5 safeties the LA Chargers could draft in the 2021 NFL Draft

Darrick Forrest, Cincinnati

Another potential fifth-round option (if he falls) is Darrick Forrest. The fourth-round pick is probably a bit too early to pick Forrest but if he falls to the Chargers in the fifth round then it would be a solid draft pick made by the team.

I love the way that Joe Marino of The Draft Network describes Forrest’s game and he pretty much hits the nail on the head, at least based on the film I have watched on Forrest. He is not someone who is going to be elite in any one thing, but good enough at everything.

Marino writes:

“While Forrest may not have any true standout traits, he is consistently sound across the board. He is a smart processor that is urgent in pursuit and a strong tackler. He takes good angles to the football and is physical in everything he does.”

Forrest is also a great scheme fit for the LA Chargers and the fact that he is sound in every area of the game could be convincing for Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley.

He is a split-zone safety through and through but also showed versatility at Cincinnati to play elsewhere on the field as well. Personally, I do not love him as a single-high safety but I would be comfortable if he got rotational snaps in the box. Slot corner should be in the case of an emergency in his rookie season.

The ceiling for Forrest might not be as high as the first two players on this list, but it is safe to say that his floor is higher and his ceiling is more realistic.