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Welcome to Houston Calen Bullock

https://twitter.com/x/status/1784045027641143307





Pre-Draft Analysis :Bullock is a safety with the range and length to play center field. He closes well, breaking on balls in off coverage. Matching up with tight ends, he is competitive. Bullock, a playmaker who flashes the ability to pluck the ball out of the air, picked off five passes in 2022. He's competitive at the catch point. While his angles are inconsistent and he misses tackles, he is an aggressive run-defender who flashes good stopping power for a leaner safety. -- Steve Muench

Post-Draft Analysis
My top safety in the draft comes off the board at pick No. 78 overall. Ranked No. 55 on my final big board, Bullock is a ballhawk from the center of the field. The Texans are committed to improving the secondary after drafting Kamari Lassiter in Round 2, and Bullock should slot in as the team's starting free safety. That move would allow Jimmie Ward to play where he's the best -- in the nickel -- giving the Texans a potentially dangerous starting five in the defensive backfield. -- Matt Miller
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In 2022, as a full-time starter, Bullock's impact on the field deepened. Over 13 games and 784 snaps, he ramped up his contributions to 41 tackles, 12 assists, 6 stops, alongside 4 pass breakups, an increased tally of 5 interceptions, and a QB rating of 89.
His junior year in 2023 with Bullock took part in 12 games, playing 845 snaps, and making 54 tackles, 10 assists, 15 stops, 7 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and a less impressive QB rating of 97.0 when targeted.
Calen Bullock's tape at USC reveals a DB with a keen nose for the ball, showcasing top-tier ball-hawking skills that make him a threat in any secondary. His ability to flip the field—thanks to his receiver-like hands and sharp instincts—makes him a valuable asset in coverage. Bullock reads QBs like a book and jumps routes with ease, displaying the anticipation skills that scouts drool over. However, his move to the pros will spotlight areas for growth, particularly in run support and physicality at the point of attack. Bullock will need to beef up and sharpen his tackling technique to withstand the NFL's grind. Bullock brings the mix of athleticism, instinct, and versatility that teams covet in the NFL. With a bit of polish and strength conditioning, he's got the ceiling of a secondary stalwart capable of matching up with the league's best. His readiness to engage in the finer points of DB play—footwork, angle discipline, and wrap-up tackling—will dictate his trajectory. Bullock isn't just a prospect; he's a project with Pro Bowl potential.
www.nfldraftbuzz.com

Calen Bullock Safety USC | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Rating: 84.4 Rank: #17 Forty: 4.48 Calen Bullock's tape at USC reveals a DB with a keen nose for the ball, showcasing top-tier ball-hawking skills that make him a threat in any secondary. ...
www.nfldraftbuzz.com www.nfldraftbuzz.com

I can see him going outside to CB. I loved his 2022 season but 2023 he went backwards IMO. He can do it at NFL but Ryans ability to coach him up will be Bullocks meal ticket wherever he plays.
 
leebigeztx said:
What does Pitre do well? Tackling isn't one of them

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
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He’s good and best coming downhill playing the strong safety spot. That’s natural for him. I think part of his issue last year was Meco tried having him be that combo centerfield guy like Polamalu and it’s just not a fit for him & how he’s best utilized and likes to play. He’s aggressive & when sitting back in that centerfield position it forces him to measure his aggression; thinking too much. He stabilized once Ward went out and Meco started playing him in his natural spot & let Carson be the centerfield safety.
 
