| HEIGHT | 6' 1 7/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 209 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.36 | VERTICAL | -- |
Anderson is one of the most intriguing defensive back prospects in the 2022 Draft class given his high-level athletic and measurables profile and the multiple ways in which he was deployed in the Toledo defense. Anderson's 2021 tape is filled with his position versatility as a multi-dimensional safety and slot corner, with slot corner a featured part of his responsibilities, both as a press and off man coverage player and underneath zone defender. There were significant snaps in which Anderson matched up to TEs, both attached and detached, and he has the length and athletic movement to do that at the next level. Anderson is a strong traits prospect who will have both his injury history and level of competition thrown at him, with both valid to some extent, but his tape shows a long, athletic, rangy, versatile defensive back who absolutely fits today's NFL game with his ability to match up man-to-man in the slot and TEs. Anderson has all the necessary traits to be a quality quarters safety in the NFL (he will need to improve his tackling as a downhill player), but he was fluid, loose-hipped, and fast enough to turn and run with vertical routes by WR in 2x2 sets. Anderson can fill a lot of roles in a defense, and once he makes the transition from the MAC to the NFL, he has a chance to be a versatile impact defensive back who can be gameplan specific depending on the opponent. There are not many defensive backs with his measurables and traits profile, and the multi-dimensional element to his game will get DCs excited.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 5/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 197 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.39 | VERTICAL | 35" |
Armour-Davis is a strong outside corner prospect despite only one year of full-time starting experience as you project and transition him to the next level. His size/length/speed/movement profile is among the best in this draft class, and his experience in Alabama's defense playing both press man and off-coverage zone projects well to the NFL. Armour-Davis showed higher level press man traits, both playing mirror match press man and physical press man, jamming and disrupting receivers off the line. There are some things that must be cleaned up with his footwork and balance in press man, but the traits are there to develop into a quality outside corner and perhaps much more at the next level with coaching and experience. Assuming health (and there will be questions about that given the meaningful amount of time he missed at Alabama) Armour-Davis is one of the most physically gifted, and therefore one of the most intriguing, corner prospects in the Draft with everything you want in today's NFL. It would not surprise me at all if he develops into a high level matchup corner down the road.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 1/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 194 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | -- |
Booth is a man-zone scheme versatile corner with high-level competitiveness and physical toughness who will have a good chance to transition well to the next level. Booth is as physically tough as any corner in this Draft class. and what stands out in every game is that he embraces the physical nature of the game and he is not only willing to hit and tackle, but he relishes it. Booth made only 15 starts at Clemson so there will be a learning curve for him in the NFL, but his college background did give him extensive experience playing both man and zone coverage schemes, and he consistently showed a strong feel for receiver location and splits playing zone coverage. One area of concern that showed up in multiple games in 2021 was he was at times a beat slow in off coverage when stopping, planting, and reacting forward, with his transition being a little sticky and segmented. That issue also showed up at times in off coverage when he had to open his hips to turn and run with vertical routes. Overall, Booth can be a beat slow with his transition and change of direction in both press man and off coverage zone. and that could be a function of his lack of experience, since he has quick feet and there were many snaps in which he showed easy and comfortable transition and change of direction/ Overall, Booth is a solid prospect given his scheme versatility, physicality, and competitiveness, but there is some work to be done both in press man and off coverage to become a higher-level starting outside corner in the NFL.
| HEIGHT | 6' 1 3/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 199 lbs | BROAD | 124" |
| 40 TIME | 4.49 | VERTICAL | 35" |
Brisker's 2021 tape showed a multi-dimensional and scheme versatile safety prospect who will project and transition well to the NFL. As I continued to watch Brisker, I continually thought of Bills safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde with their high-level versatility to play on the back end and in the box, both in the run game and in pass coverage. Brisker was asked to do a lot of things in the Penn State defense, including playing post safety in cover 1 and cover 3 and split safety in 2-shell coverages, in addition to playing in the box and matching up to TEs man-to-man and lining up over the slot and matching up to WR. He was as versatile a safety as there was in college football in 2021, and that will position him very well to transition to the next level as an early starter who can fill an every-down role. What constantly stood out with Brisker was how controlled and efficient his movement was, in addition to his awareness and his ability to play effectively with his eyes. Brisker has the mental and physical skill set and traits to play in any scheme, with the athleticism and football IQ to play on the back end as a post or 2-shell safety, in the box as a run defender or underneath zone coverage defender, and match up man-to-man on TEs and at times WRs. Brisker may not be the best pure athlete in the 2022 safety class, but he is the most complete and most scheme versatile.
