2018 NFL Draft: Does Jessie Bates have highest upside of all safeties?

The 2018 NFL Draft has several big name defensive backs, but Wake Forest product Jessie Bates could end up outplaying them all.

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Jessie Bates held four offers out of high school, eventually choosing Wake Forest over Iowa, Ball State and Toledo. After redshirting in 2015, Bates registered six interceptions, 10 passes defended 177 tackles and two defensive touchdowns in two seasons as a starter for the Demon Deacons.

It doesn’t matter which draft board you consult, Bates sits well behind Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick, the top two safeties in this year’s class. That holds true across the board, unless of course Fitzpatrick is compared against the cornerbacks. Bates doesn’t have the clout of either of those two defensive backs, but he could be the best NFL player when all is said and done.

Strengths

Bates is a true centerfielder. He aptly positions himself well in the open field, close enough to the line of scrimmage to break on a pass yet still deep enough to take away his area of the field. An instinctive playmaker, Bates reads the quarterback and acts on the throw nearly simultaneously. When he breaks, he does so swiftly and effectively.

He looks like a natural in the open field. Bates moves with ease, adjusting quickly to the developing play and attacking the football with intensity. When he does get his hands on the ball he’s an instant home run threat.

Weaknesses

What Bates lacks the most is experience. Two years starting at Wake Forest doesn’t career the same respect as two years at Alabama or Florida State. Part of that comes in the weight room. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 210 pounds, Bates can get pushed around by bigger receivers in space.

His technique is solid, but tends to overcompensate for his size with his quickness. When Bates reads the play the right way, the issue is neutralized, but a bad break can put him out of position without the required strength to recover.

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Draft expectations

Bates should be a starter at the next level without much of an issue. If NFL coaches iron out some minor flaws in his game he could elevate his upside significantly. If he’s drafted in a system that values his autonomy and let’s him freelance deep down the field he could achieve his apex early on in his career.

Projection: Early Round 3