Player: Ronnie Hickman

School: Ohio State

Measurables:

• Height: 6’0.5”(NFL Combine)
• Weight: 203(NFL Combine)
• 40: DNP
• 10 Yard Split: DNP
• Bench: DNP
• Vertical Jump: DNP
• Broad Jump: DNP
• 3 Cone: DNP
• 20 Yard Shuttle: DNP
• Other Notes: Hickman did not participate at all at the Combine. I could not find any particular reason as to why, but that he will be participating at Ohio State’s Pro Day. 

Graded Position Specific Traits:

• Field Vision: 4.75/10
• Range: 4.25/10
• In-The-Box Zone Coverage: 5/10
• Deep Zone Coverage: 4/10
• Tackling: 6.5/10
• Man Coverage: 4.25/10
• Run Support: 6.25/10

Prospect Grade: 35/70; 50%- Great backup early with the potential to develop into starter with time

Projected Draft Day: Round 3-4

Player Comparison: Tony Jefferson

Player Summary:

Hickman is an intriguing prospect to me, I certainly don’t think he’s a first rounder, but I think he could be a mid-round gem. Hickman is not the biggest safety you’ll ever meet; however, he plays how you’d expect a safety to play. Despite being better in the box, Hickman can play in a typical safety role as well. What I like most about Hickman is that he’s an extremely downhill player. He wants to put you in his highlight reel. He is not an elite level tackler, but he is a solid and reliable tackler. The issue is that because he is such a downhill player sometimes he doesn’t always take the best angles, and will either get juked or run by.

I think what’s hurting his stock the most in my head is the fact that he is not great in coverage. He is serviceable, but I wish he was even a little better.  He’s okay in zone coverage whether it be in the box or as a deep safety. He does not have the best vision when it comes to reading routes and the QB, and it causes him to look lost or be out of position to make a play. In man coverage, he’s actually pretty good against TE’s, but against WRs it’s a completely different story. Good route runners and speed at the receiver position kill Hickman. Can he do it? I mean if you only man him on WRs in spurts it may not be too bad, but the longer you ask him to do it, the worse it’ll look.

Whether he is trying to run down a back on a run play or a WR on a pass play, Hickman does not have short yardage closing speed, his speed is longer. I think he’ll have an okay 40 time, but his 10 yard split may be rough.