| HEIGHT | 6' 1 3/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 193 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.54 | VERTICAL | -- |
Bryant has excellent size and man/zone versatility as you project and transition him to the NFL. He was the field corner in Cincinnati's defense, with one result being that he has a lot of experience playing off coverage (both man and zone), but there were snaps in which he played press man with no safety help over the top. Bryant was efficient and assignment sound in everything he did, and while he was not a sudden or twitchy mover, he consistently played with control and balance and almost no wasted motion, staying in phase both as a press man corner and off coverage man and zone corner. Bryant has excellent size and length, and what consistently stood out in off coverage was his awareness and footwork to maintain contact with the receiver, always in good position to react to throws in front of him. Bryant likely projects more as a field corner in the NFL, but he does have the length and press man traits to line up to the boundary and match quality boundary X WRs. The concern with Bryant will be his vertical speed, and will that necessitate more off coverage, as opposed to press man, and more zone coverage. but there is no question that he is a solid outside corner prospect who will get an opportunity to start relatively early in his career.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 5/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 197 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.38 | VERTICAL | -- |
Castro-Fields is a highly experienced college corner with desirable length and athletic traits and who is well-schooled in both man and zone coverage concepts. Castro-Fields 2021 tape was strong, with his ability to play mirror-match press man and off coverage zone consistently showing up in Penn State's multiple coverage defense. My sense watching Castro-Fields was that he possesses the traits needed to develop into a quality outside corner at the next level who could be scheme versatile. Having said that I think there are some weaknesses/concerns in his game that may limit his ability to play at an NFL level on a consistent basis, and one of those is the fact that he is much more measured in his movement than sudden or twitchy, and at times that negatively impacted his transition and change of direction. The tape also showed a corner who needs to increase his physicality and toughness quotient to line up on the outside in the NFL for 60-80 snaps a game. There is no question that Castro-Fields possesses higher-level corner traits ,and if he can work through the flaws in his game, he will find a place to play at the next level with a chance to develop into a quality starter for a team that plays a good mix of man and zone coverage.
| HEIGHT | 6' 2 1/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 199 lbs | BROAD | 133" |
| 40 TIME | 4.37 | VERTICAL | 37" |
Cine is a fascinating evaluation (and a really fun player to watch) as you project and transition him to the NFL given his length and frame and the way in which he plays the game. Cine is a high-level competitor with an outstanding, urgent playing personality who brings an attitude and a tempo on every snap. When you watch his tape, you see a player who attacks downhill and pursues with play speed and stride length to deliver physical strikes and hits. Cine is a straight-line, linear athlete whose game speed and style of play matches his testing numbers at the Combine. The concerns as you project Cine to the next level are the limitations he brings to the equation given his lean frame and his core tightness, which negatively impacts his transition and change of direction. Cine consistently matched up man-to-man to TEs in Georgia's defense, and the question is if he can he do that against quality NFL receiving TEs, especially when they are detached from the formation. Cine lacks the desired range to be a true post safety, so he likely needs to play in a predominant split safety coverage scheme with cover 4 being a foundation, where he can play downhill and be a factor in the run game. The question in cover 4 would be Cine's ability to match the #2 in 2x2 sets, with his segmented pedal and transition traits. Overall, Cine has the physical and competitive traits to develop into a starting safety in the NFL, but he must play in a defense that understands both his strengths and limitations. Cine is an attitude defender with an alpha-dog mindset, and that always plays well in the NFL, so it would not surprise me if he became a starter sooner than later.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 3/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 206 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | -- |
Cook was a fun player to watch and evaluate and he may well be as good a safety as there is in this Draft playing the run, both from a box/overhang alignment and coming downhill from the back end. He was a strong tackler playing with excellent balance and body control and squaring up to take down runners and receivers. Cook was an attitude safety and a tempo setter for the defense with his physicality and competitive toughness, and that always plays well with coaches and teammates. There are two main questions with Cook that will impact his projection and transition to the NFL and those are whether teams feel he can effectively match up man-to-man to quality receiving TEs especially when detached from the formation (he certainly has the size and length), and whether he can play be a viable post safety as part of a foundational defense. My sense from Cook's tape is that the answer to both is "yes," although I believe he will profile best -- and NFL teams will see him more definitely -- as a cover 4 and cover 3 box/overhang safety, which I believe he will very good at. Cook will become a starter early in his NFL career and as he gains more experience he will develop into a multi-dimensional safety. It would not surprise me if a couple of years down the road we are talking about Cook as one of the better safeties in the game.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 203 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | -- |
