Chris Horton S 6’1 212 UCLA 4.59

Horton was a reserve and special teams ace as a freshman, when he finished the season with 27 tackles. As a sophomore, he missed six games due to a wrist injury but finished the season with 26 tackles. Horton put it all together as a junior in 2006, finishing the season with 95 tackles and three interceptions. As a senior, Horton had another big year, finishing with 90 tackles, seven for loss, and three sacks.

Horton is a physical safety that has to hit somebody on every play to be satisfied. He is tough and very active attacking the line of scrimmage in run support. He is not shy in his effort to take on bigger players to make the tackle. He will also lay the wood on any receiver that crosses the middle of the field. He has good size, is built thick, and is strong for a defensive back. Horton has also been a very good special teamer, which young players need to do in order to play right away in the NFL.

Horton may lack the athleticism and overall footspeed to be a factor in coverage in the NFL. He is at his best when he is moving towards the line of scrimmage, and has some problems when asked to drop into coverage or cover man to man.

Horton may have a limited upside because of his lack of ideal athleticism but he is a very good run stopper and comes to play on every snap. He probably will not be a game changer in the secondary but he has the ability to be a solid strong safety that also helps on special teams.