[2024 NFL Draft/3-78] Calen Bullock, S, USC

zeeshan2 · Apr 26, 2024

zeeshan2 · Apr 26, 2024

https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2024/04/12/top-10-safeties-of-the-2024-nfl-draft/

10. Calen Bullock, USC
6’2”, 185 pounds; JR

One of the top-200 overall recruits in 2021, Bullock started half of 12 games as a true freshman and immediately made his presence felt, with 40 tackles, two interceptions and three pass break-ups. Year two he started all 14 contests, recording 58 total stops, five passes intercepted (one returned for a touchdown) and broken up each. While his picks went down to “only” two (one TD scored), he did increase his tackles (63) and PBUs (seven), improving from second- to first-team All-Pac-12.

Run defense & blitzing:

+ Was the third-most valuable safety in the country according to PFF’s wins above average (WAR) metric in 2022

+ Makes sure to maintain outside leverage when working up the alley from split-safety looks

+ You don’t ever see him get outraced to the sideline from single-high alignments

+ Does a nice job of breaking down in space and not allowing ball-carriers to dance around him in space

+ When he’s down low as a hole or flat defender, his ability to bring down the back one-on-one is excellent

+ You’d love for Bullock to be a little more physical as a tackler and not allow bigger players to drag him along, but a 10.6% miss rate for how much he was trusted as the last line of defense is solid

Zone coverage:

+ Loose mover on the back-end, who can pedal, open and swivels those hips around as if he was oiled up

+ Generally does a great job of positioning himself accordingly between routes as a deep zone defender and committing once it’s appropriate

+ For more of a lanky build, Bullock redirects well and you don’t feel like receivers can just neutralize him as deep help so to speak

+ You rarely see slot receivers have an opening on corner routes when he’s playing cover-two to his side

+ Shows the active eyes and instincts to take away multiple options dropping down as a robber/rat and dissuade quarterbacks from throwing touch-balls over his head

+ Offers premier ball-hawking skills when it comes to identifying opportunities and then elevating for passes with soft hands

+ Quickly covers ground coming forward to get hands on the intended target in front of him

+ Throwing curl routes against Bullock in match-coverage (cover-four/-six) can be challenging with how quickly he can erases that cushion and you better not do so late – ask Utah’s freshman QB, who served him up a pick-six

Man coverage:

+ After playing 69% as a deep safety in 2022, Bullock spent between 249 and 320 snaps between the slot, box and at deep (in that order) last season, to showcase some more versatility

+ Very calm in his pedal when he has to go backwards with tight-ends pushing vertically against him in man-coverage

+ Doesn’t need much of a transition period to turn with and then has the speed to hang with slot fade routes with cushion

+ Having 32.5-inch arms definitely helps to enable him to swipe at the ball when the receiver has half a step on him

+ Trails the motion-man under good control whilst not allowing himself to be outflanked or caught up in traffic typically

+ Effectively drives through the legs or clamps the legs of receivers in order to negate any YAC

+ Only surrendered six completions for 55 yards and half of those catches ended in “stops” for the defense, across 131 snaps and ten targets in man-coverage

Weaknesses:

– Earned PFF coverage grades above 80 each of the past two seasons, but in run defense he finished at only a 55.1 and a 49.0 respectively, where I feel like he’ll avoid getting involved on the tackle if possible

– Frequently has to curve his path due to poor initial angles down from the deep post and surrenders additional yardage in the process

– Has real issues dealing with tight-ends in the run game if you ask him to play down low on early downs or he’s lined up over them in the slot

– Too often just drifts way too deep just to not get beat over the top (especially playing center-field), but creates a lot of free real estate in front of him for the offense to attack – was responsible for a career-worst five touchdowns compared to two picks last season

– While it was more about the physicality and involvement as a tackler in 2022, last season he also actually nearly doubled his miss rate (13.5%)