Corker will be an interesting projection to the NFL given his strengths and limitations, and it will take a coach and a scheme to understand that delineation and deploy him in ways that maximize his strengths. It is evident from breaking down his tape that Corker is not a true back-end safety (certainly not a post safety as foundational part of his deployment in a defense), although he can function as a split safety in cover 4 with some potential limitations there as well (2x2 sets with WR at #2 attacking him vertically). Where Corker stands out -- and it's the strength of his game -- is his ability to both play in the box and play top down from the back end to utilize his aggressiveness and run and strike mentality as a run defender. The more I watched Corker the more I thought of Adrian Phillips and DeShon Elliott and how they were deployed by the Patriots and Ravens in a highly schemed way, and my sense is if you see Corker in that light he could be a valuable part of your defense (Elliott played some snaps at post safety in Wink Martindale's Ravens defense). One question teams will have to answer is whether they feel Corker can match up man-to-man on quality NFL TEs, especially when they are detached from the formation, and how they see Corker in that role could go a long way in determining his value at the next level (Corker was beaten by Iowa's Sam LaPorta on a sail route from attached TE alignment for 34 yards in the Citrus Bowl). Corker could potentially transition to the NFL in big nickel personnel packages where the base defense features three safeties (Jayron Kearse had an outstanding year for the Cowboys in that role), but that would entail matching up to TEs man-to-man effectively, and that's an open question. Corker had clearly defined limitations, but overall he was a good player.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 1/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 212 lbs | BROAD | 130" |
| 40 TIME | 4.34 | VERTICAL | 37" |
There is much to like as you project and transition Cross to the next level, starting with his outstanding size-speed profile that you don't see too often in safeties. Cross predominantly played on the back end in Maryland's defense (both 2 shell and post safety), but there were also significant snaps in the box and matching up man-to-man on TEs. While Cross was not necessarily a big hitter in the box (his bigger hits came playing downhill when he could build up speed and velocity), he was a strong run defender who played with a good feel for gap integrity, and he consistently executed his run game gap responsibilities with instincts and aggression. He has the size and the play strength to match up man-to-man to TEs, with the question being whether he can do that versus high-level NFL TEs when they are detached from the formation (boundary X TE). What showed up a little too often on tape, and must be worked on with coaching ,was Cross had some issues with his eye discipline and assignment understanding as a back end safety (both 2 shell and post safety), with some explosive plays resulting from being a beat slow with his reaction time. Overall Cross is a strong multi-dimensional safety prospect with the athletic and physical traits to play on the back end and in the box (with the explosive downhill movement to be used as a situational blitzer) and to match up man-to-man to TEs. He has the skill set and the physical and competitive toughness to develop into a quality starting safety with interchangeable traits. The more I watched Cross' tape, the more I liked him.
| HEIGHT | 6'1 1/2" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 191 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.39 | VERTICAL | -- |
Elam projects and transitions well to the next level with his high-level traits profile for the outside corner position, and could well transition as a boundary corner since that is what he predominantly played at Florida in 2021 (Elam also played significant snaps at slot corner, giving him outside-inside versatility). He possesses ideal length and physicality, competitiveness, and swagger to match up to any receiver in press man, with the ability to play both physical press man and mirror-match press man. Elam has the size/length/athleticism/speed/competitiveness profile that NFL teams want in their boundary corners, and it was evident from the tape that Elam embraced press man coverage. There was little wasted motion to Elam, with a higher level combination of efficiency and explosiveness. The more I watched Elam the more I liked him. He has the athletic traits to play both mirror-match and physical press man, with a desirable combination of length and short-area quickness and accelerating speed, and he plays with a competitive swagger that is needed at the outside corner position. What consistently stood out was his play strength in press man, with his hand strikes jarring receivers and disrupting their routes.
