Top Safeties in NFL Draft: Jeremy Chinn

An FCS All-American and nephew a Pro Football Hall of Famer checks in at No. 5 in our ranking of the top safeties in the NFL Draft.

An FCS All-American and nephew a Pro Football Hall of Famer checks in at No. 5 in our ranking of the top safeties in the NFL Draft.

Jeremy Chinn was awarded zero stars coming out of Fishers (Ind.) High School. With four interceptions and about 700 rushing yards as a senior, there was little reason for recruiters to take notice.

Fast forward, and NFL scouts have done more than take notice.

“It's a big 360 from coming out of high school,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “I had three offers coming out of high school and no FBS offers coming out of high school. It's definitely a new process for me, coming from here and going to Southern Illinois. They're not the biggest schools as far as attention-wise. The recruiting process was definitely slow coming out. Now, I'm grateful just to have this opportunity to be on this stage.”

Video: Where does Chinn rank overall among small-school prospects?

Chinn picked up honors all four seasons. He was an FCS Freshman all-America in 2016, second-team all-Missouri Valley as a sophomore, first-team all-MVC as a junior and consensus first-team All-American as a senior. During his final year, he had a career-high four interceptions. In four seasons, he tallied 243 tackles, 13 interceptions (at least three in every season), 31 passes defensed and six forced fumbles. Plus, he made the FCS Academic All-Star team with a 3.55 GPA.

With size (6-3, 221), speed (4.45 in the 40), athleticism (41-inch vertical) and production, Chinn is one of the top prospects in the NFL Draft.

“To get here, it definitely took a lot of work,” he said. “I was under-recruited. Just getting an offer, that's something I had to work for. After I got that offer, from Day 1, continue to work just to make something of that offer and to be able to get here today. Definitely a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication went into that, and it's still going into it today. It will always go in.”

Chinn certainly has the athletic DNA. Newly minted Hall of Fame safety Steve Atwater is Chinn’s uncle.

“It's cool. It took long enough,” Chinn said. “I've been waiting my whole life just to see him get in.”

What we like

The raw materials are the best of any safety in the draft. In 38 games over four seasons, he had 13 interceptions and six forced fumbles. He’s played in the box, deep and in the slot. “With the direction the game is going, there's no really set position anymore, especially the secondary. Me being able to play up high, play close to the box, and play outside corner, it only helps.”

What we don’t like

Scouts liked Chinn’s junior tape better than his senior tape. There was too much gambling in his game, which didn’t bite him too badly against FCS competition because he was a superior athlete, but that won’t fly against NFL players. Against top college competition at the Senior Bowl, Chinn was merely OK. He has a disconcerting injury history, including torn labrums in 2016 and 2018.