Brandon Meriweather S 5'11 195 Miami 4.56

There aren’t many players that have produced on the level of Brandon Meriweather. After serving as a backup and special teamer in 2003, he moved into the starting lineup and had 62 tackles, two for loss, with a pair of interceptions as a sophomore in 2004. During his junior season is where Meriweather took his game to an elite level. He finished the year with various All American honors after racking up 115 tackles, 13 for loss, with three interceptions. Meriweather’s numbers dipped a little this year, amid some controversy. He had 57/5/1 and a pick on the year, but may be more remembered for taking off his helmet and striking a Florida International player during their brawl in October.

Brandon Meriweather is the total package at safety. His biggest impact comes in attacking the line of scrimmage. He is fearless, and is a force at stopping the run. But he is also an excellent blitzer and gets into the backfield on a consistent basis and makes plays. In coverage, he shows the ability to locate the ball and speed to get to the action and make plays. He also brings the versatility of being able to play at both safety spots.

Despite being a stud at strong safety, he may lack the size to play there full time in the NFL. At just under 200lbs, his body would take quite a beating at the next level. He may need to move over to free safety, where he has experience, but his big play ability was on display as a strong safety. Teams now will have to look into Meriweather’s attitude and background, after he showed questionable judgement earlier this year against FIU.

Brandon Meriweather has the talent to play both safety spots at the next level, and on talent is a first round selection. There were a couple incidents that have made teams question his character, but they may not appear as serious as some originally thought. He should land in the first round, but won’t last very long into the second if he falls there.