NFL Draft 2018 Scouting Report: SAF Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern

FS/SS grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, Wonderlic test results leaked, etc. We will update info as it becomes available.

Godwin Igwebuike is tracking as our top safety prospect heading into the 2018 NFL Draft. You won’t find him among most/all scouting service’s top 5 safety prospects, and probably not in their top 10 either. As to the safety prospects they have ahead of him, most are laughable…filled with scouting flaws and with measurables that cannot touch Igwebuike’s.

Igwebuike is 4th all-time in the Big Ten in solo tackles for a career (since 2005). He ran a solid+ 4.45 40-time at the NFL Combine and posted one of the best three-cone times among the DBs (or any position) at 6.56 – the fastest three-cone among any DB 200+ pounds. He brings a lot to the party.

Igwebuike is not just measurables. In 2016, Igwebuike played the run more -- and was 2nd in the Big Ten in solo tackles, 4th in total tackles. In 2017, he started working more in coverage/playing further back in some games and had a career high 8 PDs with 2 picks last season.

His 2017 game against Penn State/Saquon Barkley is all you really need to confirm Igwebuike’s talents. When you watch that tape, or any tape on Igwebuike, you can see how gracefully he moves for his size – he’ll pursue the run but can get back into coverage as well. However, if you just watch the times Barkley has the ball and when Igwebuike tackles him – Igwebuike is able to tackle him adeptly in the open field. He wasn’t ‘out athleted’ by Barkley. When Barkley tried to hit the sidelines or make a cut/shift running up the middle – Igwebuike was right there with him making a stop. Only one time did Barkley beat Igwebuike…when a referee ‘picked’ (like a screen in basketball) Godwin while he was closing in and Barkley used that opportunity for a long TD run. Outside of that, you never saw Igwebuike at a disadvantage getting to and bringing down Barkley.

Igwebuike has a run stopper-first mentality. He doesn’t overcommit to the run but his mind/body is creeping forward on a lot of plays pre-snap. He’s quick enough to drop back off that creep and get into coverage, but if there is one negative on Igwebuike…he will occasionally have a choice of two receivers in the area to stick with – and he’ll pick up a receiver going one way and leave the gate open for another receiver who gets the ball. Sometimes Igwebuike goes to receiver A and didn’t need to - and that left receiver B open to get the ball. It’s not a massive negative, and it can be refined at the next level.

Igwebuike is much better in coverage on RBs out of the backfield or chasing tight ends, so a LB/SAF hybrid might be a better fit here…but he has the speed-agility to stick with WRs.

Igwebuike is a sound tackler. Has high-end athleticism to drop into coverage and can be taught/coached out of coverage mistakes, but his top athleticism metrics cannot be taught. An NFL team is not getting a potential bust here. They’re getting a solid, three-down player.

Off the field, Igwebuike is what you’d want – All Academic Big Ten performer, does several community works, is smart/humble and not arrogant or uncoachable. He has some art in his background – painting and singing, so ‘fake tough guy’ coaches will hate him for being ‘artsy’ but cerebral coaches will recognize the very solid on-and-off-the-field person they have here. This will be a Patriots, Lions, or Rams type of player/pick.

Godwin Igwebuike, Through the Lens of Our SAF Scouting Algorithm:

Was 5th in the NCAA in solo tackles in 2016 (78 of them).

#16 all-time in the Big Ten in passes defended (23).

In his final two meetings with Saquon Barkley – 7.0 solo tackles, 10.5 total tackles per game.

Three bowl games in his career – 5.3 solo tackles, 9.0 total tackles per game.

Had 13 solo tackles in a game in 2016 against Nebraska…the most solo tackles in a game top safety prospect Minkah Fitzpatrick ever had was 5.

In 2016, Igwebuike had 78 solo tackles; Fitzpatrick had 80 solo tackles the past two seasons (28 games) combined.

Fitzpatrick has 24 PDs in his career; Godwin 23.

2018 NFL Combine measurables…

5’11.3”/213, 9.75” hands, 31.25” arms

4.44 40-time, 1.57 10-yard, 4.12 shuttle, 6.56 three-cone

19 reps bench press, 35.5” vertical, 10’8” broad jump

The Historical SAF Prospects to Whom Godwin Igwebuike Most Compares Within Our System:

I would stress – Godwin Igwebuike is NOT in Deone Bucannon’s league…but that’s because Bucannon might be the best safety prospect I’ve ever scouted. Bucannon was a killer linebacker playing safety. Godwin is more of a natural safety with indicators of being a fit as an LB/SAF hybrid like Bucannon. 

*The ratings are based on a 1–10 rating scale, but a prospect can score over 10.0+ and less than 0.0.

OVERALL RATING -- We merge the data from physical measurables, skill times/counts from the NFL Combine/Pro Days, with college performance data available on pass coverage/tackles, etc. and grade it compared to our database history of all college SS/FS prospects, with a focus on which SS/FS prospects went on to be good-great-elite in the NFL. We found characteristics/data points that the successful NFL SS/FS's had in common in college, that most other SS/FS prospects could not match/achieve.

Scoring with a rating over a 7.0+ in our system is where we start to take a SS/FS prospect more seriously. Most of the future NFL-successful college SS/FS prospects scored 8.0+ in our system, and most of the NFL-superior FS/SSs pushed ratings more in the 9–10.0+ levels overall. Future NFL busts will sneak into the 8.0+ rating range from time to time.

TACKLE/STRENGTH METRIC -- A combination of physical measurables and college performance, graded historically for future NFL profiling. In the simplest of terms, this is an attempt to classify the SS/FS as one more likely to be involved in a heavy amount of tackles, forced fumbles, and physical hits to separate a WR from the ball. It also gives some insight into the "toughness" of a player, if it is possible to quantify that (this is our attempt to).

SPEED/COVERAGE METRIC -- A combination of several speed, agility, size measurements as well as college performance. A unique measuring system to look for SS/FS prospects that profile for superior coverage skills and abilities.

2018 NFL Draft Outlook:

Igwebuike is tracking outside the top 100 draft picks…and maybe past the top 150 draft pick projections. I assume he’ll go past the top 100, but I think he sneaks inside the top 150.

 I’m a firm believer in not investing in the safety position through the draft, at least not investing heavy with a top 25-50 pick. Igwebuike available with a 125+ pick…nice value, if I were an NFL GM.

NFL Outlook:   

Igwebuike is not the greatest safety prospect I’ve ever scouted, but he’s solid across the board and should be a solid option for the pros. A starter, a solid producer, can work special teams. He’s a great piece to fit onto a championship defense…provides depth early and is a solid starter in a year or two. 

4/22/2018