| HEIGHT | 6' 1 5/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 201 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.53 | VERTICAL | -- |
Emerson is one of the more intriguing corner prospects in the 2022 Draft as you project and transition him to the next level. He fits the profile all NFL teams are now ideally looking for at outside corner, with his outstanding size, length, and long arms and his ability to effectively play both physical press man and mirror-match press man coverage. While Emerson is not twitchy or sudden (few 6'2 corners are) he is athletic and efficient with his movement, rarely taking wasted steps, and he consistently showed the transition and change of direction needed to play off coverage man and zone. Mississippi State coaches asked Emerson to play significant snaps of zero man, both to the field and the boundary, and he showed sticky, tight coverage playing press and controlled movement and change of direction in off coverage. What stood out with Emerson was his awareness to play with his eyes from off coverage, reading both the QB and the receiver, resulting in his ability to plant and drive on routes in front of him. My sense is, as Emerson develops with coaching and experience in the NFL, he will be able to effectively play in all coverage schemes, including press man as the boundary corner, but he will likely be seen early in his development as a field corner in cover 3 and cover 4 who can also play off-coverage man.
| HEIGHT | 6' 2" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 197 lbs | BROAD | 129" |
| 40 TIME | 4.46 | VERTICAL | 36" |
Evans possesses desired size and length for the outside corner position in the NFL, and his 2021 tape at Missouri showed that he has the traits to line up and play multiple coverage schemes. Evans is not twitchy or sudden in his movement, but he is long and smooth and he consistently showed the attributes demanded to play mirror-match press man coverage, with his patience, clean footwork, balance, and easy transition to lock onto the inside/outside hip of the receiver. He also showed the physicality and competitiveness to play physical press man, jamming and disrupting the receiver off the line. One thing that showed up too often was Evans' tendency to be handsy and grabby through the route and at the top of the stem, and that is a definite issue that must be cleaned up at the next level. Evans was not as efficient in off coverage where his high-cut frame at times slowed his transition and his change of direction looked more segmented and sticky. Evans was at his most comfortable and his best playing press man coverage, and my sense is that is how he will transition best to the NFL, at least early in his career. There is much to like about Evans' corner profile, and he will play in the league and likely develop into a starter on the outside with coaching and experience.
| HEIGHT | 6' 2 3/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 190 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.41 | VERTICAL | -- |
Gardner fits the profile of the long, rangy, athletic, competitive corner that is in increasing demand in today's NFL, and he fits that profile exceptionally well with elite height and length. Gardner was the boundary corner in both 2020 and 2021, and his tape showed a player who was consistently much more comfortable and efficient playing press man coverage than off coverage, and my sense is he will best project and transition to the NFL predominantly in that role. Gardner possesses the length, the athletic traits, and the aggressive mindset and competitiveness to play both mirror-match press man and physical-jam press man, and his sticky man coverage ability was clearly the best part of his game. Gardner was a fun player to watch with his highly competitive approach and his sticky man coverage traits. While there's no question he is best suited to be a press man corner at the next level, Gardner can also play in zone concepts like cover 3 and cover 4 and would be a great fit in cover 2 with his physicality, jamming receivers off the ball. Gardner is the alpha dog corner in the 2022 Draft class and will likely start in the NFL from day 1.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 1/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 176 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.52 | VERTICAL | -- |
Goodrich is a solid outside corner prospect as you project and transition him to the next level, with desired length and movement traits and scheme versatility to play both press man and off coverage man and zone. Goodrich was effective as a press man corner, both playing physically with route disruption and mirror match crowding receivers off the line of scrimmage. Goodrich is a good, not elite, athlete lacking the kind of twitch and suddenness that high-level corner prospects bring to the table, but his overall traits and ability and versatility to play both man and zone coverage and his physicality and competitiveness as a tackler on the perimeter make him a quality prospect who will get an opportunity to play on the outside at the next level. Goodrich is like many college corners who possess good traits but lack elite athleticism, so they are not looked at as high draft choices, but they play in the league and many end up being good players. Goodrich could well fall into that category given his competitiveness and length to play on the outside.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11 1/2" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 194 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.52 | VERTICAL | -- |
Gordon is a strong corner prospect with outside-inside versatility and extensive experience playing both press and off coverage man and zone coverage concepts as you project and transition him to the next level. He possesses the quick twitch and sudden movement with piston-like feet that is always desired to play on the outside in the NFL ,with the athletic and physical traits to line up and play mirror match press man, but he also showed excellent reactive athleticism and plant-and-drive explosiveness playing off coverage man. Gordon has enough size and length to play on the outside, but it would not surprise me if NFL teams saw him more as a slot corner, with his high-level competitiveness and physicality and overall alpha dog mentality with his concurrent ability to play the run with toughness and blitz with downhill speed. Gordon has an outstanding traits profile to project as a quality corner prospect at the next level, with his easy yet sudden and explosive movement and his seamless transition and change of direction. He is both a strong outside corner and slot prospect and he will likely be team and scheme specific as to where he predominantly lines up.
