CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia* (6’1”, 193, 4.36)
Started as a true freshman, but missed time due to injury the following year and finished with three starts in nine games, then started all ten last year. Really looks the part of a pro boundary corner on the hoof; very good size/length combination. Was typically in press-man. Very good play speed; can even stay in the hip pocket on shallow crosses/slants. Shows some ability to feel routes and use his length to pin. Can carry opponents downfield with ease but tends to get disconnected at the route stem, giving easy completions on accurate/timing-based throws; not in-phase consistently enough. Separation looks due to a combination of anticipation/some stiffness. Cone, shuttle, and vert were all unimpressive at the pro day. Has just one career interception. Penalty prone. Didn’t see him do too much work in zone. Looks willing, closes well and wraps in run support. Boom-or-bust type man cover corner.
CB Kelvin Joseph, Kentucky** (6’0”, 197, 4.34)
Originally attended LSU and played one year there before transferring and picking off four passes over nine games last season, opting out of the last two. Mostly press/zone. Tall, lanky corner who can pin opponents to the sidelines against outside releases. Turns and runs well enough from press but has some awkward movements in transition as well; not the twitchiest or most fluid corner. Processing speed from zone is still developing, but plays with appropriate conservativeness to limit big plays. Showed off impressive ball skills this past year; combines length, leaping, and body control. Doesn’t always look interested in run support; contact balance is also poor when taking on blocks. Reportedly has some issues with maturity, although he’s only a redshirt sophomore. Ran the 40 very well at the pro day but 7.21-second three-cone was poor. Boom-or-bust type with almost all of the physical tools but could be hard to justify if he doesn’t work out because of the pre-draft warning signs.
CB Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse* (6’3”, 205, 4.48)
Has been a starter for the last two years. Massive corner with excellent size/length and pro bloodlines. Plays a lot of off-zone in college on the right side, as well as press-man; looks more natural at the latter. Backpedaled a lot and looks smooth in transition when turning and running. Good at getting his head around to locate and using his length to break up throws; not many picks but good technique to play the ball when in-phase. Shows some ability to feel from press-man, and to pin opponents to the sideline with his length. Looks like a good tackler. Plant and drive from off coverage is a little slow. Opens up too early at times from press-man. Some issues with angles/feel in zone and pursuit. Had an incredible 41.5” vertical and 11’2” broad at the pro day. Looks like a press-man guy all the way; don’t see a safety conversion or anything.
CB Elijah Molden, Washington (5’10”, 192, 4.60)
Has played almost exclusively in the slot, enjoying his breakout year in 2019, when he broke up 17 passes and intercepted four more. Did dabble in safety a little bit to finish the year and could be considered a potential conversion candidate due to his lack of ideal size/speed/explosiveness. That said, puts together some very impressive tape as the nickel back; one of the most pro-ready defenders in the class. Highly praised for his football IQ and work ethic. Uses his hands effectively to feel. Squeezes routes at the stem because of his excellent anticipation/twitch; very hard to fool, forcing teams to ignore the slot or throw into tight coverage. Navigates congestion well against rubs/picks. Reads the quarterback’s eyes very well in zone, although he relies on anticipation rather than plant-and-drive explosiveness. Willing in run support but misses some tackles or gets caught on blocks. Extensive special-teams experience.
CB Aaron Robinson, Central Florida (6’0”, 186, 4.38)
Cousin is Denard Robinson. Transferred from Alabama after one year and started the last two at UCF, breaking up twenty passes and picking off three between 2019 and 2020. Big for a slot defender, which is where he usually played; was asked to do a lot of press-man. Could easily slide to the outside from a physical standpoint. Looks fast and fluid in transition; great athlete who’s able to turn and run to carry opponents downfield from press. Covers crossing patterns tighter than most, but can be beat underneath by inside breaking routes. Instincts are still a work in progress. Looks a little bit more reactive than anticipatory, relying on his athleticism a little bit too much. Impressive recovery speed. Willing in run support, with good effort in pursuit and wrap tackling technique. Didn’t get to see him work in zone too often, so he might be an inside/outside project for a man-heavy team.
CB Eric Stokes, Georgia* (6’1”, 194, 4.29)
Has been starting for the past two years, but was also a major conrtributor in his redshirt freshman year; finished with 26 breakups and four career interceptions, all of the latter coming in 2020. Tall, lanky corner with incredible speed and explosiveness. Was usually in press-man but also did some shuffle and zone; didn’t get a chance to see much backpedaling. Quick transitions from press to turning and running. Glides downfield with long strides from shuffle to carry opponents deep. Length lets him blanket down the sidelines. Instincts and awareness are a work in progress. Can get grabby in transition from press-man. Struggles to get his head around and locate downfield, but has good ball skills and soft hands when the play is in front of him. Not very physical in run support, with a thin frame. An excellent athlete who could easily be a starting cornerback but appears to have higher bust potential than some others owing to his developing instincts.
DRAFTEXAMINER 