Sione Vaki, SAF/RB, Utah
Size:
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 210 pounds
Arm Length: 29 1/8"
Hand Size: 8 5/8"
Accomplishments:
All-American (2023) • All-Pac-12 (2023) • Played both offense and defense in 2023
“Sione Vaki is a versatile chess piece who can contribute on offense, defense, and special teams but likely won’t be an impact player in any phase of the game.”
Strengths:
Speed
Toughness
Versatility
Concerns:
Length
Tackling
Man-to-man coverage
Film Analysis:
There may not be a more intriguing prospect in this class than Utah’s do-it-all player Sione Vaki. Vaki enjoyed a breakout season in 2023. He stepped up to be a catalyst on Utah's defense, solidifying their safety position, but also was forced to step up on offense when the team’s backfield was decimated by injuries. He was very successful in both phases this past season at the college level and earned himself plenty of all-conference and All-American honors.
While his 2023 season was excellent, many, including myself, were surprised to see him declare for the draft as he has only one full season of starting experience. Vaki originally signed with Utah out of high school in 2019 but served a religious mission for two years before officially joining the program in 2022. He saw action in every game in 2022 but only made five starts at safety before starting every game in 2023. Not only is his lack of starts a question mark for evaluators but so is his NFL position.
Vaki is an explosive athlete with very good straight-line speed. He has good size for either running back or safety but lacks the length to excel in man-to-man coverage against tight ends. As a defensive back, Utah utilized Vaki all over the formation. He spent time as a single-high defender, in the slot, and in the box. He was most effective in the slot where he can be physical with receivers early on in the route and also close quickly on runners near the line of scrimmage. Vaki lacks range as a centerfield defender and even though he is a physical player, he is just an average tackler as he dips his head when initiating contact which results in plenty of missed tackles.
Vaki only played a few games at running back but his tape was quite impressive. He displayed above-average vision as a runner and had the straight-line speed to stick his foot in the ground and explode through the hole. He runs strong and displays very good contact balance. He is an outstanding receiver out of the backfield, displaying soft hands and run-after-catch ability as well.
Overall, if I were drafting Vaki purely as a defensive back, he would be a late-day-three/PUDFA grade. With that said, I actually like his skill set as a third-down back and think he could be a core special teams player. Because of that, I think he’s worth a flier in the fifth or sixth round.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Role-Specific Contributor
Written By: Brentley Weissman
Exposures: Oregon (2023), Florida (2023), USC (2023)