| HEIGHT | 6' 4 1/8" | CONE | 6.9 |
| WEIGHT | 220 lbs | BROAD | 131" |
| 40 TIME | 4.59 | VERTICAL | 38" |
Hamilton's 2020 and 2021 tape showed a long, athletic, fluid, gliding, multi-positional safety who played with quick eyes, excellent play recognition, and outstanding play speed and range, Hamilton's size, length, natural athleticism, and range consistently jumped off the film, and that overall combination of athletic and physical traits in a body like that is not something you see very often. What was equally impressive was how fast he played with his eyes, which resulted in quick reactions maximizing his play speed and range. Hamilton has all the needed traits to handle all responsibilities of the safety position in today's NFL. He can play on the back end including post safety, he can play quarters coverage, he can play in the box, he can tackle and blitz, he can match up man-to-man on TEs and backs and some slot WRs. There is no question he is a multi-dimensional safety with high-level athletic and physical traits, and in an NFL where the safety position has become more important than ever before, Hamilton can be an impact defender on all three downs. Is there a comparison to be made with Derwin James as to his deployment within an NFL defense, with James being twitchier and more short-area sudden and Hamilton more straight-line fluid with more range?
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 1/4" | CONE | 6.57 |
| WEIGHT | 191 lbs | BROAD | 121" |
| 40 TIME | 4.38 | VERTICAL | 34" |
Hill is one of the most intriguing players in the 2022 Draft with his length/athleticism/position versatility profile. Hill played field safety in Michigan's base defense and then moved to slot corner in the sub defenses. He is a long, rangy, twitchy, explosive athlete with the traits to play both on the back end and in the slot, but I felt watching his tape that his length and movement and coverage skill set best fit as a corner, and I even thought he could transition to the NFL as a full-time corner, playing both outside and the slot. There are not many NFL corners with his length and athleticism and suddenness, and my sense is he could develop into a high-level corner at the next level. Bottom line is Hill is one of the most explosive secondary prospects in the 2022 Draft with his high-level traits profile and his outstanding position versatility. Hill could fit in a lot of NFL defenses with his ability to play multiple positions depending on defensive scheme and personnel package: back-end safety, both split and post; box and overhang safety; slot corner or star position (Jalen Ramsey); and outside corner. Hill is one of the best overall defensive prospects in the draft and he transitions very well to today's NFL, giving defensive coordinators a lot of schematic and tactical playbook options.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11 1/2" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 182 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | -- |
Jobe's 2020 and 2021 tape showed a solid outside corner prospect as you project and transition him to the next level, with extensive experience playing multiple man and zone coverage concepts. Jobe has good size with a sturdy looking frame and he showed the needed traits to line up and play press man coverage, both with mirror match technique and physical jam technique. What Jobe lacks is the suddenness and twitch that separates high-level corner prospects, with his movement being more measured and methodical and his transition and change of direction at times a little tight and segmented. What showed up in both his 2020 and 2021 tape was Jobe would often lose contact with the receiver at the top of the route stem, especially on intermediate routes, and that would result in the receiver having room to make the catch. What consistently stood out was how competitive and physical Jobe was, and that always plays well at outside corner especially when you play a good percentage of press man coverage. Jobe would best transition to a team that features man coverage as its foundation, where his press man traits would best be deployed and maximized.
