Could Rasul Douglas be a future Philadelphia Eagles safety?

How Douglas can translate to safety:

Compared to Jalen Mills, Douglas has the superior ball skills. His eight interceptions led the NCAA in 2016.

Douglas has a knack for reading quarterbacks and jumping routes. In a man-heavy defense with Jim Schwartz running the unit, Douglas may fit better in more zone-based responsibilities at safety. In a post explaining the responsibilities of a safety, NJ.com‘s Brian Sokolowski’s depiction of what a safety needs to posses in coverage sounds a lot like Rasul Douglas.

"“It helps if he’s taller and leaner and is a great jumper as well. He can’t be afraid to make a big hit, but also must time his hit the right way to jar the ball loose and not get a penalty. He is the guy that makes the wide receivers scared to go over the middle. He’s also the guy tasked with locating the ball and meeting it at the point of attack, whether that point is an interception, deflection, or that big hit.” -NJ.com’s Brian Sokolowski"

A deeper look:

While Mills has a rare, aggressive skill set for a six-foot corner, Douglas is also the stronger, more efficient tackler. Part of playing safety is being able to get down the field quickly against the run. They have to take the right angles and get off blocks quickly.

At six-foot-two and 209 pounds, Douglas could come down in the box and be a better option in run defense.

His tackling is also something that was questioned during the draft process. NFL.com‘s draft profile of Douglas touched on his tackling ability and prospects of converting to safety.

"“Inconsistent hitter who may lack necessary aggressiveness as tackler to project to safety. Defaults to arm tackles.”- Lance Zierlein"

Despite this evaluation, the former West Virginia standout has shown he can be a hard hitter throughout the preseason.

Take a look:

Here’s another nice hit in the open field:

https://twitter.com/DMFootball258/status/898348252315082752

Editor of smokingmustket.com (SBNation’s West Virginia Blog) John Lowe believes with a few things developed, Douglas could make the transition to safety,

"“I think Rasul could make the switch. Could be a bit of a process, but he can deliver some body blows. Had one heck of a tackle against Pat Mahomes at Texas Tech. Very versatile guy. Should pay dividends in Philly”"

Here is the hit Lowe is talking about. 

This play also highlights his speed and ability to blitz from the outside.