2022 NFL Draft - Cornerback - Rankings & Analysis

Disclaimer - DB is hardest to grade because I don't have access to "all 22" film. Grades based on what I can see: athleticism, production, ball skills, footwork. As a Saints fan I may have unintentional bias towards scheme fits, but I tried to grade objectively in an overall manner. I put ( * ) next to players that are Saints fits & likely targets.

*Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner Cincinnati

6'3 200 Long and lightning fast. Man he looks like a shadow. I've actually been calling him "Shadow" instead of "Sauce." Looks lanky but willing tackler. Needs to work on wrapping up but physical. This dude is shut down in college with shut down potential for pro. He's so long and athletic. He's like that Randy Moss style of long athlete where he still has cat quick agility. Cat quickness beyond what his length makes you think is possible. Physical as he can be in run support. He's a competitive all around player. I didn't see much completed his direction in coverage.

Scout Grade - Top 10 Pick

*Derek Stingley Jr

LSU

6'1 195

LSU is known for DBs, WRs, LBs. Stingley was one of the highest regarded at DB since day 1 on campus. As a true FR he led the team in INTs. He's athletic, long. Plays very patient in coverage. In fact watching him is odd because he's so patient in movement that his game can be deceiving. Has the feet to keep up with anyone man to man coverage on the outside. Ball skills. Takes away his side of the field. Pro bowl upside. Should contribute immediately. He should be a top 10 pick. Solid open field tackler. Stingley isn't the type of prospect that you'd think "top 10" pick upon 1st glance. My proximity to LSU and familiarity with him is part of why I understand the pedigree, but when I turned on his game by game film, he doesn't jump off the screen at 1st. He'll grow on you the more you see though, especially his knack for high pointing the ball in contested situations. He can track and catch like a WR. He'd be a good fit for the Giants who had a lot of success with former LSU CB Corey Webster. Jets success with Jamal Adams makes them a strong candidate too.

Scout Grade - Top 20 Pick

*Andrew Booth Jr

Clemson

6'0 200

Fluid athlete off the LOS. Has a natural movement about him that allows cushion without feeling like he's at risk. Perceptive. He does a great job watching and being in tune with the ball. So responsive. You see that he is "locked in" moment for moment with the ball and the QB and the game. Not ambitious about chasing runs on the opposite side of the field. Seems like a pure cover guy. Not necessarily a bad thing though because he can take away his half of the field. He doesn't like to chase and tackle. He'll hit. There are flashes of physicality. He's selective about it. Might be preserving himself for the pros. Get the feeling he can do whatever he wants on a football field. That type of burst. Outstanding range. Jump out your seat "whoa" moments of burst, acceleration, and athletic prowess. The top 3 CBs (Sauce, Stingley, & Booth are the top tier of this class) are somewhat interchangeable in rank. I could've easily put Booth 1st because of coverage potential. He has the highest upside, from a pure athleticism standpoint. If I were a GM, he might actually be my target.

Scout Grade - Top 20 Pick

*Trent McDuffie Washington

5'11 195 Immediately reminds me of Brent Grimes. They look really similar. McDuffie is a graceful runner who displays really high overall IQ early in the tape. Within the 1st few plays you can see that he is locked in on all phases of the game. He'll pursue run plays even to the opposite side of the field, and because he can diagnose so quickly, and because he pursues with such ambition, he's able to make plays in run support that many other CBs won't. He has range and physicality. Will contribute regularly in run support. I feel like 2 colleges put out the right type of DBs, or at least, my type of DB: Washington and Baylor. Year after year U Dub DBs fit a certain mold of well rounded CBs that are not afraid to tackle (Eric Molden, Myles Bryant for example). He's similar to previous prospects from Wash, but previous players may have been more S/CB hybrids, whereas McDuffie looks like a true CB that just happens to be able to tackle, so I expect he'll go higher than those players. Looks like a 2nd round type player with well rounded starter upside but the more I watch, he very well may be a 1st round pick. He's very natural in his ability to mirror. Outstanding balance and fluid quick footwork; has an overall feel of reliability. There are long periods of tape where nothing gets completed or even attempted in his direction. Like entire halves of football, even games. Add in his activity in the run game, and this is a very high upside player. The main things he can develop is strength in order to disengage from blocks better and occasionally I'd like to see him get set earlier. Sometimes he's still getting set in his stance while the ball is being snapped. It's just a hair late on occasion. Very minor though. Production was moderate. As a rsSo had 35 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 SK, & 6 PD. From the few games I watched, some of the seemingly "low" production may be a product of teams staying away from his side of the field. He didn't get tested much at all.

