During my time at the Senior Bowl, I was able to speak with former Ohio State safety Josh Proctor. Outside of his love for all things pasta and marinara sauce, he was among the best DBs I saw during the Senior Bowl. His ability to play in coverage and the box against the run makes him one of the most versatile players in this year's draft.
Josh Proctor
Position: Safety
School: Ohio State University
Year: Senior Height: 6'2"
Weight: 205
40 Yard Dash: 4.55 (Tied for 10th at the Combine among Safeties)
Season Stats: 31 TKL, 1 INT, 9 PBUs, 1 TD
Career Overview
Before making his way to the midwest at Ohio State University, Proctor started his football career in his hometown of Owasso, Oklahoma (two hours northeast of Oklahoma City) after an incredible high school career at Owasso, where he led the Bighorn Sheep to their first 6A-I state title since 1974 by playing both safety and wide receiver. In 2017, Proctor racked up 39 tackles and four interceptions and returned two for touchdowns. Proctor was ranked as the No. 7 safety in the 2018 class, according to 247 Sports, and received several offers including from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Nebraska, Michigan, and Ohio State. Finally, on Dec. 17, 2018, Proctor chose him home with the Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day. Proctor had a solid six-year career, including an All-Big 10 honorable mention in 2020, where Proctor had 16 total tackles, two pass breakups, and an interception. 2023 was his best statistical season for the former Resident of the Sooner State, racking up 31 solo tackles, four of them for a loss, one interception, and nine passes broken up.
Player Comparison: Kerby Joesph
The mix of his size, speed, and coverage skills makes Proctor a near match to Kerby Joesph's play style. Disregarding that they both played in the Big 10 (with Joesph playing at U of I), Joesph has been known as a physical tackler who can make great plays in coverage. Joesph burst onto the national stage when he picked off Aaron Rodgers' final pass as a Green Bay Packer on Sunday Night Football in his rookie year.
Final Word
Proctor could be a valuable safety, but there is a reason he is projected to be a day three selection. While he can play man coverage very well, he needs to work on processing the field in zone coverage and go to a team that heavily utilizes man coverage. He can also be a step slow to react when a quarterback comes back to his side of the field late in progression. The Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks would be great fits, as they were in the top five in the NFL in terms of man coverage usage in 2023 (63.5% for KC, 47.9% for SEA). Between the two, I would pick Seattle with them cutting Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams in the off-season, with Proctor being an excellent development piece for the next era of the Seahawks' defense.
Cover Image Courtesy of The Draft Network