5’8” – 183 lbs. – 4.39
Started five of thirteen games as a freshman and has been playing on the boundary and in the slot ever since, also returning some punts. Intercepted two passes in each of his four seasons at Auburn, with 37 tackles and seven breakups as a freshman, 29 tackles and six breakups as a sophomore, 41 tackles and eight breakups as a junior, and 43 tackles and six breakups as a senior. On the fringes of what’s acceptable size-wise at the cornerback position; will probably be viewed exclusively as a slot corner, which is what he was playing most of the time during the games reviewed.
Made a lot of drops into short zones from the slot but also did some work in man coverage. A very good athlete for the position, and who combines a conservative temperament in coverage with a physical temperament when dealing with opposing ballcarriers. Has quick feet in his backpedal or when making spot drops, and does a good job of keeping the play in front of him, the price he pays being giving up completions on underneath throws. Has been starting for four seasons, but anticipatory skills still look like a work in progress. However, does a nice job of closing quickly and delivering hits on receivers running slants, drags, etc. in order to limit yards after the catch. Has plenty of speed to provide tight coverage with opposing receivers running down the seams, or when closing on posts or flag routes from off-coverage. Makes smooth transitions when turning and running. On-ball production was adequate at the college level, but can be shielded from the ball and would like to see him be more aggressive.
As mentioned above, is willing to get physical in the run game or after the catch, but isn’t particular effective in those situations. Lack of ideal length works against him when it comes to taking on blockers and can struggle to disengage in time, despite being active with his hands and giving good effort to work around them and get to the ball. Has a strong closing burst and can generate some pop on contact, although he can be more of a hitter than a tackler and will bounce off of some attempts; actual radius is also a bit lacking, causing him to fall short on too many attempts.
A slot cornerback candidate with special-teams value who looks set to come off the board in the mid-rounds, he combines plus speed and athleticism with a conservative temperament, limiting big plays, but who can struggle to hold up in the run game and who can be a little bit slow to diagnose at times. Will probably begin his career on coverage units and potentially as a return specialist.
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