NFL Draft Results 2012: Seahawks Select S Winston Guy With Second Pick In 6th Round

With the 11th pick in the 6th round of the 2012 NFL Draft (181 overall), the Seahawks have selected Kentucky's Winston Guy. Guy is a 6'1, 218 pound safety/linebacker tweener that, according the scouting reports I've seen, has a lot of range, versatility, and displays very good instincts. He's also a former cornerback and because of this he's been compared in a few places to Kam Chancellor. I really like this pick right off the bat, and my first impression is that he'll be a nice possibility for the big nickel position that was occupied by Atari Bigby last year.

Guy is lauded for being strong against the run and very physical in his tackling, showing an ability to get behind the line and make tackles there (14 tackles for loss in 2011). He was 2nd-team All SEC, so his ability to stand out in that conference is certainly noteworthy. In line with a theme that's consipicuously developing for the Seahawks defense, he's a feisty, intense player with "swagger that you notice whenever you watch him." He's a very strong special teams player that and will likely look to make an impact there early on if he makes the roster.

His NFL Combine Profile:

OVERVIEW- Guy is a big safety from Kentucky who, not unlike last year's draft gem Randall Cobb on the offensive side, was a jack of all trades for Kentucky throughout his career. He played corner as a freshman before moving to safety for his second and third years, and ultimately ended up at outside linebacker. Projects as a safety in the NFL and can contribute early on special teams, giving him late-round value.

STRENGTHS - Guy is an excellent player in run support, makes a lot of plays off the edge and could be an effective sub-package zone blitzer in his pro career. He is a drag-down tackler, but is usually in position and good with pre-snap reads. Seems to have the savvy and athletic ability to start at various positions.

WEAKNESSES - As a safety, Guy will struggle early in zone coverage and recovering on deep balls. After playing the last year of his college career in the box as a linebacker, there will be obvious hitches in his technique and transition when aligning 10 to 15 yards deep as a safety. He lacks instincts when playing the pass and has trouble recognizing when a ball is thrown and triggering his feet to get there.

SI.com scouting report:

Positives: Tough run-defending safety who is best between the numbers. Explodes up the field, effectively uses his hands to protect himself and quickly gets to the ballcarrier. Displays a burst to the action, easily changes direction and aggressively lays his shoulder pads into ballcarriers. Works hard in run defense and is fast bearing down on ballcarriers.

Negatives: Possesses marginal ball skills and does not show a good feel for coverage. At times does more hitting than wrap-up tackling, which results in extra yardage for the opposition.

Analysis: Guy was a productive run defender for Kentucky who also flashed skill facing the action against the pass. He's a traditional strong safety type who also comes with a special teams mentality.