Michael Hamlin S 6'2 207 Clemson

Hamlin got on the field early as a freshman for the Tigers and has only gotten better since then. He had 55 tackles and two interceptions during his freshman season, and the numbers gradually got better each year. In 2006 he had 63 tackles, four for loss and two more picks. During his junior year, he was in on 97 tackles, four for loss, and four interceptions. Hamlin saved his best for his final season, finishing 2008 with 110 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and six interceptions.

Strengths

Hamlin is a very instinctive football player. He quickly reads the run and attacks the line of scrimmage in run support. He remains under control and breaks down well to make the tackle in the open field. He has good size and paired with his physical nature make him one of the better run stopping safeties in the draft. Hamlin also shows awareness in coverage and can pick up the football and make the big play. He has 14 career picks and should be solid in deep coverage in the NFL.

Weaknesses

Hamlin does a good job picking up the football and is disciplined in coverage, but he may lack the athleticism to be a play maker in coverage. He does not change direction well and has only average speed, so he will not match up well one on one.

Future

Hamlin is very good at getting to the ball in front of him, and would be a great pick for a team looking for help stopping the run. He can provide some help in coverage as long as he isn’t asked to play in man coverage very often.