Expert Commentary: Pick No. 78 — Calen Bullock
  • Draft Grade: B

  • Pre-Draft Rank: 61

  • School: USC

  • Height: 6' 2"

  • Weight: 188
Nice pick up for the Texans, who needed a safety to pair with Jalen Pitre. Bullock was one of the few playmakers on defense for the Trojans, notching nine interceptions in three seasons.
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sports.yahoo.com

NFL Draft 2024 live updates: Day 2 second and third round picks, trades, grades and news from Detroit

Round 1 is here in Detroit. Stay updated with Yahoo Sports.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1784048283616194648
 
halilsrealfootballtalk.com

Top 10 safeties of the 2024 NFL Draft:

We’ve arrived at the final defensive edition of our positional draft breakdown series. Earlier this week, we discussed the tight-end class, so now it’s time to look at their counterpart – the safet…
halilsrealfootballtalk.com halilsrealfootballtalk.com

Big write up on bullock:

​

10. Calen Bullock, USC​

6’2”, 185 pounds; JR



One of the top-200 overall recruits in 2021, Bullock started half of 12 games as a true freshman and immediately made his presence felt, with 40 tackles, two interceptions and three pass break-ups. Year two he started all 14 contests, recording 58 total stops, five passes intercepted (one returned for a touchdown) and broken up each. While his picks went down to “only” two (one TD scored), he did increase his tackles (63) and PBUs (seven), improving from second- to first-team All-Pac-12.



Run defense & blitzing:

+ Was the third-most valuable safety in the country according to PFF’s wins above average (WAR) metric in 2022

+ Makes sure to maintain outside leverage when working up the alley from split-safety looks

+ You don’t ever see him get outraced to the sideline from single-high alignments

+ Does a nice job of breaking down in space and not allowing ball-carriers to dance around him in space

+ When he’s down low as a hole or flat defender, his ability to bring down the back one-on-one is excellent

+ You’d love for Bullock to be a little more physical as a tackler and not allow bigger players to drag him along, but a 10.6% miss rate for how much he was trusted as the last line of defense is solid



Zone coverage:

+ Loose mover on the back-end, who can pedal, open and swivels those hips around as if he was oiled up

+ Generally does a great job of positioning himself accordingly between routes as a deep zone defender and committing once it’s appropriate

+ For more of a lanky build, Bullock redirects well and you don’t feel like receivers can just neutralize him as deep help so to speak

+ You rarely see slot receivers have an opening on corner routes when he’s playing cover-two to his side

+ Shows the active eyes and instincts to take away multiple options dropping down as a robber/rat and dissuade quarterbacks from throwing touch-balls over his head

+ Offers premier ball-hawking skills when it comes to identifying opportunities and then elevating for passes with soft hands

+ Quickly covers ground coming forward to get hands on the intended target in front of him

+ Throwing curl routes against Bullock in match-coverage (cover-four/-six) can be challenging with how quickly he can erases that cushion and you better not do so late – ask Utah’s freshman QB, who served him up a pick-six



Man coverage:

+ After playing 69% as a deep safety in 2022, Bullock spent between 249 and 320 snaps between the slot, box and at deep (in that order) last season, to showcase some more versatility

+ Very calm in his pedal when he has to go backwards with tight-ends pushing vertically against him in man-coverage

+ Doesn’t need much of a transition period to turn with and then has the speed to hang with slot fade routes with cushion

+ Having 32.5-inch arms definitely helps to enable him to swipe at the ball when the receiver has half a step on him

+ Trails the motion-man under good control whilst not allowing himself to be outflanked or caught up in traffic typically

+ Effectively drives through the legs or clamps the legs of receivers in order to negate any YAC

+ Only surrendered six completions for 55 yards and half of those catches ended in “stops” for the defense, across 131 snaps and ten targets in man-coverage



Weaknesses:

– Earned PFF coverage grades above 80 each of the past two seasons, but in run defense he finished at only a 55.1 and a 49.0 respectively, where I feel like he’ll avoid getting involved on the tackle if possible

– Frequently has to curve his path due to poor initial angles down from the deep post and surrenders additional yardage in the process

– Has real issues dealing with tight-ends in the run game if you ask him to play down low on early downs or he’s lined up over them in the slot

– Too often just drifts way too deep just to not get beat over the top (especially playing center-field), but creates a lot of free real estate in front of him for the offense to attack – was responsible for a career-worst five touchdowns compared to two picks last season

– While it was more about the physicality and involvement as a tackler in 2022, last season he also actually nearly doubled his miss rate (13.5%)



