The Colts
used their second pick in the fourth-round of the draft on S Matt Giordano, a
safety who was most noticeable for his jolting tackles at California -- not
unlike his new teammate Bob Sanders.
At 5'10
1/2 and 194 lbs, Giordano has played both free and strong safety. The All-Pac 10
Conference first team choice finished third on his team with 61 tackles, caused
2 fumbles and made 1 interception. Giordano at minimum adds another hard-hitting
tackler to the Colts special teams for this season.
Giordano
has an intelligent approach to his position, showing an alertness and quick feet
in following the ball. He also displays the work ethic that the Colts' demand of
their players and will throw himself into traffic with total abandon. Giordano
has also shown great ability to wrap up when he tackles, rarely letting the ball
carrier slip on by. In Giordano, the Colts have added another player who can add
strength to their run defense and special teams.
The only
knock on the California safety is that he sometimes fails to time his leaps
correctly, and his aggressiveness sometimes causes him to overrun the play.
But one
thing you can't take away from him is his toughness. Giordano played part of a
season with a cast on one arm and came out of a pileup in one game with a gash
caused by a cleat to his face and chin that reportedly required in excess of 100
stitches to close.
TFY's Take: Forceful, explosive in run support, defeats blocks on his way
to the action, then immediately brings ball handlers down on initial contact. An
intimidating presence that looks for the knockout blow. Lacks top
sideline-to-sideline range and not fast in pursuit. A tough defender who
craves physical contact, Giordano is best backing up for a defense which employs
a two-deep system. Should also contribute on special teams.
ColtPower's
Take: Giordano will make an immediate contribution on the Colts special
teams. With his experience at both free and strong safety, he should provide a
similar style of run support if needed to step in for Bob Sanders and Mike Doss
in an injury situation. But he needs some work on his pass coverage skills and
technique if he's going to be more than a special teams player for the Colts.