If he had decided to enter the draft this year, Kenny Tate would have probably been a first round pick at safety. Guys that are as big as he is aren't supposed to move like he does, and his physical skills will make NFL front offices drool. When he decided to come back to Maryland this year, it was a huge boost to the team.
↵But he may not be helping the team from his customary safety position, as we assumed. According to our Maryland blog Testudo Times, Kenny Tate is listed as a linebacker on the team's Spring roster. There is little doubt that Tate could thrive as an outside linebacker. He traditionally played very well when he was close to the line of scrimmage even from his safety position. But there are some concerns.
↵↵↵Most obviously, this gives him only one year to learn an entirely new position, which is worrisome in its own right. It also puts his draft stock in precarious position; he was going to be a first-rounder as a safety. Now, unless he's incredibly dominant at linebacker, his stock will almost certainly plummet.
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The first thing that comes to mind is, why fix what ain't broke? Tate is dominant from his safety position, and the learning curve he would experience moving to linebacker might offset his improved ability there. And the Terps have some young linebackers who could make a pretty big impact. It's important to point out that this is not at all set in stone, and things could change by the time the season rolls around. But it is worth noting.
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