Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: S Hamsah Nasirildeen

In terms of needs to address in the draft, the safety position for the Green Bay Packers is one that hasn’t been discussed much—and understandably so, they have Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. But in the Joe Barry defense, the safeties play a very important and taxing role.

Barry will be bringing to Green Bay a version of the Vic Fangio/Brandon Staley defense. Under Staley in 2020, the Los Angela’s Rams often ran a two-high safety look and more than anyone played with a lightbox. This requires the safeties to be active in the run game, playing closer to the line of scrimmage, being reliable tacklers, but also having to be well versed in coverage—obviously. To put it simply, the safety group is asked to do a lot in this defense, and versatility is key.

This is a role that fits Adrian Amos well, while we may see more Darnell Savage in the all-important ‘star’ role, as Barry calls it. But don’t be surprised if the Green Bay Packers look to bolster their depth early on with a versatile safety, who can play in the slot, in the box, and deep, and of course, is a good tackler.

One name who provides that versatility and could find a role with the Green Bay Packers as a do-it-all type of defender is Hamsah Nasirildeen from Florida State.

Nasirildeen has four years of experience, with a bulk of his play coming during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In 2018, Nasirildeen appeared in 12 games, making five starts for the Seminoles, and tallied three pressures while allowing a completion rate of 77.8 percent on 36 targets at 12.3 yards per catch. He also had an interception, two pass breakups, and a passer rating when targeted of 132.1.

But in 2019, Nasirildeen took a huge step forward as a player and improved across just about every major category. His total pressures jumped up to 10, and on 24 targets, his completion rate was only 62.5 percent. He came away with two interceptions, one pass breakup, and his passer rating plummeted as well, falling to 68.9 when thrown at.

If grades are your thing, and they certainly are a helpful tool to illustrate who has played really well and who has struggled, Nasirildeen ranked 37th out of 200 safeties during that 2019 season, according to PFF ($$).

Unfortunately, towards the end of that 2019 season, Nasirildeen would suffer a season-ending ACL injury that would keep him sidelined until the final two games of the Seminoles’ season in 2020.

In this Florida State defense, Nasirildeen was tasked with playing all over the field, taking 239 snaps from the box in 2019, along with another 124 from the slot, and 297 as the free safety. He covered and oftentimes neutralized running backs out of the backfield as well as tight ends in the passing game.

Nasirildeen has excellent size, measuring in at 6’3″ – 215 pounds. He posted a Relative Athletic Score of 7.71 at his Pro-Day, although it’s worth noting that his vertical was considered poor, his shuttle and 3-cone were just above average, and he didn’t run the 40-yard dash. In his pre-draft report, Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline stated that Nasirildeen has “no burst” and “limited quickness.”

With that said, as you’ll see, Joe Marino of The Draft Network feels differently and had this to say about the versatile safety:

"A versatile defender, Nasilideen forecasts best as a positionless sub-package defender in the NFL. He can serve the role of tight end neutralizer, play in an overhang role, play in man coverage against running backs, and play in the box and operate from deeper alignments. Outside of his rare physical gifts, Nasirildeen takes terrific angles, is versatile, and his presence can add new layers to the defense of the team that drafts him.Nasirildeen tore his ACL late in the 2019 season in a non-contact situation and the recovery sidelined him for all but two games in 2020. When it comes to areas that he can still improve, ball skills, serving as a one-high safety, blitzing, and proving his health are the top priorities. Nasirildeen has a high ceiling at the next level should he land with a team that is willing to deploy him creatively to take advantage of his immense physical gifts."

Pauline sees Nasirildeen as more of a “run-defending safety,” which in this Joe Barry defense is still incredibly valuable. As I mentioned, that’s an important role that the safety group has to fill playing so close to the line of scrimmage. Marino, on the other hand, doesn’t see those same athletic limitations and believes Nasirildeen will be at his best in a “positionless” role at the NFL level.

Where the Green Bay Packers fall on this, we will see. Either way, they could use that type of player in their defense, but depending on how Nasirildeen is viewed around the NFL will determine where he goes. A positionless defender is going to be coveted much more than a run-stopping safety.

To get an idea of where Nasirildeen might go, at this moment, the Mock Draft Database has a third-round projection on him, based on the countless mock drafts and big boards they’ve compiled this offseason.

I have a feeling that taking a safety early on is one of those selections that would upset a portion of the fan base. However, with what this unit is tasked to do, adding another versatile defender who can move around and hold their own against both the run and the pass is something that I imagine is absolutely on the Green Bay Packers’ radar. And it’s a role that could fit Nasirildeen quite well.