Minnesota Vikings draft: Five potential safety targets

2. Jayron Kearse, 6-5 220, Clemson

The nephew of Jevon Kearse and cousin of Phillip Buchanon, Jayron was a stand-out defensive player for national championship runner-up Clemson. After the title game the junior declared for the NFL draft.

Kearse is gigantic for a safety at 6-5, 220 and scouts say they don’t believe he is finished filling out. Experts love Kearse’s range and athleticism and see him as a potentially great centerfielder in the NFL. Some scouts compare him to current Bengals safety George Iloka, a man Mike Zimmer is obviously very familiar with.

If you’re looking for raw physical tools as a defensive player, Kearse would seem to have everything you could want. He’s big and fast, ranges from sideline to sideline and has great ball skills. There are however some questions about Kearse’s willingness/ability to tackle. It was only one game, but a lot of people thought Kearse folded the tent against Alabama in the championship game. If you’re going to play safety for Mike Zimmer you must be able to come down and play run support and folding the tent is not an option.