This guy was a very challenging evaluation for me. Bullock generally projects best as a more traditional single-high free safety thanks to his range, ball-skills and while not a big hitter, the reliable tackling skills in space. However, his initial track to the football from that spot routinely needs to be altered and his unit ends up allowing bigger than necessary. I like what he can bring matching routes from depth or placing himself between them as a threat to take the ball away, but I don’t think he wants that smoke when offenses pull bigger bodies out to the corner or he has to deal extensively with tight-ends. He’s slender, the timed speed is adequate (4.48) but nothing crazy and he lacks some of that killer instinct of throwing his body around. With that being said, I understand the value of a defensive player who can create extra possessions, has his kind of fluidity and makes quarterbacks uncomfortable pushing the ball down the field if he’s in range. I just believe in today’s game, where you play with lighter box counts and need your safeties to actively involve themselves in the run fit even if they aren’t by alignment, he could be somewhat of a liability, hence why I have him this low.
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TheMatrix31 said:
I don't know who it is but I don't give a ****.

Seeing the team go after defensive backs and offensive line with the first 3 picks including a trade up to get our guy shows me that they ******* understand that our team would have been the best team in the league had it not been for the worst injury problems ever on the offensive line and defensive backfield.

**** yeah.
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Safety was an issue last yr.
 
Mr teX said:
He’s good and best coming downhill playing the strong safety spot. That’s natural for him. I think part of his issue last year was Meco tried having him be that combo centerfield guy like Polamalu and it’s just not a fit for him & how he’s best utilized and likes to play. He’s aggressive & when sitting back in that centerfield position it forces him to measure his aggression; thinking too much. He stabilized once Ward went out and Meco started playing him in his natural spot & let Carson be the centerfield safety.
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Yep, this is why Bullard was the pick. A playmaker playing CF.
 
Mike Renner who did the first round show with CJ Stroud & Micah Parsons for Bleacher Report said that CJ had told him Calen Bullock was one of the guys that CJ really liked:


@ around 3:20:46

Didn't really watch their first round show but if it's on there I'll try and post it
 
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Greg Cosell’s thoughts:

www.the33rdteam.com

Calen Bullock 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Houston Texans Safety

Uncover USC safety Calen Bullock's strengths and weaknesses with our comprehensive scouting report before the 2024 NFL Draft.
www.the33rdteam.com www.the33rdteam.com

NFL TRANSITION​

Bullock will likely transition to the next level as a back-end safety with his thin frame and excellent play speed and range that consistently showed up on tape. Bullock is long, lean and athletic. While there was a competitive and physical nature to his game, he did not exhibit the play strength and tackling technique needed to play with any consistency in the box.
 
zshawn10 said:
halilsrealfootballtalk.com

Top 10 safeties of the 2024 NFL Draft:

We’ve arrived at the final defensive edition of our positional draft breakdown series. Earlier this week, we discussed the tight-end class, so now it’s time to look at their counterpart – the safet…
halilsrealfootballtalk.com halilsrealfootballtalk.com

Big write up on bullock:
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It is a bit concerning that the Texans have some guys back-end of the defense that struggle in the tackling department in Pitre and now Bullock. I'm concerned about the middle of the defense too. Safeties that are excellent tacklers can erase some of the deficits up front.

Hopefully Bullock can add a little more size and the coaching staff can improve his tackling. He's young and very talented.
 
banned1976 said:
It is a bit concerning that the Texans have some guys back-end of the defense that struggle in the tackling department in Pitre and now Bullock. I'm concerned about the middle of the defense too. Safeties that are excellent tacklers can erase some of the deficits up front.

Hopefully Bullock can add a little more size and the coaching staff can improve his tackling. He's young and very talented.
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His slight build no doubt has been a significant factor in his dubious tackling history. Some claim that this has mostly been re. him playing up close and the type of offensive players encountered there. This should be of much more concern in the NFL when he is playing in open field................especially as a lone high safety where he would be the last man standing between himself and the goal line.

