Players of intrigue: UConn safety Obi Melifonwu bears watching

MOBILE, Ala. — Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu is one of those fast-rising prospects that NFL teams probably wish they could stash away until the draft so nobody else finds out just how good he might be.

Melifonwu was overlooked among higher-profile safety prospects while playing on the 107th-ranked pass defense in the country on a disappointing 3-9 team that lost eight of its last nine games. Suddenly, though, he’s a hard-to-miss prospect who is unlikely to be the bargain some NFL teams unable to invest a first-round pick on LSU’s Jamal Adams, Ohio State’s Malik Hooker or Michigan’s Jabril Peppers probably thought he might be.

At 6-4, 219 pounds, Melifonwu (pronounced Mela-FAHN-wu) has ultimate NFL safety size and showed good range at Senior Bowl practices this week for John Fox’s North team. Scouts expect him to run in the low 4.4s in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.

There’s no doubt he can tackle — he had 118 tackles this past season, including 24 in the season finale against Tulane. He also had four interceptions — by making plays on the ball rather than playing center field and being the beneficiary of a quarterback error. He’s far from a finished product, but as intriguing prospects go, he’s near the top of the list.

“I could feel it. I definitely heard the buzz,” Melifonwu said after the final practice Thursday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. “But I’m just out here to try to get better — grind, whatever it takes, just keep improving my game every day.”

On and off the field, Melifonwu showed NFL teams what they were looking for. Born in London and raised in Grafton, Massachusetts, he has a pretty polished personality and shows leadership potential.

“I always knew I could play at this level. I have a lot of confidence in myself,” Melifonwu said. “Coming out here, flying around, making plays, being able to communicate. Being able to pick up the defense really quickly just showed a lot of people that I’m definitely ready for the next level.”

Melifonwu’s size is a great starting point, but he said his versatility is his best attribute.

“I could tackle. I could cover in space. I could cover receivers, slots, tight ends,” he said. “I could communicate and be a leader back there in the defense and get the defense lined up and be accountable. I could be an asset to every team. I definitely see myself playing in the league for a long time.”

With an upgrade at safety arguably No. 1 on the Bears’ list of needs, there’s no doubt Melifonwu is on their radar. He said he was impressed with the Bears’ coaching staff this week.

“I love all of them,” he said. “I was just talking to Roy [Anderson, the Bears’ new assistant secondary coach], studying the playbook a little. He’s a great guy. The whole staff has just been phenomenal.”

Most of the first-round prospects weren’t at the Senior Bowl. But there are plenty of intriguing prospects like Melifonwu. Here are some others:

Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington: The 6-1½, 198-pound Kupp, who averaged 107 receptions for 1,616 yards and 18 touchdowns in four seasons, caught everything in sight the first two days of practice.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Florida International: He doesn’t have overwhelming size at 6-3, 235 pounds, but he showed prowess as a blocker and receiver.

Haason Reddick, LB, Temple: A pass-rushing end in college (10½ sacks, 22½ tackles for loss in 2016), Reddick made a smooth transition to inside linebacker at the Senior Bowl.

Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn: With his size (6-3, 308), he could be a monster if someone can refine his impressive skills.

Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA: The former Notre Dame signee was slowed by injuries at UCLA but still has the quickness at his size (6-3, 320) to make an impact.

Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash.

Email: mpotash@suntimes.com