"I'm higher on him than most and think he could thrive in a professional setting with pro coaching. He's Instinctive with top notch click & close and relishes contact."
Charles LeClaire USA Today Sports
Strengths:
Short, athletic, physical safety with the quickness and fluidity of a CB. Instinctive with top notch click & close. Great tackler and relishes contact. Reliable last line defender.
Fluid hips and solid speed for a safety. Takes on blocks appropriately. Comfortable in man on the slot or TE. Dangerous with the ball in his hands and has returner potential.
Whitehead has a CB's click & close and arrives with a thump. In the two clips above he reads, flies in and smacks the ball carrier.
Weaknesses:
Inconsistent career with a standout freshman campaign and underwhelming soph year. Length challenged. Just 3 career ints. Over aggressive and can be fooled. Suspended 3 games to start the season for violation of team policy.
Overall:
Whitehead started at FS as a true freshman and was the best player on the Panther defense. He hasn't been quite as dominant since but he's still been a stand out defender and projects as a very good pro prospect.
He's played both ways and flashed as RB showing top notch quickness and body control. Instincts and sturdy tackling show up on film. Great range and always in position. I'm higher on him than most and think he could thrive in a professional setting with pro coaching. I think he's worth a 2nd rounder but may not come off the board until day 3.