Scout Grade - 1st Round

*Kyler Gordon Washington

6'0 200

Undersized made some really cool sideline catches on INTs. Mini slot build but may have the feet and athleticism to stay outside despite lack of top tier length. Very physical CB who tackles with authority. Well rounded prospect coming from one of my favorite DB programs. Washington and Baylor consistently produce physical DBs that compete in all phases. Gordon fits the mold. Potential draft day climber. Wouldn't surprise me if he climbed into late round 1. Early to mid 2nd round at latest. It's just hard not to like the athleticism and physicality.

Scout Grade - 1st/2nd Round

Kaiir Elam Florida

6'2 195 Great leverage, athletic. Recovery speed off the charts. Good instincts, not great. Could improve processing by a flash. Be ahead of the play, not reacting. Not ambitious about run support. Some teams will consider him "bad" in run support even. He'll hand fight WRs so there's some physicality but he will not seek the noise. On outside runs, he usually stays hand fighting with the WRs instead of trying to disengage and put a lick on the ball carrier. Misses tackles in space too. Looks natural in coverage; will have to be used in only that role, and surrounded with run support players to make it work. Even so there are games where his tackling liability was the difference between winning and losing. For example versus Alabama, UF lost by 2 and his missed tackles were responsible for more than a 2 point difference. Couple big ones led to scores. He needs a lot of development, mostly in run support but also above the neck with processing the field quicker, but you see the raw athleticism quickly. There are 1st round athletic traits here, but as a player what you see on tape is more of a 3rd round type player. He won't fall that far, but I could see him being more of a 2nd round pick than 1st like most projections show. It's hard to imagine him going above Sauce or Stingley because both of them are more well rounded players, and it's hard to imagine him going ahead of Booth because his IQ is so high.

Scout Grade - 2nd Round

*Tariq Woolen UTSA

6'4 205 Athletic, physical. Plays really competitive football. Looks for the ball carrier in run support and ambitious about tackling. One of the most physical all around CBs in this class. Really looks the part of a well rounded pro corner. Has the right edge to his game. Definitely a good athlete. Most projections show him ranked around 4th to 5th round, PFF shows him late 7th round. That's hard to believe. He really looks the part. There are some bad games and unrefined moments like vs Bailey Zappe, he got smoked a few times. So he needs refinement. Overall though Woolen has the widest gap between what I see on film vs projected draft grade. My 1st impression was "1st round pick" because he had physicality, length, athleticism and all the "tools." That was my initial grade, but seeing the late round grades definitely made me do a dive deeper into the prospect to see what I may be missing. What I missed was he's new to the position (former WR) and had some coverage lapses deep, but even so he really is one of my favorites to watch so far in this class. Upside through the roof. There wasn't much tape available, so assessment based on few games.

Scout Grade - 2nd Round

*Cam Taylor-Britt Nebraska

6'0 205

Looks like a potential freak in the slot or at safety. Effective and natural on the outside but has the size and physicality that make conversion to either slot corner or safety enticing. Not much tape available, but ball skills and physicality are really intriguing. Deceptive athlete. Graceful mover. Smooth player. He reminds me of Jabril Peppers in build and frame and potential style of player. Hope to find more game film and dive deeper as draft approaches. Body control is outstanding, possibly top of class. I can envision him in a multitude of roles and schemes, ranging from outside CB to slot DB to free safety. Most likely stays at CB because he was a good coverage CB for 3 seasons. Starting upside, and high rotational floor. Easy player to like who plays an instinctive 'backyard' brand of football. Nebraska DBs were well coached and very physical. Ball skills. Splash plays. Could surprise people and climb as early as late round 2. 3rd/4th round would be good value.

Scout Grade - 2nd/3rd Round

*Marcus Jones Houston/Troy

5'8 185

4 year versatile slot CB & athletic return man. Played well for Troy as a FR and SO, than transferred to Houston. As a returner he's similar to Avery Williams who was a dominant return man from Boise State drafted 6th round by the Falcons and now starts as their return man. Jones should go higher because he's better defensively; he's not JUST a return man. He has multipurpose potential. Plays best in the slot on defense, made plays outside too. Between return game and offense, finished career with over 3,000 all-purpose yards & 12 TDs (9 TDs in return game). What's most intriguing is his growth on defense as a SR with 47 TKL, 5 INT, 13 TD, 1 TFL & 1 FF. He added 10 CTH, 109 YD, & 1 TD on offense. On special teams he had 15 kick returns for 510 YD & 2 TD at 34.0 avg and 26 punt returns for 374 & 2 TD at 14.4 avg. That's a slot corner with 1,000 yards and 5 touchdowns of production. His speed and vision in space is really fun to watch. There's not much tape on Jones on defense yet, so will dive deeper on Jones as we get closer to the draft. His production and highlights are certainly dynamic and enticing. Looks like a 4th round grade, maybe higher. Many outlets had him projected around 6th round, but I expect him to measure well and climb come draft time. He's just too explosive and made too many plays.

