The 2021 safety class has plenty of intriguing options. With the safety position seeing a bit of a downfall in terms of first-round talent in recent years, there are plenty of players who will start during their rookie years. Tyree Gillespie is one of many players that could develop into a starter at the next level. Gillespie was one of two safeties at Missouri that will likely be selected in this year’s draft. The other, Joshuah Bledsoe, is no slouch either. Plenty of people in the draft community are buzzing about Gillespie, so let’s dive deeper.
Make sure to check out all of our other 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports.
Player Bio
Name: Tyree Gillespie
Jersey: #9
Position: Safety
School: Missouri
Class: Senior
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 207 lbs
Coverage Skills (8.5/10)
He’s sticky in coverage. Gillespie covered Kyle Pitts in a lot of one-on-one snaps in the game against Florida in 2020. To say he held Pitts in check is an understatement. The soon-to-be top-ten pick only had one catch for eight yards while he was lined up against Gillespie. He can line up man-to-man against tight ends and running backs very well.
Ball Skills (5/10)
Only 12 pass breakups and no interceptions during his time at Missouri. Gillespie doesn’t seem to look at the ball when it is in the air and is more focused on laying a bit hit on the receiver. He arrives at the catch point a split second too late. Gillespie does have good length, range, and athleticism. With those traits, he can be much better at the next level in this regard.
Change of Direction (6.5/10)
Gillespie is always playing tall. He never plays low enough to quickly move his hips from one direction to the next, and he struggles in man coverage against receivers as a result. Thankfully, Gillespie played very well at the Senior Bowl, where Gillespie showed he had been working on this aspect of his game. If he can continue to work on this, there may be a lot more that he can unlock in regards to how well Gillespie is in man coverage, and how quickly he can change direction in the open field to fly to the ball.
Fluidity (7.5/10)
As pointed out in the change of direction portion, he plays very tall. This impacts how he plays on the back-end as a single-high safety. If he can’t manage to develop this trait for the better, he may be limited to playing as a strong safety or special teams player.
Run Support (9/10)
For a player that mainly played as a single-high safety, he is a very avid defender in the run game. Watch him against Najee Harris in the Alabama game. He stood up Harris at the goal line, not once, but twice. He can sniff out reverses and can key-in on blockers to see where the play is going. This is one trait of his game that suggests he would play better as a strong safety instead of free safety.
Tackling (8/10)
He tackled Jaylen Waddle in the open field, and he stood up Harris. So, why is this not higher? Well, the inconsistencies. Gillespie had the best game of his career against Alabama in 2020. In other games, he would try grabbing an ankle and make himself look clumsy in this regard. Gillespie would leave his feet, and the ball-carrier would go right past him.
Range (8/10)
Gillespie is susceptible to the long-ball. He doesn’t seem to have enough range to play as a single-high safety that can cover the whole field. Gillespie is much better in a cover two scheme, where Gillespie only has to cover one side of the field. He does seem to have solid athleticism but not great athleticism.
Versatility (8.75/10)
Gillespie can potentially play free safety or strong safety at the next level while also playing special teams during his rookie season.
Football IQ (8.75/10)
Not to sound like a broken record, but watch the game against Alabama. He sniffed out Waddle coming on a reverse and made a tackle from his single-high safety spot. In the same game, he cut DeVonta Smith off on a slant route and cause Smith to drop the pass. If Gilespie can work on his ability to be more impactful in creating turnovers, this grade goes up.
Competitive Toughness (5/5)
Gillespie is a hard hitter. He can play in the box and lay the lumber on running plays in the redzone or short-yardage situations. If Gillespie needs to play special teams in his rookie year, look for him to be a star.
Injury (4/5)
A shoulder injury in 2019 and an undisclosed injury in 2020 against Georgia sidelined him for the next game against Mississippi State.
Player Summary
There are a lot of times where the word “developmental” is thrown around in regards to scouting. Gillespie is a perfect example of this. If he starts during his rookie year in the wrong scheme, he will be labeled as a bust. If he is taken along slowly with veteran leadership and tutoring, Gillespie will be one of the best young safeties in the league. There are some very concerning parts to his game, but there is also a lot to like. He can play either safety spot while also contributing to special teams during his rookie season. Gillespie is someone not many in the draft community know, but that needs to change.
Final Grade (79/100): Mid Third-Round
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