This guy was a very challenging evaluation for me. Bullock generally projects best as a more traditional single-high free safety thanks to his range, ball-skills and while not a big hitter, the reliable tackling skills in space. However, his initial track to the football from that spot routinely needs to be altered and his unit ends up allowing bigger than necessary. I like what he can bring matching routes from depth or placing himself between them as a threat to take the ball away, but I don’t think he wants that smoke when offenses pull bigger bodies out to the corner or he has to deal extensively with tight-ends. He’s slender, the timed speed is adequate (4.48) but nothing crazy and he lacks some of that killer instinct of throwing his body around. With that being said, I understand the value of a defensive player who can create extra possessions, has his kind of fluidity and makes quarterbacks uncomfortable pushing the ball down the field if he’s in range. I just believe in today’s game, where you play with lighter box counts and need your safeties to actively involve themselves in the run fit even if they aren’t by alignment, he could be somewhat of a liability, hence why I have him this low.
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ApolloRLB · Apr 27, 2024

Really like this pick. This team has needed a true free safety for years.

Buck Turgidson · Apr 27, 2024

ApolloRLB said: ↑

This team has needed a true free safety for years.
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Ever since Ed Reed...

ApolloRLB · Apr 27, 2024

Buck Turgidson said: ↑

Ever since Ed Reed...
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Don’t remind me. Glover Quin was the one that got away…

Marshall Bryant · Apr 27, 2024

I think this works better in tandem with Lassiter than either alone. Lassiter is glue and Bullock has the speed to cover if there is a deep speed problem. Then pair that with pressure from the front four and maybe there is less bend (as opposed to bend, but don't break) than last year. This would result in more offensive opportunities.

zeeshan2 · Apr 27, 2024

zeeshan2 · Apr 27, 2024

Commodore · Apr 27, 2024

zeeshan2 · Apr 27, 2024

Marshall Bryant · Apr 27, 2024

zeeshan2 said: ↑

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I can't keep up with which rules they are enforcing. At one time, "face-guarding" was being targeted for enforcement.

zeeshan2 · Apr 28, 2024

Best value pick of round 3?

Miller: Calen Bullock, S, to the Texans (No. 78). He was No. 55 in my final rankings and my top safety. So, yeah, the Texans stole him. We know Bullock isn't the most physical player, but he's an elite ball hawk who can own the center of the field in the passing game. Teams that throw it up deep will regret it with Bullock patrolling the backend, as he has four career interceptions. The Texans have the pass rush to force quarterbacks into quick decisions, and that's where Bullock's range and instincts will stand out.
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https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/...l-draft-best-picks-trades-qb-fits-predictions

From a May 2023 PFF article-

CALEN BULLOCK, USC TROJANS
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Bullock was a PFF first-team All-Americanin 2022 thanks to his dominance in coverage.

The sophomore’s five interceptions were tied for fifth among all safeties in the country. He was also the third-most valuable safety in the country according to PFF’s wins above average metric.

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https://www.pff.com/news/college-fo...eties-in-college-football-for-the-2023-season

zeeshan2 · Apr 28, 2024

zeeshan2 · Apr 28, 2024

zeeshan2 · Apr 28, 2024

Rockets34Legend · Apr 29, 2024

zeeshan2 · Apr 29, 2024

percicles · Apr 29, 2024

He got some terrible coaching at USC and still managed to put up numbers. Now he’s about to get S tier level coaching. Like the CBS guys said, Reggie Nelson Bengals era or better is what his ceiling is.

red5rocket · Apr 29, 2024

zeeshan2 · Apr 30, 2024

2024 NFL draft: Best picks, top steals in every round

Calen Bullock, S, Houston Texans (No. 78)
Bullock's range is his signature trait, and he had nine interceptions in three seasons at USC, including five in 2022. He's a minimal factor against the run relative to other safeties in this class, but if the Texans play to his strengths, he can be a turnover forcer and an explosive-play limiter.
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https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/...nfl-draft-best-picks-value-steals-every-round

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[2024 NFL Draft/3-78] Calen Bullock, S, USC

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[2024 NFL Draft/3-78] Calen Bullock, S, USC

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