Position pecking order No. 6: Safeties
It's time for another rankings series at AuburnSports.com, this time with the goal of determining the pecking order of 11 Auburn position groups.
We know who Auburn's most talented and most valuable players for this coming season are. But just how much a difference do they make when it comes to their position room as a whole? Are they one of a number of standout performers at their position, or are they the outlier?
Likewise, Tiger fans are well aware of what the most inexperienced or unproven spots on the field are.
Our staff ranked the 11 position groups on the roster based on a number of criteria. The staffer who voted a particular position the highest will have to defend his reasoning.
NO. 6 (of 11): SAFETIES
VOTES: Jay G. (7), BMatt (4), J-Lee (8), Nate (4)
Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson won't soon be forgotten by the Auburn fanbase. The two combined for 413 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, nine interceptions and five forced fumbles, each seeing three seasons of heavy rotation in the secondary, with two of those years spent as full-time starters.
The safety duo wasn't just productive for Kevin Steele's defense, as their leadership was invaluable while the secondary replaced other pieces around them over the years.
Steele likes to get his defensive backs' feet wet early, relying on young players to fill a role in the rotation well before they're prepared to compete for starting positions.
He's done the same for the two safeties behind Thomas and Dinson — a pair of ultra athletic, former 4-star products who have patiently trained behind the veterans and are now ready to prove they can be even better.
And it hasn't just been speculation as to the skill sets of Jamien Sherwood and Smoke Monday. Auburn's now-departed safeties had little hesitation this past season when asked how they expect Monday and Sherwood to perform in their first seasons as presumed starters.
“To be completely honest with you, they’re going to be better,” Dinson said. “Those guys have so much potential to be better than me and Daniel. I see it now, to be honest with you. Long guys, they can do both — play the run and play the pass.
"Man, the sky’s the limit for them.”
WHY NO. 4? (Nate): Sure, putting a position group that will roll out new starters at both of its spots in my top 5 is technically a projection, but by now, everyone knows what Sherwood and Monday are going to bring to the table for the back end of Auburn's defense.
To me, there's no reason not to expect a high level of immediate success from the two safeties.
They've differed in the type of production they've provided over the past two years. Sherwood is a monster in the box who tackled at an efficient rate and blew up a number of plays before they got started against good SEC offenses. Downfield coverage will be an area he'll look to improve on. Monday is a sniper on the back end, finding open receivers to chase down in an instant, with a knack for tracking the direction of a passing play. He whiffed on a handful of tackles last year, though, giving him motivation to finish better in that regard this coming season.
Sherwood has the look of an elite SEC defensive back that's almost ready to jump to the league, while Monday has proven to have good instincts when it comes to making the big play, even in a backup role.
They may take their lumps at the start of the year while adjusting to the responsibilities of starting, but that shouldn't be a lingering issue with how much Steele has already indoctrinated them into his schemes. Monday has appeared in 20 of 26 games since arriving on campus, Sherwood in 23 of 26.
In short, I expect big things out of Sherwood and Monday; Auburn's staff does, too. And they're ready for the challenge, having been carefully tweaked and molded over the past two seasons with no pressure to become great players yet. Now the pressure is on, and they're itching to embrace it.
Past the starting spots — because Steele will now begin the task of grooming the next in line — nothing in set in stone, but there's no shortage of talent.
Senior Jordyn Peters is capable of moving from nickel back to safety. Underclassman Zion Puckett saw time at nickel last season but is listed on the roster as a safety. Wide receiver Matthew Hill is apparently going to try his hand at defensive back, according to Gus Malzahn, and he was infamously recruited to play safety at Clemson. Four-star 2019 prospect Chris Thompson was one of the best defensive backs in Texas out of high school.
Clearly, with how much Sherwood and Monday saw the field as underclassmen, a backup Auburn safety is an important piece who receives playing time and development — an underrated position battle to keep an eye on during preseason camp.
No. 10: Tight ends and H-backs
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