July 20, 2026, 7:05 a.m. PT
The Houston Texans struck gold by selecting safety Calen Bullock. Since leaving USC, Bullock has been one of the most productive safeties in the NFL in a very important category. His ability to get turnovers has put him in an elite tier early in his career.
In a recent article, Jeremy Fowler provides insight into how coaches view former Trojan safety Calen Bullock. Here is what people around the league had to say:
“Tackling was considered an issue in his rookie year, but he improved his physicality somewhat in Year 2. “He’s probably an adequate-to-average tackler, but his range is elite,” an NFL coordinator said. “So I value that superpower.
I’d rather you take the ball away and just be an adequate tackler than the other way around.”
Calen Bullock is elite at one of the most valuable things a safety can do, or anyone on the defense, for that matter. He knows how to take away the football, and since entering the NFL, he has done that at a high level. He even, in some games like the one against the Buffalo Bills, ended games with an interception. That outweighs an area of improvement for him in tackling issues.
If Bullock continues to improve in that area, he could end up being one of the best safeties in the league. Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