Ball hawk free safeties are a big plus..............unless they miss and can't protect the goal line. I believe we already have one of those on the roster.
 
Bullock will get stronger. He doesn't turn 21 for a couple of more days.

DeJean was my favorite prospect to plug in at safety/nickel but Bullock is a better fit IMO with what's already here. We didn't have a true over the top safety and Bullock is that type of guy.
 
banned1976 said:
It is a bit concerning that the Texans have some guys back-end of the defense that struggle in the tackling department in Pitre and now Bullock. I'm concerned about the middle of the defense too. Safeties that are excellent tacklers can erase some of the deficits up front.

Hopefully Bullock can add a little more size and the coaching staff can improve his tackling. He's young and very talented.
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People are overreacting with the Pitre tackling stuff. For 1, This guy was a breakout stud and had over 100 tackles as a safety in his rookie year..which was tops amongst safeties let alone rookies. 2, He like the rest of the defense were all learning a new scheme…3, He got a bruised lung 1st game of the season last year..missed the jags game and came back for our 3rd game. I personally don’t think he was really quite right health wise until the latter part of the season when the secondary and defense as a whole turned the corner and started playing better.

He’s gonna be fine and I expect a return to form from him this year with the addition of Bullock. he’ll now be free to play his game & play it faster vs all the moving around, role-changing and learning he had to do last year.
 
Don’t think Texans trade up for Bullock if not for 2nd when teams traded up just before pick and grab their player. Also don’t like drafting need over bpa. End of third early 4th was about right, not worth what they gave up.
 
beerlover said:
Don’t think Texans trade up for Bullock if not for 2nd when teams traded up just before pick and grab their player. Also don’t like drafting need over bpa. End of third early 4th was about right, not worth what they gave up.
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I took note of the trades up by other teams right before the Texans picked as well. So who do u think they had targeted that they thought was falling to them before they traded up? Javon Bullard?
 
Mr teX said:
I took note of the trades up by other teams right before the Texans picked as well. So who do u think they had targeted that they thought was falling to them before they traded up? Javon Bullard?
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Probably. Green Bay took cooper and bulland and I loved both ugh. Then saints took kool aid and eagles took dejean so that sucked
 
I wanna see all 22 views but he seems to cover a lot of ground.
 
zshawn10 said:
Probably. Green Bay took cooper and bulland and I loved both ugh. Then saints took kool aid and eagles took dejean so that sucked
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Mr teX said:
I took note of the trades up by other teams right before the Texans picked as well. So who do u think they had targeted that they thought was falling to them before they traded up? Javon Bullard?
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JMO, but based on how aggressive Nick has been in going and getting guys he's wanted, I think when he stays put and lets the board develop he's probably got a range of players that he's ok with. If he truly wanted to go after a specific player I think he'd have done that. Based on what he did I assume he was ok with a group of players there and when it was our turn he took the best of the bunch left.

If he really wanted one of those other guys he probably jumps up earlier and grabs them before it even gets that dicey...
 
xtruroyaltyx said:
JMO, but based on how aggressive Nick has been in going and getting guys he's wanted, I think when he stays put and lets the board develop he's probably got a range of players that he's ok with. If he truly wanted to go after a specific player I think he'd have done that. Based on what he did I assume he was ok with a group of players there and when it was our turn he took the best of the bunch left.

If he really wanted one of those other guys he probably jumps up earlier and grabs them before it even gets that dicey...
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Judging by DeMeco’s reaction at pick 42 in particular, I think Lassiter was their guy over Kool Aid.

One thing we know about Nick, he will get the guy his coach wants.

One thing we know about DeMeco, he does not have a poker face.

This was not an OB throwing a temper tantrum when a trade falls through and pivoting to Greenard draft moment.

PS: Sure wish people got in the way of OB’s first choice more often. Greenard was his best pick in that draft!
 
beerlover said:
Don’t think Texans trade up for Bullock if not for 2nd when teams traded up just before pick and grab their player. Also don’t like drafting need over bpa. End of third early 4th was about right, not worth what they gave up.
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I think they draft BPA from a group of positions.
For example, QB, P, K, plus other positions you feel we don't need are excluded in that spot.
That's why a professional group of people are picking and not armchair GMs.
 
