DeMarcco Hellams NFL Draft Scouting Report

SAF, Alabama Crimson Tide

DeMarcco Hellams spent his collegiate career at the University of Alabama playing the safety position. Hellams was a versatile defender, playing both the deep safety position and closer to the line of scrimmage. This past year was one of Hellams’ most productive campaigns, leading the Crimson Tide defense in tackles with 108. He also had an interception and a forced fumble, showing that he can contribute in a multitude of ways. 

Although Hellams is a versatile safety prospect, his best play came playing 5-10 yards off the line of scrimmage in a traditional strong safety role. Playing the strong safety position, Hellams played well against the run and the pass. Rolling down from a two-high look to being the strong safety on a play, Hellams showed the ability to run the alley, close on ball carriers, and be an effective tackler. Hellams has a physical temperament with his play and when he can take the proper angle on a ball carrier, he will deliver a physical hit. Hellams has good overall range and can be counted on as a reliable defender against the run. 

In pass coverage, Hellams’ best play comes when he is playing the hook-curl or middle-of-the-field defender in zone. From that alignment, Hellams can watch underneath routes develop and, from a flat-footed stance, shows a good trigger to quickly close on receivers. Hellams can challenge receivers at the contact point by deflecting the pass or, if he has a good angle, he can deliver a big hit to dislodge the ball.

Hellams’ biggest improvement as a player shows when he is in man coverage at depth. On multiple occasions, Hellams has gotten beat on vertical routes. It appears that Hellams’ transition to opening his hips to turn and run vertically is slightly delayed, resulting in receivers gaining a step on him. It also shows that Hellams may lack the elite foot speed to be able to carry those receivers vertically up the field.

Hellams is a player that has played in multiple alignments, but in the NFL, it appears that his best usage will come with him playing the traditional strong safety role in a zone defense. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Versatile defensive back 
• Effective tackler 

Top Reasons For Concern: 

• Man-to-man coverage 
• Mid-body tightness (hip transitions) 
• Speed

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 1”

Weight: 203 lbs

Arm Length: 31”

Hand Size: 9”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.57s

Vertical Jump: 31”

Broad Jump: 10′ 1”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD

Ideal Role: Starting strong safety

Scheme Fit: Predominantly zone defense

TDN Consensus Grade: 75.50/100 (Third-Round Value)

• Sanchez Grade: 75.50/100

Written By: Keith Sanchez 

Exposures: Syracuse (2022), Clemson (2022), USF (2022), UCF (2022), Wake Forest (2022)

DeMarcco Hellams NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.