National Football League

Su'a Cravens Could Play Safety Upon His Return In 2016

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:00 p.m. ET

Fansided, Jacob Camenker/FanSided via Riggo's Rag

Su’a Cravens is still out with an elbow injury, but he could return in the near future. If he does, he could end up playing at safety a lot.

Earlier in the week, the Su’a Cravens confirmed a fact that many expected to happen at some point. The Washington Redskins rookie announced that he was going to move to safety in 2017 and started working with the defensive backs in practice. However, the move could end up happening sooner rather than later.

The fact is that the Redskins have had some major issues at the safety position all season. Currently, their top options are Will Blackmon and Donte Whitner, but the latter has been brutal in coverage. Making matters worse, he is also dealing with a quad strain and may not be 100 percent in Week 17. In fact, he may not be able to play at all.

That said, if Cravens is healthy, he seems to be the logical replacement. Redskins head coach Jay Gruden confirmed this to be the case in a press conference and per the Redskins Twitter.

Though Cravens has not played safety at the NFL level, he has plenty of experience at the position in college. At USC, Cravens operated mostly as a defensive back and demonstrated excellent ball skills. The only reason that he moved to linebacker in the NFL was because of concerns with his speed. However, he plays faster than he tested at the Combine. He should be able to successfully hold down the strong safety position and put together a solid performance.

Still, Cravens has to be able to get healthy in order to do any of this. His elbow seems to be getting better with each week, and the Redskins could really use him in their critical Week 17 battle with the New York Giants. If he is healthy, expect to see a heavy dose of him in coverage at safety. He could be a real difference maker for the team in the postseason run.