Ronnie Hickman

Pos: SAF

School: Ohio State

Ht. 6’0″ 

Wt. 203

Games Watched: Michigan, Penn State, Georgia

One Liner: Instinctive safety who wins with football IQ, technique, and aggressiveness

Strengths: 

  • Very good read and react defender. Hickman trusts his eyes and what he sees out of his zone nickel looks at Ohio State. He played with a steady backpedal with his chest close to the turf in order to prepare for any breaks and change of direction. Hickman was able to read runs early on in their progression and would attack downfield with good physicality and aggression to weave through blocks and chaos in order to reach the POA.
  • Very good aggression and motor. Hickman played with a great motor and had a desirable physical element to his game that made him extremely proactive on the field. He demonstrated great juice coming down from his safety spot and into the POA, and was fearless in his attempts to make a play against the run. 
  • Good zone technique. Hickman maintains great eye discipline on the QB when in zone, and has the toughness and aggression to make a play on the ball in his area. He maintains good positioning, keeping him ready to attack the ball at any given moment. 
  • Good instincts. Hickman is quite instinctual against the run, and has a good feel for how play will unfold, allowing him to attack early and on a timely manner. Hickman flashes instincts in coverage but I would like to see him improve this side of his game with more consistency.

Weaknesses:

  • Adequate athleticism. Hickman’s athleticism may be the factor holding him back at the next level. He doesn’t have top level long speed, and his change of direction skills are lacking. He isn’t fluid enough to play off man as a nickel, despite his physicality.
  • Adequate explosiveness. I would like to see more jolt out of Hickman when he is jumping out of his backpedal and attacking. He plays with aggression but he lacks the top level fire out of his stance that the aggressive safeties at the next level provide to their teams.
  • Adequate man technique. Hickman lacks the hip fluidity and timing to play consistently as an off man defender from the slot. He is a bit too handsy during the route progression, and he flashes inconsistent footwork, resulting in beats downfield.

Overall Assessment:  Ronnie Hickman is a smart safety who wins primarily with aggressiveness and a determination to find the ball. He is a great read and react defender, and teams should definitely trust his eyes and ability to quickly identify play concepts to attack downfield at the POA. Hickman is a reliable zone defender who has the eye discipline, patience and IQ to protect his zones. Hickman’s athletic ability may hold him back at the next level, and will reduce his ceiling and impact he can have. He won’t be a single high player and I don’t think he should play as a Cover 2 free safety either, but I like the potential he has closer to the LOS as a nickel back. 

Scheme Fit: Nickel defender that deserves a shot at single high looks based off his processing and instincts

Pick Projection: 3rd-4th round

Grade: 6.19