23, April 2010

Profile:
Major Wright, FS
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 206 | College: Florida

Terrific pick from the Bears. Major Wright has tremendous potential at the safety position.

Wright wasn't as popular as many of his teammates -- he never earned all-SEC accolades from the conference media or coaches -- but he was one of the most effective players on the Gators' defense. The three-year starter compiled impressive statistics (165 tackles, 10 passes defensed, eight interceptions, four forced fumbles) and had a penchant for making bone-crunching hits.

Wright proved to be an immediate impact performer for the Gators, starting seven games as a true freshman and earning Freshman All-American honors with 67 tackles and a record four forced fumbles. He continued his playmaking ways in 2008-09, twice tying for second on the team in interceptions (four in '08, three in '09) while starting every game.

NFL scouts like his speed and physicality and believe he'll be able to make an immediate impact on special teams. His big hitting and playmaking skills make him a quality free safety prospect. Though he improved his open-field tackling as a junior, he'll need to continue to improve in the league if he is to make his mark as the last line of defense.

Read & React: Can key and diagnose. Reads the action quickly and gets there with efficient footwork and good straight-line speed. Plenty of range for coverage over the deep half. Struggled with questionable angles early in his career but showed improvement in 2009.

Man Coverage: Occasionally asked to drop down and play nickel cornerback in this scheme. Tall in his backpedal and loses a step in his transition. Often played a true centerfield role, showing good instincts and the straight-line speed for coverage. Protects the deep middle. Closes quickly and has good ball skills to make the play.

Zone Coverage: Tall in his backpedal, though he has good balance and relatively loose hips to turn and run. Good acceleration and straight-line speed to cover his area. Experienced and alert in zone coverage.

Closing/Recovery: Good straight-line speed and shows a nice burst to close. Times his hits well to arrive just as the ball does, resulting in some impressive, physical pass breakups. Protected a bit by this scheme and the Gator pass rush, but understands his role as the last line of defense. Good range to prevent the big play. Has improved his angles to limit the damage.

Run Support: Quick to come downhill in run support. Can be too aggressive and will misjudge his angle, at times. Good elusiveness to avoid blockers and get to the ballcarrier. Has improved as a wrap-up tackler. No hesitancy in taking on the bigger ballcarrier.

Tackling: An explosive presence in the middle that can make the intimidating pop despite his lack of prototypical size. Can get himself in trouble by dropping his head, leading with his shoulder and leaving his feet in an effort to make the big hit, but will fail to wrap up, leading to missed tackles. Has a tendency to hit high, which could result in helmet-to-helmet flags in the NFL. Improved his open-field tackling in 2009 (after struggling in this area in 2007-08), but this is still an area of concern.

Intangibles: Characterized by those close to the Florida program as one of the team's most physical and toughest pound-for-pound players on the team. Broke his thumb as a true freshman, but played against Georgia only days after undergoing surgery to fix it. Member of the 2008-09 Football Leadership Committee.

Appeared in all 41 games in his career, with 33 career starts at free safety … Collected 165 tackles in his career, eight interceptions, ten pass breakups, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.








Tags: major wright, morgan burnett, nate allen, eagles draft, taylor mays, 2010 draft