Scout Grade - 3rd Round

Mykael Wright Oregon

5'11 185

Played rotationally as a true FR. Had a redshirt year. Early entrant as rsSO where he had 65 TKL, 4 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF, & 4 PD. In 7 games the year prior as a true SO had 9 PD. Graceful backpedal. Against best players like Chris Olave of Ohio State, did a pretty good job maintaining position and "bend don't break." Even on the one long completion vs. Olave, Wright wasn't out of position. You'd like to see him get his head around quicker on a few plays but you like his long speed and ability to mirror. Wright is solid in run support. He consistently makes good open field tackles even when he's by himself in space. Players like Wright will make you realize how deep this CB class is. I mean he looks like a quality well-rounded CB with starting potential, yet through sheer depth at the position, could be available in rounds 2 or 3. Truly a deep class. My first instinct was to rank Wright higher. Without more tape, it was hard to do. With access to more games, I may move him up. Looks like a 2nd/3rd round player & potential slot starter. (edit 4/28 pre-draft add) Wright did not measure well at the combine. I still love him as a slot CB but he went from projected round 2/3 to like late or undrafted. I'd still pick him as high as round 4 or 5 but he will fall further than my initial grade from January.

Scout Grade - 3rd Round

Martin Emerson Mississippi State

6'2 195

Long strider with long speed and length. Explosive jumper. Patient defender. Most CBs you're used to seeing cat quick steps, but Emerson is more of a patient mover that takes long, calculated steps. It's not a bad thing, it's just very different than the movement I'm used to seeing from CBs. 1st impression, I wonder if he has the explosion you'd look for, but there are some examples of athletic moments in his top tier highlights, so he flashes it. Not afraid of contact. Will contribute in run support. In coverage he's not a shadow type corner. Part of me thinks it's strategic where he's trying to bait throws and close distance last second. However sometimes when he leaves too much space, he overestimates his recovery ability and range. I'm not sure I trust him against top pro speed on an island. It's not anything chronic but there are just flashes against good players that worry me a little. He's someone that will be picked on length and physicality. May be better suited for zone scheme instead of man but there's some versatility potential. He's sort of a "plain Jane" prospect where nothing jumps off the screen as "I gotta have this guy" but at the same time, there weren't too many bad plays that make you dislike the player. He has some intriguing traits, but is right on the line athletically where he's hard to grade and project. As a SO he had 72 TKL w/ 11 PD so the production is eye popping. As a JR slightly regressed to 49 TKL w/ 3 PD. He's someone that may require a much deeper dive to truly assess. As a prospect he is similar to former Miss St prospects like Cam Dantzler for example. Dantzler may have been slightly more explosive. I think Emerson goes a round 2 and it's possible he's one of the higher floor CBs in this class.

Scout Grade - 3rd Round

Jalyn Armour-Davis

Alabama

6'1 192

1 year player as a JR for ALA where he had 32 TKL, 3 INT & 4 PD. Would've benefited from repeating that kind of performance for a SR season, but that creates some upside for the team drafting him. Looks athletic, but very little tape available. Not sure he even started because the games I found, he wasn't starting on the outside. Very hard to grade without enough information or tape. Initial instinct is long term developmental prospect with pro length and tools. (edit - added 4/28 pre-draft) Armour Davis measured well and will climb into round 2 through 4. Still never was able to find enough tape on him to grade.

Scout Grade - 3rd Round

*Coby Bryant Cincinnati

6'1 198

Bryant is a 4 year player with consistent production across the stat sheet. Finished his college career with 170 TKL, 5 TFL, 9 INT, 4 FF & 35 PD. Really need more film to assess. Not much available. Just highlights. Will check later as closer to draft. 1st instinct based on highlights, production, and athletically, he seems intriguing. He has a lot of experience on a good team and a good defense. He's long and athletic. Didn't allow many completions in the games I could find. Some claim that he benefits from team and is a "system player" but I usually interpret those critiques around this time of year as reason to be more bullish on the player. Teams will plant bad info in order to push their targets down draft boards. Bryant's length and speed could push him up as early round 3.

