D.
J. Swearinger.
D.
J. Swearinger.
South Carolina· 5'10"· 208 lb· 4.67s 40
Cover-3 match scheme that demands versatility from its safeties, switching between deep zones, box support, and man coverage on tight ends or slots.
Immediate special teams impact and potential to develop into a strong safety or hybrid linebacker in sub-packages, with ceiling as a high-effort, physical starter.
Pure single-high safety scheme that relies heavily on elite straight-line speed and consistent deep-half coverage.
A physical, downhill safety best utilized in schemes that value run support and versatility closer to the line of scrimmage, with his speed being a limiting factor in deep coverage.
Selected #57 overall in Round 2 of the 2013 NFL Draft by Houston Texans out of South Carolina.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.67sp50
- Vertical
- 37inp50
- Broad jump
- 124inp50
- Three-cone
- 6.70sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.11sp50
- Bench
- 17repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | South Carolina | 13 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | South Carolina | 14 | 66 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 | South Carolina | 13 | 80 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | South Carolina | 12 | 79 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Career | — | 52 | 244 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
D. J. Swearinger played safety for the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and New Orleans Saints. He was a hard-hitting, vocal leader who started for multiple teams, known for his aggressive style.