49ers are hosting USC safety Calen Bullock today

A rangy, wiry-thin safety with upside in coverage, but needs work against the run

We’re eight days away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers continue to host potential prospects. On Wednesday, USC safety Calen Bullock is in Santa Clara, per his Instagram:

Bullock is wire thin at 188 pounds, which is in the second percentile, but he has long arms, is 6’2, and can really run.

With Nick Sorensen and Brandon Staley leading the defense, the safety position is set to play a pivotal role. Talanoa Hufanga’s recovery from an ACL injury and Tashaun Gipson’s free agency status add to the importance of this position. Sorensen and Staley are expected to implement more split-safety looks, underscoring the need for a competent player like Bullock to complement Ji’Ayir Brown in coverage.

Bullock is projected to go right around the 49ers third-round pick. The Niners likely favor Bullock’s range as a deep safety. You can also see him communicating pre-snap. He will get aggressive and take some bizarre angles, but any player is a challenging evaluation coming from that Trojan defense. Let’s just say they weren’t the most sound, consistent unit from a coaching standpoint.

I mentioned angles as an issue for Bullock. It wasn’t easy to tell if he was out of position, making up for a teammate, or freelancing. That and some lackluster tackling make him a sub-package player and not an immediate starter.