A.J. Haulcy S LSU |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #13 ROLE: Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/04/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.52 seconds (67%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #13 | |
| ROLE: Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |
| Last Updated: 03/04/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.52 seconds (67%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 85.2 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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74% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 59.6 | |
| Tackling: |
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72% |
| Run Defense: |
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81% |
| Coverage: |
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95% |
| Zone: |
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84% |
| Man/Press: |
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91% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#50
Position rank:
#12 (DB)
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| College Games: 47 College Snaps: 2823 | ||
247 RATING: 81/100
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Xavier Watts - Notre Dame |
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82% |
| Andrew Mukuba - Texas |
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81% |
| Ronnie Hickman - Ohio State |
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79% |
Drafted: ROUND: 3 - Pick Number: 78 (IND)
Draft Profile: Bio
A.J. Haulcy was a three-star recruit out of Fort Bend Marshall High School in Houston who had 12 interceptions and three pick-sixes as a senior, earning First Team All-State honors. He signed with New Mexico, started nine games in 2022, and finished with 87 tackles, two picks, and two forced fumbles. A 24-tackle game against Fresno State was the most by any FBS player since Oklahoma's Kenneth Murray posted 28 against Army in 2018.Haulcy transferred to Houston in January 2023 and started immediately. He led the Cougars with 98 tackles as a sophomore, ranked sixth in the Big 12 at 8.2 per game, and posted program highs in solo stops since 2018. As a junior, he shifted into more of a coverage role and tied for the Big 12 lead with five interceptions while earning First Team All-Big 12 from the coaches, AP, and Phil Steele.
He moved to LSU for his final season in 2025 and earned First Team All-SEC and Phil Steele All-American honors after posting 89 tackles, three interceptions, and four pass breakups. Across four years at three schools, Haulcy compiled 347 tackles, 10 interceptions, 19 passes defended, and four forced fumbles.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Outstanding zone coverage instincts; reads quarterback eyes from depth and triggers downhill with clean timing.
- Genuine ball skills at the catch point, attacking the football like a receiver on contested throws.
- Ten career interceptions and 19 passes defended validate the turnover production on tape.
- Thick 222-pound frame creates a real physicality advantage when driving through ball carriers at the point of contact.
- Patient in his zone drops, funneling quarterbacks into checkdowns by shrinking windows between routes.
- Willing and effective run defender who fills gaps with force and consistently grades well against the ground game.
- Reliable sideline-to-sideline pursuit; finishes plays well outside his initial alignment with effort and angles.
- Functional strength against second-level blockers, shedding pullers and working back to the ball on the perimeter.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Hip stiffness limits his ability to flip and run with vertical routes cleanly.
- Backpedal gets too upright, leaving him flat-footed against quick-breaking route concepts.
- Tackling technique is inconsistent; leads with the shoulder too often, creating missed tackle issues.
- Lacks the top-end speed to recover once displaced or out-leveraged on deep balls.
- Eyes occasionally drift too deep into the backfield, letting blockers wall him off from the play.
Scouting Report: Summary
Haulcy's tape is the tape of a zone coverage safety who understands spacing. He sits between route concepts, processes the quarterback's progressions, and arrives on the ball with timing that comes from recognition, not guessing. That skill set translates directly to defenses that lean on two-high shells and split-field coverage. He is not a centerfield-type safety. The speed and hip fluidity to patrol deep thirds alone against NFL speed are not there. But in a structure where he can work from the hash to the numbers, play as a robber, or handle half-field zone responsibilities, he will limit throws into his area and come up with the ball when quarterbacks test him.At 222 pounds, the run defense piece rounds out the profile. Haulcy has the frame and willingness to play down near the line of scrimmage, take on blocks, and fill gaps. That combination of coverage instinct and physical run support gives him value as a strong safety or box safety in a system that does not need its deep safety to be a pure single-high athlete. His best role is probably the down safety in a Cover 2 or Cover 4 scheme where he can handle intermediate zones and contribute against the run on early downs.
The tackling inconsistency and limited recovery speed are real concerns that will narrow his margin at the next level. But four years of production at three schools against steadily increasing competition speaks to a player who wins with processing and toughness.
A.J. Haulcy percentiles vs other Safetys (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate A.J. Haulcy (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
53.2
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
12.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.