Toub’s Targets: Late Round Steals For Special Teams

While most pundits focus on mocking the first round, players selected in the bottom half can turn out to be just as important. In these late rounds, special teams coaches get a lot more input. There’s a reason guys we never heard of suddenly start showing up in the 5^th round. For good teams, there’s no point in taking a talented player who can’t start right away or play STs. While we might be pounding the table for a late round QB, or an intriguing OG, David Toub likely has some very specific guys in mind. Here are some I think he’s interested in:

CB Brian Allen 6’3” 215lbs

Allen is a huge CB, with fluid movement skills and blazing speed. If he had solid technique, he’d be a high round pick. Instead, he’s going to be a project that plays STs in the meantime. That kind of size-speed combo is tailor made for STs coverage units. If you hear Allen’s name on the third day of the draft, trust me, it won’t be the last time you hear it.

DB Patrick Levels 5′9” 192lbs

Don’t let his height fool you. This kid lives up to his last name. He started for the first time last year and forced three fumbles. He recovered at total of four fumbles. He had 84 tackles with 12 for a loss including five and half sacks. Levels might not have the size to wow personnel departments, but he plays with heart and is a great athlete. He’s just the kind of player you look for as a gunner on a coverage squad.

S Jason Thompson 6‘1” 210lbs

Initially slated to play QB at Wyoming, Thompson ended up in Utah playing S. While he doesn’t have much starting experience, he played a lot of special teams while he was there. He’s got eye-popping workout numbers and, if his hands are good, looks like a good candidate to return punts, due to his lateral agility and acceleration.

S Kai Nacua 6‘ 1” 205lbs

Nacua was a ball hawking S for BYU and put up some impressive stats, but NFL teams were concerned about his speed. With good testing at his pro-day Nacua could rise late, but if he doesn‘t, he also has traits that translate well to coverage units on STs.

RB/KR TJ Logan 5’9” 196lbs

With Knile Davis gone, and DAT in a contract year, Chiefs might be in the market for a kick returner. They’ve also got room to add a RB or two to their depth chart. Logan can fill both roles. He’s not physical enough to be an every down back, but he brings some nice things as a change of pace back and he has serious straight line speed, which makes him a dangerous KR.

RB Matt Breida 5’9” 192lbs

Breida is a lot tougher to tackle than he looks. He’s very slippery and has good balance. While he played for a small school, his 8.2 YPC last year is still pretty impressive. If Breida can add a little weight, he might actually be a starting RB some day. For now, he’s an excellent candidate for KR.

ILB David Talley 6’1” 236lbs

Talley is likely an undrafted free agent. He played for a small school, albeit it one with a talented defense. He’s a bit stiff for your average LB, but he’s got great straight line speed for his size. Chiefs could take a look at him in training camp and maybe work on his agility on the practice squad for a year or two to see if he can make the roster.

OLB Samson Ebukam 6′2” 240lbs

Chiefs defense needs edge rushers, but so do their STs units. Ebukam should be able to play both roles over the course of his career. He’s a sharp guy with a motor that never stops. If Chiefs can add some polish to his game, he has the athleticism to succeed. In the meantime, his ferocious nature and natural talent can let him star on STs, in much the same way that Josh Martin did for Chiefs a few years ago.

What happens at the bottom of the draft is anyone’s guess. Guy’s like Brain Allen and Samson Embukam might go earlier than expected to teams who value SPARQ metrics. On the other hand, they might be available as UDFAs. In any case, if Toub sees a player he likes, Chiefs would be wise to pounce. Games, these days, are won on the slimmest of margins. A late round pick might not look like much, but he could be the guy that makes the block, that springs the returner who scores a TD to win the game.

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