Seahawks To Work Out Idaho S Shiloh Keo

Things are definitely heating up as the draft gets closer, and I'll do my best to give you a short profile of most, if not all of the players that the Hawks will be visiting with in the next few weeks. One of those players is Idaho safety Shiloh Keo, who according to Adam Wright's Seahawk Talk twitter account will be worked out by the Hawks sometime soon. Wright always seems to have a good bead on what is going on for the Hawks so he's a must follow if you're on twitter.

Shiloh Keo is a 6', ~220 lb strong safety, and is another probable late round project type player. He's a local kid, hailing from Everett, and over his career at Idaho, he amassed 358 tackles and 11 interceptions. He also returned punts, where he was very effective. In reading about Keo, the first thing that comes to mind is that he reminds me a little bit of Lofa Tatupu - his main knock is that he's not quite fast enough or big enough, but is tough as hell, big play guy that is universally respected by teammates. He's a leader on and off the field and is a big-hitter and ball-hawk, evidenced by his tackle totals and 11 career interceptions.

Here's what CBSSports had to say about him:

Positives: Good bulk and strength for the position. Physical defender who isn't afraid to stick in his nose in the pile. Good team defender. Willing to take out the legs of charging offensive linemen and trust his teammates to make the easy tackle. Can be a physical tone-setter across the middle, providing heavy hits to unsuspecting receivers and backs. Enough athleticism to stick with most backs and tight ends in coverage. Versatile, gutty performer whose leadership on and off the field is respected by his teammates. Two-time team captain (2009, 2010) and served as the Special Teams captain in 2008. Strong special teams performer.

Negatives: Might lack the athleticism to handle coverage responsibilities in the NFL. Is a tough defender, but isn't particularly instinctive and doesn't possess the fluidity and straight-line speed to mask his lack of awareness. Can lay the big hit on an unsuspecting ballcarrier, but to do so generally has to leave his feet and has a tendency to duck his head and rely on the collision to knock the ballcarrier to the ground, rather than wrapping his arms securely.

As you can see he's got some of the intangibles you look for in your strong safety - toughness, leadership, tenacity, but his speed isn't high-end. 

Here is what NFL.com's Combine page had to say about Keo:

Keo will likely make his living as a backup safety and special teams contributor. Has some of the physical traits of an in-the-box safety but doesn't appear to possess the natural ability of polish to become a starter. Will attack the line of scrimmage in run support, put his stout body on the line taking on blocks and make some plays but is out of control on occasion. Can play the deep half in zone coverage and match up in man against some targets but isn't fluid or fast enough to cover playmakers or be a big factor against the pass. Keo could sneak into the middle rounds

Strengths: Keo has good bulk and plays with good physicality for a safety. Quickly diagnoses running plays. Not afraid to come up and fill hard in run support. Very capable and comfortable playing the deep half in cover-2. Can stick with tight ends, H-backs and fullbacks in man coverage. Good, strong tackler.

Negatives: Will lose his discipline in zone coverage at times. Doesn't have the anticipation to jump routes in man coverage. Not capable of covering slot receivers man-to-man. Not a big-time playmaker who will consistently come down with interceptions. Pursuit angles to the football aren't always sound. Could use his hands more effectively.

So NFL.com isn't quite as high on him as CBS, but it's pretty apparent that he'll be a late round guy or priority free agent if the Hawks do take a flier on him.