Mr teX said:
People are overreacting with the Pitre tackling stuff. For 1, This guy was a breakout stud and had over 100 tackles as a safety in his rookie year..which was tops amongst safeties let alone rookies. 2, He like the rest of the defense were all learning a new scheme…3, He got a bruised lung 1st game of the season last year..missed the jags game and came back for our 3rd game. I personally don’t think he was really quite right health wise until the latter part of the season when the secondary and defense as a whole turned the corner and started playing better.

He’s gonna be fine and I expect a return to form from him this year with the addition of Bullock. he’ll now be free to play his game & play it faster vs all the moving around, role-changing and learning he had to do last year.
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I agree about the bruised lung but I am suspicious that it may have also impacted him psychologically.
 
Best value pick of round 3?

Miller: Calen Bullock, S, to the Texans (No. 78). He was No. 55 in my final rankings and my top safety. So, yeah, the Texans stole him. We know Bullock isn't the most physical player, but he's an elite ball hawk who can own the center of the field in the passing game. Teams that throw it up deep will regret it with Bullock patrolling the backend, as he has four career interceptions. The Texans have the pass rush to force quarterbacks into quick decisions, and that's where Bullock's range and instincts will stand out.
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https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/...l-draft-best-picks-trades-qb-fits-predictions
 
Sweech said:
Mike Renner who did the first round show with CJ Stroud & Micah Parsons for Bleacher Report said that CJ had told him Calen Bullock was one of the guys that CJ really liked:


@ around 3:20:46

Didn't really watch their first round show but if it's on there I'll try and post it
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I take from this that CJ is really plugged into the philosophy of this organisation as a whole and is seeing the decisions in the same way as the coaching staff are. Really taking seriously this modern role of the executive star sportsman that seems to have taken hold around global sports over the last decade. But he isn’t doing it in a toxic way, he’s tuned into what type of safety DeMeco sees working for him as a mid round draft pick and that allows for picks like Tank and Stover on the O to look more like ‘CJ picks’ because they are on the same page.
 
BullRushTX said:
My impression is that they didn't select him to start this year. For some reason people are calling him Pitre's replacement. He's Ward's replacement. A year getting his feet wet and getting coached up and he should look pretty good.
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At some point next year Bullock will be playing FS because Ward will get hurt again. If Petrie doesn't improve his weaknesses then Bryant will be playing SS. Isn't it great to finally have talent and competition at the weakest position IMHO on the team.
 
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BullRushTX said:
My impression is that they didn't select him to start this year. For some reason people are calling him Pitre's replacement. He's Ward's replacement. A year getting his feet wet and getting coached up and he should look pretty good.
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I agree. However, I don't expect Ward to stay healthy, so I think he'll get playing time. I think the knocks against him, tackling.... belong to USC defensive staff, they sucked. That's all fundamentals, can be taught.
 
2024 NFL draft: Best picks, top steals in every round
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Yates' five favorite NFL draft picks of every round: Which teams got great value?

Field Yates picked out 35 selections -- five per round -- that just made too much sense, including Laiatu Latu to the Colts.
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Calen Bullock, S, Houston Texans (No. 78)
Bullock's range is his signature trait, and he had nine interceptions in three seasons at USC, including five in 2022. He's a minimal factor against the run relative to other safeties in this class, but if the Texans play to his strengths, he can be a turnover forcer and an explosive-play limiter.
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Bayouboy1965 said:
I agree. However, I don't expect Ward to stay healthy, so I think he'll get playing time. I think the knocks against him, tackling.... belong to USC defensive staff, they sucked. That's all fundamentals, can be taught.
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It can be taught, but it's not a guarantee.

Look at Pitre, he's plenty willing enough (and I think Bullock is too), but it's not always quite there.

The ceiling is sky high on him so I hope it works out.
 
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