Quin Blanding, Virginia: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Virginia’s Quin Blanding is a ball-hawking safety prospect who covers a lot of ground on the back end of the defense.

Quin Blanding is one of the primer safety prospects eligible for the 2018 NFL draft. He has a ton of experience producing at a high level. His success on the field and athletic profile make him a high-end NFL prospect.

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Blanding spends most of his time playing in deep coverage. Virginia mainly asks him to either play centerfield or cover one half of the field. In this role, Blanding shows great instincts and the ability to read the quarterback.

He plays with excellent balance and a low pad level. This allows him to easily change direction and click and close on the football. Blanding keeps his eyes in the backfield reading the quarterbacks movements and eyes. However, he also has the awareness to feel the routes developing around him.

Blanding has average interception totals for his career, but he does get his hands on a lot of footballs. He has flashed the ability to pluck the ball at its highest point. However, NFL teams will expect more turnovers from a Safety manning the deep middle.

It’s important to note that his strengths in coverage are in zone schemes. He doesn’t have a ton of experience playing man coverage and will use his hands too much when in that role. It’s something he can improve on, but at this point it’s a weak point of his game.

Against the run, Blanding is a reliable tackler who takes excellent angles. He does a great job reading the play and ensuring he remains in proper position. Blanding isn’t someone who will routinely deliver big hits, but will deliver a pop from time to time.

Overall, it’s hard to find Safety prospect who feature Blanding’s natural coverage abilities. His reliable run support only increases his value.