Christian Uphoff NFL Draft Overview
Position: Safety
Height: 6’-2”
Weight: 209 pounds
School: Illinois State
Christian Uphoff 2021 NFL Draft Profile
After opting out of the 2020 season, redshirt senior Christian Uphoff is taking his talents to the professional level via the 2021 NFL Draft. The last we saw Uphoff, the safety looked like one of the better prospects in all of college football. In 2019, the Illinois State product recorded 57 tackles, nine assists, and 10 missed tackles in 962 snaps.
Uphoff originally entered the college football ranks with surprisingly little interest. Despite having the ideal frame and athleticism to succeed, programs just weren’t all that interested in the Washington native. He only received three offers, and eventually decided to commit to Illinois State University.
Strengths
- Big guy that moves like a smaller safety;
- Versatile safety with the ability to play in the slot, box, or drop deep in Cover 2;
- Above-average size-adjusted speed;
- Takes the quickest and most efficient way to the ball carrier in the run game;
- Long arms give him the ability to break up passes;
- Hard-hitting safety that makes some big highlights in the run game;
- Experience on special teams as a kick returner;
- Reportedly dominated Senior Bowl practices – won top safety on National Team.
Weaknesses
- Over-aggressive style of play can lead to big misses and chunk plays by the offense;
- Late to some plays due to lack of confidence in his instincts;
- Needs to improve his tackling at the next level;
- Can be beaten deep in man coverage;
- Probably not a good single-high safety.
NFL Comparison: Thomas DeCoud
Teams With Need At Position: Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons
Projection: 3rd/4th Round
Bottom Line on Christian Uphoff
Christian Uphoff is yet another raw, athetlic safety with upside in a class full of them. The Illinois State product has some traits that you just can’t teach, as his size and speed combination is rare to find. Most players that big cannot move like he can, and this allows him to play a variety of roles in an NFL defense. Additionally, he packs a punch as a tackler and has the potential to be one of the best in that regard, although his technique admittedly has a long way to go.
The biggest flaw with Uphoff is that he is simultaneously too cautious and too aggressive. He doesn’t trust his eyes when reading the quarterback, and this caution leads to him breaking late on plays. To compensate for this, Uphoff charges after the ball carrier like a bull in a china shop. This aggression CAN lead to huge hits, but it can also lead to missed tackles which turn small gains into big ones. It’s also important to know that Uphoff is fast for his size, but isn’t all that fast for the position. Burners will be able to get past him, and his speed combined with his hesitation to trust his eyes means that he shouldn’t be a single-high safety.
Ultimately, Uphoff’s best-case scenario probably involves starting his career on the bench. There is a lot of potential here, and perhaps NFL coaching can bring out the best in the Illinois State product. If he learns to trust his instincts and tidies up his fundamentals, he should be a starting-caliber safety.
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