Actions speak louder than words.
Nobody understands this better than former Arizona State safety Damarious Randall.
After what some considered an erratic senior season the former Mesa Community College star has quickly caught the attention of NFL coaches and personnel as we inch closer to late April’s draft.
First it was his standout effort at last month’s NFL Combine which included running a 4.46 40-yard dash, then his impressive display at ASU’s Pro Day last week. Randall added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame since the Devils’ Sun Bowl win over Duke less than three months ago.
“One of my favorites,” NFL Network draft analyst Charles Davis told Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat in a recent phone interview of Randall. “Love him. Absolutely love him.”
Some aren’t totally sure what position fits the Pensacola, Florida native best: safety, where he played under Todd Graham at ASU, or cornerback. Davis went so far as to compare his versatile skill set to Arizona Cardinals free safety Tyrann Mathieu who was also labeled as a “tweener” coming out of LSU a few years ago.
“I think Damarious Randall projects very well as a very speedy safety,” Davis explained.
He proved to be a playmaker in the back half of Graham’s defense averaging over eight tackles a game last fall. His three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown against Notre Dame) tied for a team-high and was fourth in tackles-for-loss last fall.
The former Butler Community College baseball player it appears made a wise choice sticking to football.
“Randall has good versatility for a defensive back because he’s demonstrated he can be a nickel due to how ASU relies on the field side safety in a lot of man coverage situations,” SunDevilSource.com’s Chris Karpman said last week. “He’s destined to be a mid-round pick at worst with how he solidified his standing from an athletic standpoint [at Pro Day].”