Scout Grade - 3rd/4th Round

Derion Kendrick Georgia/Clemson

6'0 190 I started with the Clemson tape from 2020. Athletically Kendrick looks the part in agility and quickness. Has some flashes of physicality but in general he is susceptible to getting overpowered by bigger strength WRs. Clemson vs Ohio State is his infamously bad game. He got smoked in every aspect possible, multiple deep TDs where he's nowhere close. Awful effort in run support on multiple plays. There could be teams who will watch that game, and completely remove him from their draft board. When he's beat deep my 1st instinct was, "he lacks long-speed" yet there are other moments where you see good athleticism, so it may be low IQ. He's a converted WR who put up over 200 yards as a true FR. Being new to CB, it could be developmental (i.e., growing pains). He transferred to a better defense, a historically fantastic defense, at Georgia for his SR year where he put up 41 TKL, 2 TFL, 4 INT, & 3 PD and won a championship. Watching his SR games at UGA is like watching a better player, nearly a different player, but you still see moments where he needs work. It's also hard to un-see the bad moments at Clemson. He's a raw player that will really have to earn a team's trust. Even in his better 2021 tape, I'm not sure how instinctive he is. On plays where he gets beat, it's usually IQ issues. I like that there was noticeable development in such short time, especially as a tackler. He had much better moments in run support with UGA so that's promising. As far as tools, he's similar to Eric Stokes who was a late 1st round pick from last year's class. So Kendrick has 1st round athletic traits. He isn't a 1st round prospect overall because he still needs so much development. His biggest room for improvement is limiting hand usage down field to avoid penalties. He may also need to add strength in order to withstand stronger WRs hand fighting at the LOS. Admittedly this is one of the harder CB prospects to grade. I see all types of potential and good flashes, but there are enough penalties and bad moments (esp. w/ Clemson) to cause concern. He's a high risk, high reward prospect. I could see him going in round 2. By round 3, he'd start to present much more value. He's the type of player some teams might have a late 1st round grade on, and other teams might have off their board until round 3. His best chance will be going to a good defense, like he was surrounded by at UGA. If he goes to a young, or bad, defense, it could get ugly. (edit - following added on 4/28 pre-draft) I guess Kendrick didn't measure well or interview well because he went from being regarded as a round 2/3 guy to a projected 6th/7th round guy. I had concerns but if he fell that far, I'd actually take him as high as round 5. There's still athletic upside.

Scout Grade - 3rd/4th Round

*Josh Williams

Fayetteville State

6'3 197

Long player with good pass deflection production. Can't find much game tape but there are some highlights available. He looks like a pro athlete. It's based on flashes, but even so based on the few plays that are available, he does look like the best athlete among most of the small school eligble prospects this year. This is a player without much hype, but there are some 4th round traits here. Wouldn't surpise me if he heard his name called in round 4/5. Flashes of length, ball skills, instincts, speed. Willing tackler, but not much "umf" behind his hits. May need to add strength to hold up vs pro talent. Great feet for his size. Very smooth.

Scout Grade - 3rd/4th Round

Roger McCreary Auburn

6'0 190

Thick muscular frame who looks more like a safety than an outside CB. May not have the pure footspeed to stay outside at CB as a pro, and may be relegated to the slot. In build, athletically he looks more like a Malcolm Jenkins style prospect. The problem is he's not a top tier tackler, so moving to safety may not be an option. I see the problems most when lined up against top tier speed like vs. LSU he could not contain their speed WR Boutte. When Auburn played Penn State, McCreary didn't even line up much against their best WR Jahan Dotson. He'll be best suited in a role that utilizes strength and limits his 'island' reps vs speed. PFF had McCreary ranked as the top CB in this class, but I'm not sure how they do their grading system because I don't see "the best cover CB in the class" at all when watching McCreary game by game. He looks best off the LOS when he can gets his hands on a guy but frankly Auburn didn't allow him to press enough. He's got decent ball skills when the ball is in the air. I worry he's a step to slow and for that reason I could see him falling. Most have him ranked around the 2nd round, but athletically, he looks more like a 3rd or even 4th round prospect to me. He's physical with ball skills so late 2nd/early 3rd isn't out of the questions, but I'd feel more comfortable a little later. There's tools here like ball skills but it's hard to project because he's built like a slot player more so than an outside CB. Without seeing him in the slot much on tape, you're banking on the hope he'll be able to transition. As a SR had 49 TKL, 2 TFL, 2 INT, 1 SK, 14 PD, 1 FR & 1 TD. The tackle and pass deflection numbers are enticing. If there's one I'm wrong on it's McCreary, but the truth is I just don't see the same upside that others do. Considering his pre-draft rankings, I expected to like him more, but I walked away with more potential concerns than reasons for optimism. Personally I wouldn't target him until the early 4th round.

