Deion Belue, Senior, Cornerback, Alabama
Overview:
Filling the defensive backfield leadership void left by Robert Lester and Dee Milliner will be senior Deion Belue. However, as a junior college transfer, Belue comes in to his senior year having only played in 14 games...all coming last season for Bama. Lacking elite, top end speed and being just average height, Belue makes up for his physical limitations by playing exceedingly well in the defensive system and knowing where to be when the ball is in the air. One of seven Crimson Tide players on the preseason All-SEC first team, Belue has some credentials of his own but is just one cog in the impressive and peerless Tide defense.
Final Projection:
Following in the footsteps of Dre Kirkpatrick, Dee Milliner and others, Deion Belue would like to carry on the legacy of Alabama defensive backs transitioning to the NFL. The difference with Belue is he has played very little at the high end, FBS level in college. He did a lot with his first year but will need to prove he can do it again as a senior. In the draft, cornerbacks often get taken very high if they are in the Milliner or Patrick Peterson mold, or they drop. Belue is probably in the middle rounds at this point and does not have the upside to reach that first group of DBs.
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