2011 NFL Draft Day Two Gold: DeJon Gomes

In every NFL Draft, there are the can't miss prospects, the mid-round talent, and the steals that litter the final 2 rounds. Here is a section dedicated to profiling such players

First up is DeJon Gomes - DB, Nebraska 

While Gomes only had two years to prove his worth to NFL scouts while at Nebraska after transferring from Junior College, he wasted little time in becoming a fringe prospect and gained a reputation as a hard-hitter, a ball hawk, and an overall big play machine. He's got the size, strength, and coverage skills to play any position in the defensive backfield and even lined up as a linebacker at Nebraska when the situation called for it, so his versatility is a big plus, but most scouts project him as a strong-safety in the NFL.  

So on paper, you've got a good looking player who can line up at multiple positions and has a great physical makeup. What's the downside in picking him? I think that the versatility that defines his game also hurts him. Teams can make him into whatever they want him to be, but at the same time, he's not a perfect fit for any position which hurts his status in the eyes of a lot of teams. 

I get the same feeling from Gomes that I got from Chad Jones, a safety out of LSU, last year. He's extremely versatile and his athleticism allows him to play any position in the secondary, but a lack of experience hurt them when draft day rolled around. Granted, Jones was a better overall prospect and ended up going in the third round to the Giants, but just go with me on this one, I have a feeling and I'm sticking with it. Also; for what it's worth, Gomes had better physical measurables at the combine.  

(*Note that Jones' NFL future is still in question as he is recovering from a devastating car accident, trust me here folks, it's real bad.)

So back to this versatility thing. It's the classic double edged sword. He doesn't fit perfectly for any one position, but he fits just o.k. for a few of them. Is he worth a late round pickup or possibly even an undrafted free agent contract? Hell yeah he is. Gomes could offer some instant help on special teams, he could be another name to consider in the sweepstakes as to who will succeed Chris Hope, maybe he's worth a look at cornerback, but at this point, I think that the positives greatly outweigh the negatives.