Scout Grade - 3rd/4th Round

*Jack Jones Arizona State/USC

5'10 175

Ball skills and natural cover talent since 2017 SO season at USC. Transferred to Arizona State and played well. 6th year SR. Missed time creates some value/draft opportunity. Not much game film available, but very intriguing from few highlights I can find. Very much "looks the part." Unfortunately, there's just not much game by game film available to really assess. 1st impressions are he's a cover 1st player with physicality and natural ball skills. He's got natural feet for coverage and is very smooth. As far as potential mid to late round sleepers, he's got a high ceiling considering where he'll likely be picked. On traits and tape alone, you'd think he's a potential late 2nd/early 3rd round pick. Being a 6th year SR might push him down to 4th/5th round. CB2/CB3 potential. Made a lot of plays for 2 different programs.

Scout Grade - 4th/5th Round

*Alontae Taylor Tennessee

6'0 193

Fast, thin player but not the most natural movement, somewhat stiff. Nothing awful, but could cause him to fall slightly. Good long speed, more of a long speed athlete than cat quick jitterbug agility. Production was solid. Physical player who contributes in run support. Willing to sacrifice his body in order to lay a hit. Played all 4 years for TN and finished with 60 TKL season. Physical and fast, but not necessarily nuanced in his footwork. Could improve his ceiling by working to improve his balance. Has burst enough to close on the ball, good range. Has starting upside. May be physical enough to offer value inside/out as well as contribute on special teams.

Scout Grade - 4th/5th Round

*Jaylen Watson Washington State

6'3 204

Need more tape to really assess. 1 game available against USC and #3 (his teammate, Isom) jumped off the screen in their secondary the most, more so than #0 Watson. However, Watson lined up at CB (but is being projected as a safety by some outlets). I'm not sure I agree w/ that assessment, and considering his length, I'd actually want to see him at CB vs pro level athletes in camp 1st before converting him to anything. Washington State isn't a program that I was super familiar with, but their secondary seems well coached with themes of length and physicality like a poorman's legion of boom type of architype as a unit. To Watson's credit, he was not targeted nearly as much as his teammates. USC didn't often even look his way. It's hard to make a quality assessment off of only 1 game, but there's potential here. He's rangy, physical w/ better short area explosion than you'd expect for a guy this long. In fact, in press coverage situations off the LOS I was actually surprised at how well he was able to explode with the WR. There's some natural fluidity in his balance that's enticing. It makes me realize how undervalued balance itself as a trait can be because for a long player like this I think it's what might separate him from other late round projected DBs. There are NFL tools here that are evident from merely 1 game. Most outlets show him as an undrafted grade, yet I think this looks like a day player and potential rotational defender. Tools are enticing enough to consider as early as round 5 and no later than round 7.

Scout Grade - 4th/5th Round

*Tariq Castro-Fields

Penn State

6'0 194

Doesn't have burner speed or elite range, but is a fluid athlete who plays pretty physically. His entire defense is predicated on speed, physicality. Projections for Castro-Fields range really widely like anywhere from round 4 to undrafted. I'm not sure if he has the athletic makeup to where you expect him to start on the outside as a pro, but he does have enough physicality to offer special teams value and upside to develop into a rotational DB. Possible move to the slot where he can lean into strength and away from defending pure deep speed on the outside vs pro level athletes. Also taps into ability to make plays in backfield which he flashed early at Penn St. Best season is enticing, JR year had 52 TKL, 3 TFL, 2 INT, 8 PD. I'm slightly lower of Castro-Fields because of lack of deep speed, however he's well rounded and physical enough to warrant as high as a 5th round pick. You'd hope to get him in 5th/6th though.

Scout Grade - 5th/6th Round

*Josh Jobe Alabama

6'1 194

Reminds me of PJ Williams. Safety/slot hybrid type corner. Physical. Made some massive hits on special teams and in coverage. Absolute kamikaze plays. Love the physicality. Need to find more tape of him in coverage. Hard to find quality coverage reps or film. Doesn't appear to be top tier in coverage. May be a candidate to play a slot/safety hybrid role. He reminds me of PJ Williams who's been a serviceable physical rotational slot defender and CB/S hybrid. If Saints don't resign PJ Williams, Jobe is an possible fit/replacement for that role.

