Bears 6th Round Pick #185: S DeAndre Houston-Carson
To his credit “DHC” was dominant in his first year as a safety for the Tribe. He finished with 109 tackles in 2015 and with 10 interceptions for his career. DHC is aggressive in run support and has the speed and instincts to play deep in coverage. The potential is there for him to develop into a useful NFL safety. It may take a year or two for him to get to that point, but in the meantime DHC should be an asset on special teams.
He has experience as a special teams gunner already and blocked a ridiculous nine kicks in his college career. Three or four kicks seems like a good amount, but nine is crazy and way too many to be anything but a legitimate skill.
The Bears made a concerted effort in the draft to add talent to their special teams unit and DHC should be a contributor right away. If a special teams asset is all DHC ends up being for the Bears then that is solid value for a 6th round pick, but he has the skill and potential to eventually be an asset at safety as well.
Scouting reports on DeAndre Houston-Carson
From CBS Sports:
"FCS players had better dominate at their level to earn NFL attention and that is precisely what Houston-Carson did for the Tribe, starting for four years and recording an eye-popping 293 tackles, 10 interceptions and nine blocks.He possesses the length, fluidity and competitiveness to return to cornerback in the NFL. His range and vision are intriguing at safety but if he is to remain there, Houston-Carson must show more reliability as an open-field tackler."
From NFL.com:
"Houston-Carson exudes confidence and football intelligence on the field and plays with the swagger of a D-1 safety. In coverage, he is instinctive and responsive and trusts his eyes. While he is a ready, aggressive tackler, he still needs more beef on his frame and has to fine tune his angles to the ball to eliminate some of the big plays he has had a hand in. His physical and mental tools are starter’s quality and his special teams talent should get him on the field right away."