Brian Department scouting report: Alabama’s nickel is the last word do-everything security within the 2023 NFL Draft

Any workforce searching for a premier nickel defender or versatile security ought to start their draft board within the 2023 NFL Draft with Alabama security Brian Department. Department is the uncommon Alabama prospect who has been a significant contributor as a real freshman for the Crimson Tide. Department is a former extremely rated four-star recruit who compiled 172 tackles and 4 interceptions over the course of his profession in Nick Saban’s protection. He was named a first-team All-American in 2022 after dominating primarily from the nickel.

Department is an especially clear prospect with the power to align from the nickel and deep security. A workforce needs to be extraordinarily happy with him wherever they select to play him on the subsequent stage.

Brian Department operates at an elite stage with essentially the most troublesome duties

Department aligned within the nickel place a big majority of the time in Alabama’s protection; head coach Nick Saban by no means made his life easy. Whether or not he’s rotating again to a pure security place or requested to match man-to-man from an off alignment, Department was prepared for the duty. No one on Alabama’s protection did extra. The soccer IQ for Department is off the charts and he’s extraordinarily scheme-versatile for a workforce that wishes to play in a person or zone scheme. Saban asks him to play off to maximise the disguise of coverages and keep away from choose performs. Department solutions the bell always. He’s an outlier for a way sticky he will be enjoying in off protection alignments.

One underlying power of Department’s is simply that — his play power. Department is an especially efficient tackler and isn’t afraid to stay his nostril in to any run match. He has professional stopping energy enjoying by the our bodies of receivers. There’s a lot to like about that piece of his recreation. He’s a much bigger nickel to start with, however he by no means wants to return off the sphere for and workforce that drafts him.

Brian Department can have some questions on lengthy pace coming into the NFL

One of many solely true questions for Department shall be his athleticism and the way it stacks up within the NFL. He ran a 4.58 40-yard sprint on the 2023 NFL Scouting Mix. Department isn’t tasked usually with working vertically with a workforce’s quickest goal, however there was a second towards Texas that confirmed a attainable pace deficiency. I don’t assume it should matter sufficient within the NFL if he’s utilized in a similar way as he was in faculty, but it surely’s one thing price noting for future consideration when he’s compelled to face vertical slot gamers.

Department likes enjoying top-down, however he might afford to react higher when receivers gear their route down in entrance of him. At instances, this does pop up for him and he’s a bit gradual to interrupt down and get downhill to have an effect on a cross. It’s not a constant problem, but it surely does pop. Department is so clear that we’ve got to nitpick some at his recreation.

How Brian Department measures up

We already talked about a small concern of Department’s was his lengthy pace. It was a little bit of an up-and-down mix for Department

• 40-yard sprint: 4.58 seconds
• Broad Soar: 10’5
• Vertical Soar: 34.5”
• 20-yard Shuttle (Professional Day): 4.45 seconds

What Others are Saying

Diante Lee of The Athletic had this to say about Department’s recreation in a current write-up:

Department is a disciplined defender in each section of the sport. He can diagnose offensive tendencies by formations and motions, tackle and slip previous blocks, cowl a variety of routes from the slot and end with good type on his tackles. He has ball abilities, too, so making him a full-time deep security would open up extra alternatives to have an effect on the sport when the ball is within the air.

A personnel govt for an AFC workforce had this to say to NFL.com relating to Department:

Good and aggressive and means stronger than you anticipate. He might are available in and turn out to be a high participant shortly.

The New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars are two groups that may make numerous sense for Department on this draft so far as workforce matches. Each groups are in want of a nickel defender with the flexibility worth of enjoying security, if wanted. Any workforce might use a Brian Department resulting from his fabulous IQ and talent to use himself at a number of spots within the secondary.

Each workforce within the NFL ought to contemplate Department as an choice wherever from the late levels of the highest 10 to the center of the primary spherical. Department makes any protection higher instantly together with his schooled means as a technician and easily enjoying sensible soccer. If a secure prospect ever existed as a nickel/security, Department embodies it in each means together with his means to get sticky and apply supplemental run recreation help. Department had a Santa Claus to-do listing because the do-everything in Alabama’s secondary, and he handed the take a look at with flying colours.