Scout Grade - 5th/6th Round

*Mario Goodrich Clemson

6'0 190 Built like a slot corner. Only played SR yr at Clemson. 42 TKL, 2 INT, & 9 PD. Didn't jump off the screen on 1st impressions but after a deeper dive, Goodrich is one of the more physical DBs in this class. I'm not sure if he's the ideal type of athlete to put outside as a pro, however his physicality is noticeable. Might convert to the slot full time and bring immediate special teams value. Didn't jump off the screen at first (initially I had a 7th rd grade on him), but the more I watched, the more I saw good flashes in run support. Only playing 1 year could cause him to drop.

Scout Grade - 5th/6th Round

*Josh Thompson Texas

6'0 194

Athletically, his feet look the part of a potential pro. Has a solid frame, quick feet, and length. All I have is the Texas Tech game this year where he looks good. Where's the production though? What I see are flashes of starter potential based on athletic profile, but 34 TKL, 1 INT, & 2 PD is not much production throughout career. He also allowed bad QB rating according to advanced stats so one game isn't enough to really assess. Looks like a "traits" type prospect, but those traits are 4th/5th round DB traits. Reminds me a little bit of Ken Crawley. Potential outside CB that might go undrafted, but potential to step in and add rotational value on the outside for short stretches. Production is more like a UDFA, but could climb because he has requisite athleticism to potentially play outside as a pro. Needs to improve ball skills quickly. 2 PD isn't going to cut it. Could be 6th/7th round pick, possibly go undrafted. Worth a flier or camp invite though.

Scout Grade - 5th/6th Round

Chase Lucas Arizona State

6'0 180 Small, tougher than he is explosive. Started career hot as a true FR than production and hype waned. May lack pro size. Game is like a poorman's version of Honey Badger. Might do best to convert to S or slot CB full time. Likely a UDFA, maybe day 3 pick if he measures well and teams think they can revive his earlier better form. Best season was 3/4/5 years ago, last 2 were subpar. However pedigree is enticing because as a FR he put up 59 TKL, 2 INT, 8 PD. As a SO had 62 TKL, 6 TFL, 2 SK, 3 INT, 5 PD. Flashes of ball skills, athleticism, and physicality. Wish there was some game film because only thing available is highlights as a FR. Hard to grade w/o more information. Best flashes look like a draftable prospect.

Scout Grade - 6th Round

Decoubie Durant

South Carolina State

5'11 175

Highly productive 4 year player who showed good ball skills. Was his conference's (MEAC) defensive player of the year. Not much game film available. Only a few highlights, so hard to make accurate, complete assessment. Against good teams like Clemson, appears to have requisite deep speed and body control. Just too hard to grade if only have access to 2 minutes of highlights. Those flashes are draftable though. 4th/5th round upside if graded just on best moments. Without more info, and based on small school level of competition, I lean towards day 3 pick.

Scout Grade - 6th Round

Matt Hankins Iowa

6'0 185

4 year starter who averaged over 45 TKL, 1.5 INT, & 5 PD per season. Unique player, very patient. Uses his eyes before using his feet (similar to Stingley & Emerson from this class). Could improve his balance as well as add some strength in order to better withstand contact off the LOS. Nothing glaring but a couple moments where he lost his footing when confronted off the LOS by bigger WRs. He understands leverage and moves fluidly. Not overly rangy but he has adequate long speed as well as short area quickness. More of a cover only type CB. May actually be suited for outside, however he's right on the fringe to whether the speed is top tier enough to hang with pros. It's fringe though and might be worth a 6th/7th round pick in order to see how he holds up in camp. Considering he's not listed by most outlets as a draftable prospect, that's surprising. I think he has the fluid footwork required to at least have potential outside. Wouldn't surprise me if he got picked late. Nothing jumps off tape as "I need this guy" but at that same time nothing jumped off the tape that was overly bad either. In the games I watched, the QBs typically targeted other areas of the field and didn't challenge him much. There's pure coverage potential here, albeit don't expect an overly physical or strong player. He'll chip in on run support here and there, but his m.o. isn't going to be contact. More finesse. Still I'm surprised by his effectiveness in coverage. There's upside here.

