A true junior who only became a regular starter this season, Alabama defensive back Demarcco Hellams hasn’t attracted much attention as a 2022 NFL Draft prospect. With the national championship still to play, he’s one of several eligible players yet to make his NFL intentions clear. Despite this, Hellams’ scouting report showcases some pro potential, especially due to his experience and success as a special-teams stalwart.
Demarcco Hellams NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Safety
- School: Alabama
- Current Year: Junior
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 208 pounds
Demarcco Hellams Scouting Report
From Mark Barron through Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, to Landon Collins and Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama has a remarkable record of producing safeties for the NFL.
In the 2022 NFL Draft class, Jordan Battle earned early accolades as one of the best. However, could his teammate Hellams join him as a potential selection next April?
Let’s start Hellams’ scouting report with his size. At 6’1″ and 208 pounds, he has the frame to play the game at the next level. Additionally, the Alabama safety has the arm length that you covet in a defensive back. Although we’ve yet to uncover an official measurement, he appears to possess impressive relative length to his frame.
As an athlete, Hellams possesses some appealing upside. He’s a fast straight-line runner with the ability to close quickly on underneath routes as a coverage safety. This straight-line speed was also apparent on several plays where he ate up ground coming across the field. Hellams also showcases a decent backpedal in coverage as well when rotating into a single-high alignment post-snap.
Versatility, physicality, and special-teams experience
Alignment versatility is important at the next level, and Hellams ticks the box in this regard as far as it pertains to his college experience. He’s played both split field and single-high safety. Additionally, he’s seen snaps covering tight ends and receivers out of the slot. Alabama has used the safety as an overhang defender while also using him in the box.
As a former wide receiver, Hellams showcases some potential at the catch point. When presented with the opportunity to make a play, he demonstrates excellent body control. As you’d expect from someone who hauled in 21 touchdowns as a high school senior, he also has impressive hands, cajoling the ball into his grasp.
However, Hellams does his best work as a physical downhill threat against the run game. He uses his length and strength to easily shed blockers. When he meets a ball carrier head-on in the alley, he routinely emerges victorious. He thrives in this situation, and that is also apparent from his success on kick coverage as a special-teams standout.
Areas for improvement
Hellams’ versatility, physicality, and special-teams experience would make him an alluring prospect for some teams in the 2022 NFL Draft. That said, his scouting report highlights several areas for improvement that could be improved with another season at the college level. There are some limiting athletic issues apparent too.
Let’s begin with those. While the Alabama safety possesses impressive straight-line speed, he isn’t the most fluid athlete. He doesn’t smoothly transition from his backpedal into running. Hellams also appears labored in changing direction, causing issues against speedier players in coverage. The latter issue also presents a problem against the run.
If a ball carrier cuts suddenly, Hellams is unable to counter and mirror that move. That might not be such an issue if he was technically sound in the open field. However, the Alabama safety often takes poor angles with the result being a large number of missed tackles in the games studied.
While physicality is one of the positive elements of his scouting report, Hellams needs to ensure he’s not overly physical in coverage. This has caused him trouble, particularly against Texas A&M where he gave away a costly penalty late in the game. At the next level, those issues would be exacerbated by the standard of refereeing.
From a football intelligence standpoint, Hellams can be a second slow in processing plays. This is particularly apparent in coverage. Numerous times he was late to make a play on the ball, giving up valuable yardage. Once the play is behind him, he struggles to make an impact.
Demarcco Hellams Player Profile
A Crab Bowl MVP and Grassroots Youth Football League All-Star in his hometown of Washington, DC, Hellams attracted collegiate attention before he’d even set foot on a high school football field. His first offer came from Maryland prior to his freshman season at DeMatha Catholic High School.
A versatile playmaker on both sides of the ball, Hellams impressed early and often in his high school career. Although he modeled his defensive game from Kansas City Chiefs star safety Eric Berry, he also excelled as a pass catcher and even took reps at running back during his sophomore season.
Considered one of the top players in Maryland, attention continued to grow on the four-star recruit. By the end of his junior season, Hellams had amassed over 25 offers including from the likes of Clemson, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. However, one team overshadowed them all, and Hellams committed to Alabama in June 2018.
“I loved the environment that is created by the players and coaches of accountability, and a culture that is built on developing boys to be young men,” Hellams told BamaOnline on his recruitment. “The practice was fast, fast, fast movement everywhere up-tempo, no time wasted and everyone doing their job.”
Alabama had also recruited him to play safety, whereas a number of other teams saw his future at wide receiver. It was understandable, as Hellams secured 78 catches for 1,469 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final season at DeMatha.
As a result, he earned Washington Post Metro Offensive Player of the Year honors. However, with 12 interceptions (3 returned for touchdowns) and 91 tackles during his senior season, Hellams clearly had a future in the defensive backfield.
Hellams’ career at Alabama
Arriving in Alabama to a packed defensive back room that included future NFL Draft talent including Xavier McKinney, Hellams’ immediate role was predominantly focused on special teams. However, he also forced his way onto the field as a versatile defensive back. The Alabama safety made his debut against Duke and logged tackles against New Mexico State and South Carolina in his freshman season in Tuscaloosa.
Although he started his sophomore season as a special-teams standout, Hellams climbed the depth chart through the 2020 campaign. He made his first start against Georgia, leading the team with 11 tackles and registering a pass breakup.
He replaced injured Alabama safety Daniel Wright against LSU and registered 8 tackles. As a result of his performances in the regular season, he started in both College Football Playoff games.
Through the 2020 season, Hellams registered 62 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Yet, some of his most valuable contributions came on special teams. During the SEC Championship Game win over Florida, he made stops on both kickoff and punt coverage. His performances earned him the program’s Special Teams Player of the Week award on three separate occasions.
A crucial part of Alabama’s run to the national championship
Coming into his junior season, Hellams was expected to become the full-time starter at safety for Alabama alongside Battle. However, a lower leg injury limited his playing time and meant he came off the bench for the season opener against Miami.
Despite the early setback, Hellams has grown into a key contributor for the Crimson Tide this season. He secured his first career interception against Southern Miss before adding another pick against Texas A&M. He also made a red-zone interception in the SEC Championship Game win over Georgia. Against Ole Miss, he made 4 crucial third-down stops. Furthermore, he was named team Defensive Back of the Week on four separate occasions.
Heading into the national championship, the Alabama safety has registered 80 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback hurry, 3 interceptions, and 3 pass breakups.
He hasn’t received much NFL Draft attention, but if Hellams chooses to declare, there will undoubtedly be teams interested in a versatile DB with special-teams experience. However, he could enhance his stock by returning to Tuscaloosa next year.