft sleeper prospects who should be first-round picks

3. Grant Delpit

Greedy Williams inexplicably fell into the second round of last year’s draft due to concerns about his ability to tackle in the NFL. This year its Grant Delpit who will suffer that fate as a former LSU defensive back.

Scouts should have learned their lesson with Williams. Delpit missed too many tackles at LSU, but it’s not as if he isn’t willing to throw his weight around. His uptick in production in 2019 should have silenced concerns about his consistency in the final third.

Even if Delpit does miss an occasional tackle or two, that doesn’t take away from what he does best. He’s an explosive athlete who can get up into the box and make big plays for his defense. Combine that with a guy who can hold up in man-to-man coverage down the field and there’s an easy recipe for an above average starter.

Delpit’s ceiling is even higher than that. If things click for him and he cleans up his technique, he’s got a chance to blossom into a consistent Pro Bowler. Safeties aren’t highly valued in the modern game, but defensive playmakers are. That’s what Delpit should be at the next level.