Scout Grade - 6th Round

Akayleb Evans Missouri

6'2 198

Not much game film available. Only a few highlights, so it's hard to make a complete assessment. Based on what is available, 1st impressions are he's long player that's not afraid to tackle. Uses length well in press. Physical defender with good balance. Feet don't appear out of control even as routes proceed down the field. Not a burner, but there's a smoothness to his movement that makes me not want to bet against him. Really sacrifices himself on hits. High floor because you trust him to at least give value on special teams. Might translate best athletically to the slot. Has some value on blitz and in run support. Didn't showcase a ton of ball skills. Only 1 INT in college w/ mostly 2 to 4 PDs per season. Most likely core special teamer but has slot upside.

Scout Grade - 6th/7th Round

Allie Green IV Missouri/Tulsa

6'3 206

Big physical long CB who looks best in press. Has some long speed but I question whether it's enough to stay outside. May not be explosive enough to stay outside, but is physical enough to offer special teams value plus has enough flashes in coverage to develop into a rotational slot CB. Has tendency to overrun the play in run support. Instincts are sort of average. His best moments are a draftable player but there's a few moments deep that concerned me. Seems like a higher floor, lower ceiling type player. Worth a late round flier but I wouldn't take before 6th/7th round. 4 year starter so you like the experience, but never showed ball skills. Only 1 INT in 4 years and most PDs in a season was 4. At Tulsa level of competition that won't cut it. He is physical though and will tackle.

Scout Grade - 6th/7th Round

Steven Gilmore Marshall

6'2 170

Younger brother of pro CB Stephan Gilmore. Most outlets don't list Gilmore as a draft eligble prospect, and the one that does shows him as an undrafted grade. However, he has pro range and speed. Physical too. Problem is frame. He's wiry thin. He held up well in college and showed he wasn't afraid to hit, however you wonder about durability at pro level. There's upside here. Not someone you expect to become a starter, but for a practice squad developmental option, you like the pedigree/bloodline, plus his tape isn't bad. He made a lot of plays for Marshall and flashed enough ball skills, athleticism, and physicality to warrant a late round pick or camp invite. Wouldn't surprise me if he developed into a rotational defender like CB3/CB4.

Scout Grade - 7th Round

Shaun Jolly

App St

5'9 175

Jolly had a big year as a SO with 45 TKL, 5 INT, 1 FF. 1 FR & 8 PD. His production decreased as a JR where he had 41 TKL, 1 FF, & 6 PD, and again as a SR with 26 TKL, 1 INT, & 5 PD. The ball skills he displayed as a SO may get him drafted late or invited to tryout as a priority UDFA. It feels like his name's been mentioned as a prospect for 3 consecutive drafts now. Small from a small school isn't ideal. Still, he flashed ball skills and body control. He's also got a lot of starting experience. Surprising range. Range is almost more due to processing speed and instincts than it is athleticism. Like, he's not overly fast, but he plays fast because he's pretty instinctive. Potential to develop into a rotational player. Name isn't mentioned on most draft outlets, but it wouldn't surprise me if we heard Jolly's name late on day 3. He's also someone that wouldn't surprise me if he made an NFL roster.

Scout Grade - 7th Round/UDFA

Isaac Taylor-Stuart USC

6'2 200

I remember hearing about him on YouTube as the guy who ran 4.3 coming out of high school. Wasn't overly productive, but you see the length and speed. May be drafted late on tools more so than tape. Not enough tape available to make accurate assessment.

Scout Grade - 7th Round/UDFA

Chamarri Conner Virginia Tech

6'0 211

Didn't jump off the screen, but eye popping tackle production made me have to take a second look. 68 TKL, 1 INT, 8 PD, 5.5 SK, & 1 FF as a SO. 81 TKL, 2 INT, 4 PD, & 1 FF as a JR. 85 TKL, 1 INT, 5 PD, 2 SK, & 2 FF as a SR. His tackle production is top of class; factor his 211 pound frame, and it's easy to project a possible conversion to safety. Physicality means potential special teams value too. Not an ideal athlete, but adequate. Didn't have a ton of tape so based on limited information.

Scout Grade - 7th Round/UDFA

Jermaine Waller Virginia Tech

6'1 180 Natural hands. Trust him to make the catch. Not necessarily trust him to shut down on the outside. Has ball skills, but may lack athleticism to stay outside. Could be candidate to switch to safety or play special teams. Physical, willing tackler. Just doesn't have explosion in feet to make me want to target him for CB. Smooth long stride can be deceptive though. V Tech has produced quality DBs so program might boost his value. Flashed ball skills as a SO w/ 10 PD & as a SR w/ 4 INT. 46 TKL in each season. Production, program, physicality could get his name called late on day 3 but not someone I'd go out of my to target. Wouldn't mind him as a camp invite. Might be a candidate to switch to free safety.

