With the 104th pick in the National Football League (NFL) Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected Terrell Burgess, Safety out of the University of Utah. Prior to his rise in fame, Burgess lived a relatively modest lifestyle. He played his high school ball in his hometown of San Marcos, which is roughly 100 miles south of his new home in Los Angeles.
Coming out of high school, Burgess was under-valued by many recruiting experts as he was ranked as a three-star athlete. He played on both sides of the ball and excelled at both positions.
As a wide receiver, he hauled in 61 passes for 1,162 yards and 16 touchdowns during his senior year at San Marcos. But he ultimately chose to play on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage after his commitment to the University of Utah.
Burgess did not see too much action on the field up until his final two seasons with the Utes. He had a stellar senior season as far as production. His tape demonstrates his ability to be both a cover safety and a run-stuffer. His instinctive nature gives him a great burst and down-field attack when pursuing the ball-carrier. He is an exceptional open-field tackler and racked up 50 solo tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss this past season.
His coverage skills also show great promise. Although undersized, Burgess has proven that he can matchup toe-to-toe with any player. He has had success in press-man coverage, especially while covering the slot receiver. As a former wide receiver in high school, Burgess’ ball skills translated to his defensive game as he exhibited great awareness in tracking deep throws. His vision is also a testament to how well-rounded of a player he is; on multiple occasions, Burgess successfully dropped his coverage assignment to make a play on the ball that wasn’t in his vicinity. He is a hybrid safety that can make plays all over the field.
Terrell Burgess also turned some heads at the NFL Draft Combine with a very impressive performance. He received a 6.20 grade after his workout; many experts deem this score as a good backup player with the potential to be a starter. He also displayed his athleticism running the fifth-fastest 40 yard-dash time amongst safeties at 4.46 seconds.
Burgess can flourish into a serviceable starter with the Rams. His resume demonstrates his versatility as a hybrid safety that can even play the nickel-back position. Head Coach Sean McVay and Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley can utilize Burgess in many different packages, which will have the opposing offenses guessing. Burgess has a very high ceiling with the Rams and fans should be excited to see his development in the coming years.