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Normally, this time of the month is where NFL Draft prospects begin their surge up teams’ draft boards after showing off their athletic prowess at their respective pro days. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic put a permanent halt on in-person college pro days this offseason, leaving prospects to be creative with how they catch the eye of NFL organizations.
Former LSU safety Grant Delpit did his best to garner the attention of scouts and teams’ front offices by putting up head-turning numbers at LSU’s mock pro day in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.
Grant Delpit Post 4.39 Forty at Mock Pro Day
Pro days nowadays have an awfully different look then what we’ve become accustomed to in the past. However, a fast 40-yard dash in any setting will be sure to pique the interest of NFL teams and Grant Delpit did just that at his mock pro day.
In a clip shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the potential first-round safety can be seen clocking in with blazing 4.39 forty, an extremely impressive time for a man who stands at 6-foot-2-inches, and 213-pounds.
Delpit’s Current Draft Stock
It was not long ago that Delpit appeared to be a lock for the top-10 and potentially battle to be the first defender off the board in April’s draft. Now, as we sit here today, there’s a chance that not only will he not be the first safety off the board, but that he may slip out of the first-round altogether.
Delpit entered the 2019 College Football season with enormous hype. Pegged as the next Jamaal Adams and donning the storied number seven jersey previously worn by all-time Tiger greats such as Tyrann Mathieu and Leonard Fournette, the sky was the limit for the stud safety. Or so it appeared.
Fresh off a 2018 campaign in which Delpit earned unanimous first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors while compiling a conference-high five interceptions and nine pass breakups, many projected Delpit to be a top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
However, his 2019 season was marred by a high ankle sprain that drastically altered his play, leading to poor film littered with missed tackles. Yet, despite his underwhelming play, Delpit’s stellar reputation helped him win the Jim Thorpe Award as College Football’s top defensive back.
Delpit’s dip in production has many draft experts split on his projection at the next level. For example, while he currently ranks as the second safety on Todd McShay’s position rankings, fellow ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has both Xavier McKinney and Antonie Winfield Jr. ranked ahead of Delpit in his respective rankings.
As we sit here today, Delpit is likely a fringe round-one prospect who seems more and more likely to drop into the early-to-mid round-two range.
Aside from his injuries, one could account Delpit’s stock dropping to over-scouting by NFL teams, something that the safety position in particular has fallen victim to numerous times in the past. None was more evident than Los Angeles Chargers All-Pro defender Derwin James falling to the 18th-pick in the 2018 NFL Draft despite being pegged as a generational talent just months prior.
No matter where Delpit winds up, chances are his flexibility to operate in the box as well as a deep safety will make one NFL franchise extremely happy.
