NFL Draft 2010 Player Profile: Eric Berry, Tennessee Safety

Eric Berry is starting to schedule pre-draft visits, according to the National Football Post.

The Bucs (3), Chiefs (5) and Browns (7) could all be in position to select Berry. All three of those teams also need safety help.

SI’s Peter King has an interesting nugget in his Monday Morning Quarterback column today. He breaks down the risks involved with taking a safety high in the draft.

Eric Berry out of Tennessee is commonly associated with the Chiefs at the fifth pick in the draft. That’s higher than a safety is generally drafted and King passes along a story from Chiefs GM Scott Pioli’s good friend and former colleague, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff.

Eric Berry reportedly suffered a “left big toe sprain” on Wednesday at the Tennessee pro day.

Romeo Crennel was running the workout when Berry was injured. Jim Trotter of SI.com was there:

Eric Berry is the total package, excelling at everything expected of star defensive backs. He’s an incredibly fierce hitter, anticipating plays to get to just the right spot at just the right time so that he can launch himself at the ball carrier with a bone-crunching, perfect form tackle. He also uses his high intelligence, game savvy, and closing speed to read passing plays and bait quarterbacks into throwing interceptions. After interceptions and fumble recoveries, he uses field vision, sneaky quick moves and angles, and pure speed to rack up yards.

Berry’s not just a star athlete, though. He is a genuine, quality character guy who will not only keep himself out of trouble, but go out of his way to keep others out of trouble as well. South Carolina offensive tackle Rokevious Watkins credits Berry with keeping him from a life of using and dealing drugs, and when star freshman safety Janzen Jackson was arrested (the charges were later dismissed) for armed robbery, Berry moved Jackson into his off-campus house to help get him back on the right path.