As an aggressive in-the-box thumper, who just so happens to have plus ball-hawking skills, its no surprise to see why Florida International’s Jonathan Cyprien shot-up draft boards this spring and was ultimately drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He plays with reckless abandon, which has led to game-changing pass breakups, hits and interceptions, though the concern is that it could cost him his good health or 15 yards for his team in an NFL that grows more and more cautious of player safety.
But most scouts and draftniks can agree, the good certainly outweighs the bad on Cyprien's tape, and that the potential to be one of the leagues top safeties for years to come is there.
Year | School | Conf | Class | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | FF | TD | PD |
2009 | Florida International | Sun Belt | FR | 48 | 30 | 78 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
2010* | Florida International | Sun Belt | SO | 63 | 50 | 113 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
2011* | Florida International | Sun Belt | JR | 48 | 33 | 81 | 5.5 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
2012 | Florida International | Sun Belt | SR | 54 | 39 | 93 | 3.5 | 0 | 3 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
Career | Florida International | 213 | 152 | 365 | 13.5 | 1 | 6 | 44 | 6 | 1 | 28 |
College statistics courtesy of Sports Reference.
Fantasy Impact
In today’s NFL, it’s not easy to find a player with both above average tackling and coverage skills, which is why Cyprien could potentially be a fantasy stud in both tackle-heavy and impact-heavy leagues. The volume of tackles have been there during his entire college career, as well as his ability to log a few turnovers and pass breakups.
With the Jaguars, he has virtually no competition at his position, so expect him to start right away. If the Jaguars offense continues to sputter, therefore giving the defense more snaps on a per game basis, Cyprien could see ample opportunities to make tackles and force turnovers. He is a must-have defensive back in dynasty leagues, and teams in redraft leagues could do worse than make him one of the first 15 safeties off the board.