Scout Grade - UDFA

Darrell Baker Jr. Georgia Southern

6'1 200

Averaged about 30 tackles and 8 PDs over last 2 seasons. No tape or highlights available yet. Will add profile if more information becomes available.

Scout Grade - UDFA

DIDN'T DECLARE EARLY (Will be in next year's class)

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Sevyn Banks Ohio State

6'1 200

Really 'looks the part' from 1st impression on highlights. Not much game film available because he missed a lot of time. Former big time recruit that didn't live up to big expectations. Might declare for draft, where he'd likely be around a 5th round pick. He may enter transfer portal too. What you see immediately is length, athleticism, long speed, & quickness.

*Myles Jones

Texas AM

6'4 190

4 year starter who was a potential draftable prospect but missed his 5th year rsSR season which hurt his draft capital. Still can't find good intel if he's declared this year or returning to college. If declared, he's an under the radar player worth noting. What sticks out most is his length. Jones is a physical player than A&M lined up outside, in the slot, in the box. He's more of a smooth athlete than a bursty athlete so his athleticism is deceptive. It appears like he lacks burst but I think his length has to be factored. At 6'4 you're not expecting burst like a 5'11 player. His length allows him to cover ground and be rangy in a different way more through long strides. In the games I watched from 2019 and 2020, there wasn't too much completed in Jones direction. He also was not afraid to tackle, and made a lot of physical plays. He looks like a potential rotational pro, possibly even starting upside which is odd considering he's not even listed on most draft boards. With Kris Richard as New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, I think Jones fits his m.o. (at least from the Seahawks days w/ legion of boom). Ball skills early as a FR is alluring. Had 8 & 9 PDs as true FR & SO. Because he missed time, he might go undrafted. On tape and athletic tools alone, he looks like a potential 4th round pick. He has 4th/5th round traits at least. I like his upside and would have no problem taking a late round flier on him.

Scout Grade - 4th/5th Round

Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson TCU Has the ability to find and track the ball early. Might be slot but wouldn't count him out on the outside. Has the instincts, agility, and recovery speed. Undersized but flashes physicality.

Nehemiah Pritchett Auburn

6'1 179

Former WR, raw but lanky long with speed and flashes of ball skills. Very little game film available. Mainly only a few highlights and special teams plays. Had 25 TKL,1 INT & 10 PD as a SO. 27 TKL, 1 INT, 3 PD as a JR. Need more film to really assess. Looks athletic and physical enough, but may need to add some mass because he has a very thin frame. Need more tape to really assess. Seems like a high upside developmental project. PDs as a SO are promising. Appears like he can keep his head on a swivel and locate the ball quickly so you like his tracking potential and ball skills. Looks like 4th round.

Joey Porter Jr. Penn State

Athletic, physical. Intriguing late round possible early entrant.

Tiawan Mullen Indiana

5'10 180

Missed time due to injury, but really looks the part even as a true FR where he had 28 TKL, 13 PD, 2 FF, & 2 FR. As a SO had 38 TKL, 3.5 SK, 1 FF, 3 INT, & 3 PD.

Ekow Boye-Doe

K State

6'0 170

Averaged 23 TKL and 4 PD as SO and JR. Not sure if he's declared early or is returning for another year. He looks the part athletically, but lack of INTs and production makes him a better candidate to return and increase his draft stock.

Riley Moss Iowa

6'1 194

4 year player who missed some time as a SO due to injury. Consistently made plays, averaged 40 TKL, 3 INT, & 4 PD as JR and SR.

Jammie Robinson Florida State

D'Jordan Strong Coastal Carolina Ball skills. Lacks elite athletic traits but tracking and hands make him candidate to move to free safety. Needs to prove he could be physical enough to hold up.

De'Jahn Warren Jackson State

Made some crazy INTs. Played completely different level of competition and he looked small. Coached by Deion Sanders. Highly coveted JUCO transfer. Picked Jackson State over UGA. Can't find much on his draft decision, so I assume he's returning for his SR year.

Storm Duck North Carolina

Showed promise as true FR with 37 TKL, 2 INT, & 5 INT. Missed time over next 2 seasons.

Sheridan Jones

Clemson

Tyrique Stevenson Miami

Avery Young Rutgers