Undrafted Millard Bradford has a chance to steal a spot in the New Orleans Saints high school

The New Orleans Saints scouting department has done a good job of finding collegiate talent at safety in various rounds of the NFL draft. Malcolm Jenkins (first round, 2009), PJ Williams (third, 2015), Vonn Bell (second, 2016), Marcus Williams (second, 2017) and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (fourth, 2019) all had a significant impact with the team.

Jordan Howden, a fifth-round pick last year, looks poised to join that list after a promising rookie year. Even JT Gray, undrafted in 2018, was a two-time All-Pro as one of the NFL’s top special teams contributors.

The Saints did not select a safety in this year’s draft. However, one of their underdog signings should have an opportunity to earn a spot at a questionable depth position for New Orleans.

Bradford was a safety for the Horned Frogs who made a growing impact in each of his five years with the program. In his last three seasons, Bradford had four combined interceptions, 14 passes broken up and over 150 tackles.

A drop back with versatility, Bradford can contribute to a defense in a number of ways. He will aggressively attack running plays in the secondary, often sacrificing his body to shed blockers to free up teammates to make plays.

In coverage, Bradford has the agility and athleticism to play the slot effectively. He sees the field quite well in deep coverage and has good closing burst on the ball. His zone instincts and overall coverage ability have shown great improvement over the past two years at TCU.

Bradford shows excellent ball skills, tracks downfield throws well and will bait defenders into bad throws. He will sub routes effectively to make a play for his defense and has excellent fluidity in changing direction in coverage or off-ball areas.

At only 5’11” and 191 lbs., Bradford’s size creates some scheme limitations. He most likely won’t be effective as a box defender in base formations. As a tackle, he’ll miss a lot of opportunities due to poor face angles of the ball.

Bradford needs to show a better feel for off-ball coverage responsibilities. He will often give up too much cushion for receivers, allowing easy throws underneath. He has not shown consistent read and reaction skills when employed as a single safety.

Millard Bradford will have an opportunity to earn a role in the New Orleans defense. The Saints released veteran tight end Marcus Maye this offseason, leaving Howden as the default starter alongside Tyrann Mathieu. New Orleans signed former Lions safety Will Harris, but otherwise has limited depth with Ugo Amadi, Johnathan Abram and Gray.

Bradford will face stacked odds, so he’ll need to turn heads by making plays in coverage and on special teams. If so, his versatility could steal a spot over a more limited player like Abram, Amadi or Gray.