| HEIGHT | 5' 10 3/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 171 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.51 | VERTICAL | -- |
Jones will be an interesting evaluation as you project and transition him to the next level given that he possesses the needed athletic traits to play outside corner (which he did at Arizona State) but his 171 pounds is a significant limitation and may well be prohibitive for the NFL to play on the perimeter. Jones' overall lack of size, length, and play strength showed up in his tape in both press coverage -- where he was moved and overpowered by bigger receivers off the ball -- and in contested catch situations -- where at times he would not likely be able compete consistently versus bigger NFL receivers. Jones has all the needed traits to be an effective slot corner at the next level with his smooth and fluid movement, both as a man and zone defender, and his physicality and competitiveness as a run defender and his ability to blitz. Given the preponderance of 11 personnel groupings in the NFL and the concurrent deployment of nickel and dime defenses, my sense is Jones in the right situation could be a starting slot corner early in his career. He is scheme diverse with all the needed traits to play in the slot, whether it is for a team that features zone or man coverage as its foundation.
| HEIGHT | 5' 8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 174 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | -- |
Jones was so much fun to watch with his piston-like feet, his outstanding mirror-match press man ability, and his physical toughness and competitiveness, and despite his lack of size he will transition well to the NFL both as an outside corner depending on matchups and as a slot corner where he can absolutely thrive. Jones was as good an outside mirror-match press man corner as any corner I saw on tape, with an uncanny ability to crowd and squeeze receivers on their release and then pattern match through routes at all three levels. There were two concerns with Jones as a press man corner, and one of course was lack of size and length (and that's a significant limitation) and the other was his inability to locate and play the ball on vertical throws, but those concerns were as an outside corner and would not be as critical in the slot where Jones also showed higher-level traits. My sense is Jones will project as a slot corner for most NFL teams, with the traits to play on the outside depending on the matchups of a given opponent. Overall Jones is an excellent football player and NFL DCs will want him on the field with his explosive physical traits and his high-level competitiveness. It would not surprise me at all if some teams saw Jones as a safety (he played snaps at safety for Houston) with perhaps the thought that he could become a Tyrann Mathieu kind of player, with outstanding versatility to play multiple roles in the secondary.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11 7/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 194 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | -- |
Based on his 2021 tape at Georgia, Kendrick is a scheme-diverse corner prospect with the ability to play both man and zone coverage as you project and transition him to the next level. He was exclusively an outside corner at Georgia, and he showed the needed traits to play both man and zone, with one exception that could well impact how NFL teams see his transition to the league. His lack of top-end speed is a legitimate question and showed up on tape numerous times when he played mirror-match press man coverage. Kendrick's long speed maxed out when he had to turn and run with vertical routes, and that weakness in his game could likely result in two outcomes at the next level. The first is that he will be seen as scheme specific, with his primary value being to teams that play a higher percentage of zone coverage, and the second being that teams may see him as a slot corner given his lack of speed on the outside. Kendrick was very effective as an off coverage zone corner at Georgia, playing well with body positioning, clean footwork, and eye discipline, and there is no question that is a strength of his game as he transitions to the NFL. The question, and it is an important one as teams project him, will be his speed to minimize explosive plays outside the numbers, but overall Kendrick is a good prospect with some strong traits and my guess is he will drafted as an outside corner.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 196 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.39 | VERTICAL | -- |
There was a lot to like watching Mathis' 2021 tape, and I believe he will project and transition to the NFL well with a chance to become a starter in his rookie season. What immediately stood out was the high percentage of press man he played in Pittsburgh's defense and the way in which he played it with competitiveness and swagger, challenging receivers off the line with well-timed strikes in physical press man and matching routes and staying in phase in mirror match press man. Mathis is a tough and physical corner who clearly embraced and thrived playing press man, and that is always a strong starting point in a corner's transition to the next level. In 2021 at Pittsburgh, Mathis predominantly played press and bail man coverage and cover 3, so he has extensive experience working outside with no immediate safety help and he consistently showed the foot quickness and play speed to match receivers' releases and carry them vertically. He played with a strong combination of patience and decisiveness and aggression in his reactions, and in press man he didnt give receivers a lot of space, doing an excellent squeezing them to the sideline when they released outside. The more I watched Mathis the more I liked him, and with his overall traits and competitiveness, I believe he can transition to the next level as an outside corner, and there is no question he could develop into an outstanding slot corner if a team saw him that way.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11 3/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 190 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.5 | VERTICAL | -- |
