Post-Spring Analysis: Safety has depth concerns, cornerback has top end talent question marks

Post-Spring Miami QB analysis … RB analysis … WR analysis … TE analysis … OL analysis … DL analysis … LB analysis

With Miami’s 15 spring practices in the rearview mirror, it’s worth taking a position by position look at where things stand, and today we look at the DB position:

PROJECTED MIAMI DB DEPTH CHART

Co-1st team: Daryl Porter, Jr.

Co-1st team: Terry Roberts

Co-1st team: Chris Graves

1st team: James Williams

2nd team: Brian Balom

1st team: Kam Kinchens

2nd team: Markeith Williams

1st team: Davonte Brown

2nd team: Malik Curtis

NICKEL

1st team: Te’Cory Couch

2nd team: Jaden Harris

POST-SPRING ANALYSIS

Gone from last year’s team at DB: Starting corners Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey and second team safeties Al Blades and Avantae Williams. So the only returning cornerbacks that played for Miami last season and had more than 100 reps are nickel starter Te’Cory Couch and boundary CB Daryl Porter, Jr., and Porter, Jr. struggled in his time on the field last season. The only safeties that returned with any real measure of experience were the two starters, James Williams and Kam Kinchens. So Miami went out and grabbed UCF CB transfer Davonte Brown and CB Terry Roberts from Iowa. In Lance Guidry’s new attacking style 4-2-5 defense there is going to be a lot of pressure on the corners, who often will be left in one-on-one coverage. With all that in mind, this spring’s15 practices were all about competition, and aside from Te’Cory Couch at nickel it seems the rest of the depth chart won’t be determined at CB until fall camp. But it was Brown and Porter, Jr., that probably looked the best this spring and perhaps they have the leg up to start as of now. Is that duo ready to shut down top opposing receivers in the ACC? That was tough to determine off the 15 spring practices because Miami’s WRs they were going against are also somewhat of a question mark position after not performing well last year. Could a Chris Graves, Malik Curtis or Jaden Harris step up? Sure. And the team also had a solid class of Damari Brown and Robert Stafford who will arrive this summer and perhaps can push for reps.

As for safety? There really aren’t any concerns with Kinchens (a returning All-American) and Williams, a former 5-star with an NFL future. But behind those two there’s just not much depth with Miami coaches coaxing Balom back from the portal and Markeith Williams looking good this spring but not having experience. Kaleb Spencer is an impressive physical player who enrolled early, but as a true freshman he still has a lot to learn.

A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD

A concern here is if there’s top end corner talent? You’ve got Te’Cory Couch who was okay as the starting nickel/STAR last season with 37 tackles and six PBU, but he’s not really a game-changing guy. The boundary lost both its starters, Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey, and the top three boundary guys here coming out of spring were probably Daryl Porter, Jr., Terry Roberts and Davonte Brown. Are those big-time playmakers? Perhaps, but it’s hard to say that for sure right now. So there are question marks at corner.

At safety there is great top end talent with starters James Williams and Kam Kinchens. But there’s not much behind them. So a concern there as well.

Guidry must find answers to both areas (safety depth/top starting corners) to improve on what we saw last year when opponents averaged 233.1 passing yards with 20 TDs and 14 INTs.

Here’s a closer look per Pro Football Focus of players on the roster with experience playing last season:

CB Davonte Brown (UCF): 711 reps, 65.5 percent overall grade (70 is considered good) with a 63.6 cover grade and 46.7 tackle grade. He had 30 tackles, two INTs and four PBU.

Nickel Te’Cory Couch: 671 reps, 67.6 overall grade, 72.6 run defense, 50.7 tackle grade, 62.0 pass rush grade, 67.1 cover grade. Missed 12 tackles, tied for fourth-most on team. 37 tackles, 1 TFL, 6 PBU.

CB Daryl Porter, Jr.: 205 reps, 64.2 overall grade, 73.5 run defense grade, 85.8 tackle grade, 61.8 cover grade. 11 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 pass breakup.

CB Terry Roberts (Iowa): 202 reps, 79.0 overall grade, 79.9 cover grade, 51.7 tackle grade. Finished this past season with 13 tackles and an interception along with two pass breakups.

S Kam Kinchens: 706 reps, 90.2 overall grade, 73.7 run defense grade, 57.8 tackle grade, 60.9 pass rush grade, 90.7 cover grade. Tied for team lead with 14 missed tackles. Led team with 59 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 6 interceptions, 6 breakups.

S James Williams: 656 reps, 73.6 overall grade, 60.4 run defense grade, 62.3 tackle grade, 56.4 pass rush grade, 88.9 cover grade. Tied for team lead with 14 missed tackles. 58 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 6 pass breakups, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Kinchens will lead this group as an All-American and one of the nation’s most dangerous safeties. And Williams probably won’t be far behind given his freakish physical ability and the way we think Guidry will move him around from safety to in the box and even as a blitzer. He could be in store for a huge season.

The starting corners last year (Stevenson, Ivey, Couch) combined for four interceptions (two apiece from Stevenson and Ivey), and in Guidry’s system there will be more pressure on the group to make plays on the ball. The CB room has question marks as laid out above, as it was back-and-forth with the receivers this spring and we aren’t sold yet that the Miami wide receiver corps is for real off a lackluster 2022 season.

So there are depth concerns at safety and top end talent questions at corner. And the answers to those issues may not come for sure until Miami’s been tested by some of its better passing opponents this season.

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