Malik Hartford S Ohio State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Malik Hartford S Ohio State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 09/27/2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.50 seconds (73%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 19.8 DOB: 03/19/2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |
| Last Updated: 09/27/2024 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| 40 time: 4.50 seconds (73%*) | |
| Age: 19.8 DOB: 03/19/2005 | |
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| Overall Rating: | 83.1 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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81% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 62.0 | |
| Tackling: |
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66% |
| Run Defense: |
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73% |
| Coverage: |
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80% |
| Zone: |
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75% |
| Man/Press: |
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80% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
3rd
Overall Rank:
#80
Position rank:
#20
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| College Games: 16 College Snaps: 239 | ||
ESPN RATING: 81/100
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247 RATING: 96/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.9 (97%)
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Draft Profile: Bio
Malik Hartford from Lakota West High School was rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 4-star grade by 247 Sports. Following high school, Hartford opted to join Ohio State after being heavily recruited.In 2023 as a freshman Hartford saw action in 9 games and played a total of 158 snaps at safety for the Buckeyes. He recorded just 8 tackles, one assist, while adding 5 stops. In coverage Hartford notched up one pass breakup, no interceptions, and QB rating when targetted of 56.3.
As a sophomore in 2024 he played in just 3 games and logged 27 snaps for the Buckeyes. He made just one tackle, 2 assists, and had no stops. In coverage he totaled no pass breakups, no interceptions, and an elite QB rating when targetted of .0.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Reads the QB and gets good breaks on the ball. Bigger hitter than his slight frame implies. Closes quickly and generates explosion.
- Has good football awareness to read and react quickly and stay balanced and patient in space.
- He’s tall-framed with long arms to match. With his powerful hands, straight-line speed, and fluidity in his hips, turning and chasing downfield shouldn’t be a problem.
- Hartford has good size and is a fluid mover, capable of mirroring quickness underneath
- Good instincts and anticipation reads and reacts with discipline. Dangerous with the ball in his hands.
- Has a tall frame and long arms, plus strong hands, giving him a huge catch radius.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Needs to develop a better understanding of route combinations and better overall vision.
- Despite his size, he’s not an overly physical tackler. Hartford might have to add some weight at the next level in order to become more physical.
- Has very inconsistent tackling technique and too often just throws himself at the lower body of the ballcarrier instead of wrapping up.
How other scouting services rate Malik Hartford (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
83.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
20.0
*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.