1. Kenny Phillips, 6′2, 212, Miami: Phillips reportedly worked on running his 40 before the combine, but apparently the hard work didn’t have the desired results, as Phillips’ best 40 time in Indianapolis was a 4.54.

Still, he’s the top safety on the board, and he should be taken in the first round, unless all of the teams looking for defensive backs elect to go for corners.

2. DaJuan Morgan, 6′0, 205, N.C. State: Morgan did Phillips two-hundredths better in the 40, running a 4.52. He also did 21 reps in his bench press, and had a broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches. That might be enough to get him into the second round.

3. Thomas DeCoud, 6′1, 207, Cal: DeCoud’s stock is rapidly rising, right into a spot in the first day. He ran a very solid 4.48 at the combine, posted a great time of 6.85 in the 3-cone drill, and had a 35.5 inch vertical jump. The tackling machine has really helped himself out in the last several weeks, and he looks like a good pick to go third behind Phillips and Morgan.

4. Marcus Griffin, 5′10, 201, Texas: Griffin ran a 4.76 in his 40, a good two-tenths off of what I would have expected him to run. He doesn’t fall too far in these rankings, since Simeon Castille and Jonathan Hefney didn’t quite impress either, but is he going to be a first-day pick? He’s still got his Pro Day, so he can redeem himself there, but he’s teetering in that late first-day/early second-day status.

5. Quintin Demps, 6′0, 206, UTEP: While poor Senior Bowl performances will hurt, running a 4.38 40 in the combine will help you, and that’s the case with Demps. Did that get him back into the first day? Maybe, but his Pro Day on March 7th will be a much better decider than that single run, even as good as it was.

Dropped Out

Simeon Castille, Alabama (4): Castille ran a very slow 40 at the combine, which adds another point to the ‘he will wind up a safety’ argument.

Jonathan Hefney, Tennessee (5): Hefney measured in at 5′7 at the combine, two inches shorter than the 5′9 that he’s been listed at. And the speed that made Hefney one of the SEC’s top defensive backs wasn’t there in Indy, as a guy who’s got 4.4 or better speed ran in the 4.5-4.6 range.

Others to Watch Dominique Barber, Minnesota, D.J. Parker, Virginia Tech, Michael Grant, Arkansas, David Roach, TCU, Corey Lynch, Appalachian St.

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