2014 NFL Mock Draft: The Ultimate 8 Part 3 (21-28)

Free Safety, University of Louisville

Sep 7, 2013; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals safety Calvin Pryor (25) runs back an interception against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels during the second quarter of play at Papa John’s Bowl

Overall Player Evaluation
If there is anything you need to know right off the bat is that University of Louisville junior free safety Calvin Pryor is a hard hitter. At 6’2″, 208 pounds, Pryor has the physicality and ability of a typical NFL free safety. As a freshman out of Port St. Joe, Florida, Pryor played in all of Louisville’s 13 games and record two interceptions, a sack and 43 total tackles, 3.0 of them for loss. As with many college athletes, Pryor’s sophomore  season was one of his most productive as he was able to force four fumbles, record 99 total tackles and break up five passes along with two interceptions. In his final season at UL, Pryor was still dominant for a free safety of his caliber. This year, Pryor was able to register 75 total tackles (54 solo tackles), 5.5 tackles for loss (career-high) and three interceptions as the Cardinals went 12-1 and went on to win the Russel Athletic Bowl over the University of Miami 36-9 with help from Pryor’s six tackles.

Considering that Pryor is only just a free safety, it is amazing to see that he was able to be such a dominating presence for the Cardinals on defense especially with his tackling capabilities. Typically free safeties are known for their ball-hawking skills, however Pryor is more of an after-the-catch and run disruption than anything. His 11.0 tackles for loss during his career still continues to impress me even more than his 217 total tackles over three seasons. As evidenced through his play and according to top NFL scouts, Pryor’s top notch tackling ability and productive seasons at Louisville are a result from supreme athleticism. Unlike any other free safety in this draft, Pryor has capacity to find running backs out in the open and then use his 4.57 40-yard speed to then finish off his opponents. Some may consider Pryor almost too physical, however in the grand scheme of the NFL there can be nothing “too physical.”

Going into training camp next fall for whichever team chooses him, Pryor will fit in well because of his seemingly reckless abandon when pursuing ball carriers in the open field. Pryor’s explosive speed will help out these Eagles in their running game as well as their dead-last passing game by adding another strong element to this defense that many offensive coordinators and running backs will be sure to keep their eyes out for. There may be some running backs in the NFL that are considered hard-hitting, however in the grand scheme of things, nobody in this draft can compare to the overall play of Louisville’s Calvin Pryor.

Film Analysis vs. Rutgers (brought to you by draftbreakdown.com)
Setting: October 10th, 2013 @ Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium

Right out of the gate the Rutgers Scarlet Knights perform an option run up the middle and who is there to meet the Rutger’s back but none other than Calvin Pryor. His hit on the Scarlet Knight’s RB (although perhaps targeting or helmet to helmet contact) was one of absolute brute power and force and should be noticed by NFL scouts. Even when his teammates would miss a tackle on a Rutgers receiver, Pryor would be right there in a figurative blink of an eye. On multiple plays throughout the first quarter, Pryor was able to stand with his defensive lineman, making the offensive lineman assume he is going to blitz, but then he has the ability to drop back into pressure, forcing the QB to anticipate the blitz and then react to man coverage of his receivers. On a play towards the end of the first quarter, Rutgers Quron Pratt caught a pass over the middle and then was immediately met by the advancing shoulder pads of Pryor which knocked him flat on his hind quarters.

His play is reminiscent of perhaps Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks (with his passion and speed) and LaRon Landry of the Indianapolis Colts (with his hard hitting and physicality). Not only was Pryor good in this game for his ability to hit ball carriers but as well he was great for his ability to deceive the offense. Multiple times Pryor would fake blitz and then drop back in coverage or vise versa. A lot of times in this game the Louisville defense looked weak against the Rutgers passing attack, however that wasn’t all Pryor’s fault seeing as though many times completions to receivers were as a result of blown coverages from the Cardinals corners, but where Pryor helps make up for that is in his closing speed on receivers and hi ability to stop the big play before it happens in both the running game and the passing game. Where Pryor showed his strengths against Rutgers early on was his ability to square up against opponents and tackle with force. At times his over-pursuit cost him a clean tackle, however in the end Pryor was able to make up for that mistake and still be able to trip up the Rutgers’ backs. As well, on a first-and-10 play late in the third quarter, Pryor was able to read the offense, blitz and get past the offensive lineman and trip up RB Huggins for a loss of yardage. The big play of the game though came on a 2nd-and-24 pass play in the fourth quarter, when on an attempted pass thrown to a Rutgers receiver, Pryor hustled towards the sideline, jumped in front of the pass and was able to intercept it and maintain control even through tiptoeing on the sidelines.

Even when the game was winding down, Pryor was just as physical and just as potent as when the game first started. If this game wasn’t an indicator of Pryor’s skill and worth as a physical and productive corner, I don’t know what is. Look out for this guy to be taken in the first, if not the second round due to his hard hitting nature and overall great play.

Why He Fits in with the Eagles
Pryor and the Eagles could perhaps be the best fit in this year’s draft. In 2013, the Eagles pass defense was absolutely atrocious, ranking dead last in the NFL with 289.8 passing yards per game allowed, including seven games of over 329 passing yards allowed to opposing quarterbacks. With Pryor playing at the safety position, the Eagles will get valuable help in the running game, but also will get help in the passing game, seeing as though they will have a hard-hitting, dominating force over the middle of the field to scare off receivers.