Jacksonville Jaguars, three others to host D.J. Swearinger

South Carolina Gamecocks strong safety prospect D.J. Swearinger has been one of my favorite safety prospects in this draft class for a long time, and he is an ideal second-round pick for a team looking to add a solid safety who plays with a real mean streak in the secondary. Swearinger is one of the most explosive prospects in this draft, and he has finally started to gain momentum ever since February after previously being an underrated prospect.

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According to Darryl Slater (via Big Cat Country), four teams will host D.J. Swearinger on pre-draft visits in the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Atlanta Falcons.

It is a little bit surprising to see that the Falcons are showing interest in Swearinger, because they already have a settled safety situation. The Cleveland Browns also have bigger needs elsewhere, but I could see them taking a flier on Swearinger if he falls into the third-round or if they really fall in love with him- the former scenario might actually be more likely.

For Swearinger, the best fits of those four teams are the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars. Both teams could really use safeties, as the Jets lost LaRon Landry to the Indianapolis Colts in free agency and have a gaping hole at the safety position as a result. Swearinger would be an upgrade for the Jets in all facets, because he would bring that menacing, in-the-box play that characterizes Landry at safety. The South Carolina standout would also be very good in coverage in the mid-range game and on underneath routes, and Swearinger actually played at cornerback this past season for the SEC giants due to injuries.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars lack depth at the safety position going into the 2013 season and are in desperate need for playmakers in this draft. The Jags only legitimate safety is Dwight Lowery, and Swearinger would be a great replacement for the released Dawan Landry. I am a big fan of Swearinger’s, and I think he would be an impact player for either the Jets or Jaguars if selected by those teams. He might be a little bit “high” for an early second-round choice, but I think it is worth it for those two teams if they like Swearinger enough; we’ll see how his workouts go.

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