The dream for any NFL defensive coordinator is to come away from the draft with a versatile safety or any of today’s athletic hybrid defenders.
Safeties that can slide to the slot and linebackers that rush the passer allow defensive coaches a more efficient opportunity to erase matchup nightmares or cause multiple problems for opposing offensive play callers.
Sean Desai is a Vic Fangio disciple.
Like Jonathan Gannon, he’ll focus on limiting explosive plays by playing heavy zone coverage and tricking teams into running the ball with two safety looks and his cornerbacks playing about seven yards off.
Desai is also unlikely to blitz a lot, preferring to initiate pressure with a four or five-down linemen look.
With the draft just two weeks away, we’re previewing ten hybrid defenders Philadelphia could target.
Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech (6-6, 271 pounds)
Over four seasons at Texas A&M and Texas Tech, Wilson totaled 18 sacks, 18 quarterback hits, 76 quarterback hurries, 75 tackles, 69 stops, and one forced fumble. He also had one pass breakup on five targets in coverage.
A versatile down lineman that Sean Desai can move around, Wilson had 1,035 snaps outside the tackles, 493 over the tackles, and 126 in the B-gaps.
Wilson also saw five snaps in the box and three in the slot.
HELLO TYREE WILSON pic.twitter.com/NkpoxAIrLo
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) December 15, 2022
Keion White, Edge Rusher, Georgia Tech
White is a versatile defender who can line up inside or on edge. He has rare athleticism for his size and can be a valuable weapon for the hybrid fronts run by Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai.
At 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, White is a versatile hybrid defensive end that could see time at the inside defensive tackle position.
The former tight end is a freak athlete and just started playing edge rusher.
Myles Murphy, Clemson, Edge Rusher
During his time at Clemson, Murphy totaled 20 sacks, ten quarterback hits, 66 quarterback hurries, five batted passes, 63 tackles, 64 stops, and six forced fumbles.
He had 1,244 snaps outside the tackles, 180 over the tackles, 117 in the B-gaps, and five in the A-gap, showing his ability to play as a stand-up defender or in a four-point stance.
Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
During his four seasons with the Bulldogs (his 2022 campaign ended after eight games due to a torn pectoral muscle), Smith totaled 17 sacks, 16 quarterback hits, 51 quarterback hurries, one batted pass, 65 tackles, 65 stops, and one interception on 14 targets.
A versatile defender, Smith had 1,068 snaps outside the tackles, 28 in the slot, 23 in the box, 16 at cornerback, 15 over the tackles, and 10 in the B-gaps.
Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
The more athletic of the brothers, Tuli is the younger sibling of Eagles defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu.
Tuli was used on edge with his 6-foot-4, 290-pound frame.
He’ll need to develop as a pass rusher, and his best position could be at defensive tackle in the NFL.
From 2020 through 2022, Tuipulotu totaled 21 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, 60 hurries, three batted passes, 71 tackles, 63 stops, and four forced fumbles. Tuipulotu saw 835 snaps outside the tackles, 446 over the tackles, 180 in the B-gaps, 61 in the box, 32 in the A-gaps, and eight in the slot.
Brian Branch, S, Alabama
Branch is a free safety that can flourish in the slot.
After watching the defense suffer without Avonte Maddox, Branch would give Philadelphia the versatility they had with C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the lineup.
Branch saw over 1,100 snaps in the slot over his career and is an exceptional tackler who brings elite run defense to the table in addition to his coverage skills.
Antonio Johnson, Safety, Texas A&M
A big safety at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Johnson is an explosive athlete who could play a Jamal Adams role for the Eagles.
Sydney Brown, S, Illinois
Brown started 50 games for the Illini, and his brother, Chase, is also a star running back in this draft class.
A Swiss army knife at safety, Brown earned First-Team All-Big Ten playing a hybrid role.
Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State
Henley is a former wide receiver with the athleticism to be a three-down linebacker.
Henley had significant production in 2022, recording 106 total tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass defended, and 3 forced fumbles.
Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
A Swiss Army knife at the linebacker position, Simpson has an elite athletic profile for a linebacker/hybrid defender.
Simpson can be a WILL linebacker and slot defender in the box while rushing from multiple positions.
Ivan Pace, LB Cincinnati
Pace was a 2022 Consensus All-American and AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
He was highly productive at Cincinnati, recording 136 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss (3rd in the NCAA), nine sacks, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles.
An overachiever with some physical limitations, Philadelphia loves pressure and versatile defenders; the former Bearcats star can go with the best of them.
Not sure any player has dominated specific @seniorbowl practice period like Cincinnati’s Ivan Pace Jr. did RB vs. LB pass rush this year.
Teams don’t typically draft off-ball LBs to rush passer but whoever picks Pace Jr. would be smart to build him into rush packages.
🧵1/5 pic.twitter.com/BYvucMbxfu
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) April 6, 2023
Jalen Carter, Georgia
Carter is dominant, and part of his allure is that he can do it in many different ways.
The amount "he's just fucking unblockable" tape Jalen Carter has is Ndamukong Suh levels of insane. pic.twitter.com/xKMGbsm4FM
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) April 4, 2023
Carter has the strength to dominate guards while being athletic enough to slide down and win matchups against offensive tackles.
Carter was a 2021 second-team All-SEC selection after logging 37 tackles, 8.5 for loss with three sacks, two blocked kicks, and two starts in 15 games.
In 2022, Carter led a Bulldogs defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (77.1), garnering first-team Associated Press All-American and all-conference honors despite missing time during Georgia’s title run with knee and ankle injuries.
Carter finished the season with 32 tackles, seven for loss with three sacks, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 13 games and nine starts.
Penn State’s Ji’Ayir Brown
The New Jersey native enrolled at Lackawanna College, where he played with future Penn State teammate Jaquan Brisker and earned first-team All-American honors his sophomore year. Brown played in nine games as a reserve in 2020 (six tackles, one for loss, one pass breakup) before breaking out in 2021 while playing next to Brisker.
Brown was a third-team All-Big Ten Conference pick, tying for the FBS lead with six interceptions, posting 73 tackles, and breaking up five passes in 13 starts. Brown was Penn State’s Most Valuable Player in 2022, garnering third-team All-Big Ten Conference honors with a team-high 74 tackles (seven for loss with 4.5 sacks) and four interceptions while also breaking up three passes and forcing two fumbles in 13 starts. He was the Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl (eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, interception) in Penn State’s win over Utah.
Brown is a versatile defender who will play primarily as a free safety.
