Limestone College in South Carolina has one of (if not their best) players in program history about to enter the NFL Draft.
That player is Justin Wyatt, who played safety and nickel corner for the collegiate Saints. Wyatt was a graduate transfer from Troy University where he played wide receiver and safety.
In his first full season of playing defense full-time, Wyatt was all over the field making plays. Just turn on any game tape or highlight film and you will see him around the ball.
Wyatt was invited to play in the Division-II Senior Bowl and earned a spot in the starting lineup. Once again, he was all over the field and popped on the film. He led all players with tackles, making seven of them. He finished his season with 50 tackles, three sacks, one interception, and one touchdown.
"Coaches was like this week and from here on you have “Peel” rules when there's a back on your side So all week when they called my blitz in practice and It was a back to my side that was my first read During practice everyday I either picked It off or It was a kill shot" @JayWy8 pic.twitter.com/mLQ7RPSkCh
— Fair Shake Football (@FairshakeFB) February 8, 2019
His biggest strength will be versatility, as he can play safety and nickel corner, or even linebacker in a nickel or dime package. Being a former wide receiver, Wyatt has great recognition on route concepts. He also shows the ability to locate the ball and can do it while it is in the air.
With the defense they ran at Limestone, Wyatt was able to show off his pass-rushing skills coming off the end on delayed blitzes. From transitioning from offense to defense, he did not shy away from contact. He was often the player making the first contact, whether with a blocker or a runner.
He has the speed to play sideline-to-sideline and drop into zone coverage.
Wyatt’s biggest need for improvement will be his man-to-man coverage skills. With that said, it is important to remember that he is still learning to play defense full-time, since he spent most of his career as a receiver.
Wyatt fits well with his size and playing style of the big nickel corner a lot of NFL teams are looking for. With his speed and size, he should be able to make an impact on special teams.
That is how Wyatt will be able to stick onto a team and develop into a depth role. He could sneak into the last round in the NFL Draft if the right team sees his potential.
Otherwise, teams should prioritize him as one of their first undrafted free agent signings immediately upon the draft’s conclusion.