McCreary is an interesting evaluation as you project and transition him to the next level given his size and lack of twitch, but he is a very good player who is scheme versatile. While he played exclusively on the outside for Auburn in 2021, I believe he could also move inside and be an excellent slot corner. The concern with McCreary on the outside is his size and length, but there are quality NFL corners with his height/weight measurables (Tre'Davious White comes to mind -- his pre-draft measurables were 5'11 and 192 pounds and White is one of the best man-zone scheme versatile corners in the NFL). The more I watched McCreary, the more I liked him, and as the 2021 season progressed he showed a nuanced ability to play mirror-match press man coverage, trusting his technique and rarely getting out of phase running with the receiver. What also stood out was his understanding of route concepts and combinations in zone coverage, where he played with his eyes very effectively and was almost never in the wrong position. For some, his lack of top-end speed will be a concern as he transitions to the NFL, and that is one reason I believe he could project as a slot corner with his coverage skills and his high-level competitiveness, but there will likely be many teams that project him as an outside corner (especially after they watch the LSU and Alabama tape in which he played outstanding mirror match press man-to-man coverage on Kayson Boutte and Jameson Williams/John Metchie). There is one major concern with McCreary, and that is arm length -- only one other corner in the last decade has been drafted with arm length less than 29, so that is clearly a dividing line for corners.
| HEIGHT | 5' 10 3/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 193 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.44 | VERTICAL | -- |
McDuffie is a little smaller than ideally desired for the outside corner position as you project and transition him to the NFL, but he compensated for that with the athletic and competitive toughness traits to line up and play press man with an attitude and sticky and aggressive coverage. McDuffie played twitchy and sudden in press man with excellent balance and body control, and that allowed him to stay in phase through intermediate and vertical routes, rarely losing contact with the receiver. McDuffie also showed strong traits in both bail and off-coverage man and in zone coverage, where he consistently and intuitively played to down and distance situations and had a great understanding of receiver splits and route concepts-combinations, allowing him to play with his eyes very effectively. McDuffie is a strong corner prospect with all the traits needed to play on the outside, but he also could move inside to the slot if teams felt his lack of ideal size and short arms were an issue versus the bigger receivers that are more and more prevalent in the NFL. The bottom line is McDuffie's tape was very good, and I believe he will develop into a higher-level corner either outside or in the slot, with the versatility and traits to do both depending on team and scheme.
| HEIGHT | 5' 10" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 198 lbs | BROAD | 120" |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | 35" |
McKinley was a fascinating player to evaluate as I studied both his 2020 and 2021 tape and thought about his transition to the NFL. He does not have special or even higher-level athletic or physical traits, but he played multiple positions effectively in Oregon's defense and consistently showed a refined sense of awareness and savvy, in addition to being highly competitive and aggressive with a physical element to his game. The more tape I watched of McKinley the more I saw a playmaking dimension to his game. The question with McKinley as you think about his projection to the NFL is this: what position does he play as the starting point, given his lack of size and length while weighing less than 200 pounds? His size would lead to comparisons to someone like Budda Baker, but McKinley lacks the sudden, twitchy, explosive movement that Baker possesses. I think a better comparison would be Jordan Whitehead of the Jets, who was a very effective multi-dimensional safety in Tampa with some size and athletic limitations, but keep in mind he played in a specific Todd Bowles defense with high percentage zone coverage and heavy blitz.
| HEIGHT | 6' 1 3/4" | CONE | 7" |
| WEIGHT | 207 lbs | BROAD | 124" |
| 40 TIME | 4.52 | VERTICAL | -- |
Monday is a tough evaluation as you project and transition him to the NFL, given his traits profile and how that might translate to the next level. Monday is a long, linear athlete who is high-cut and straight-line in his movement with noticeable hip tightness, and lacks any suddenness or explosiveness. While he ran well at the Combine, his game on tape is not really built on speed and range. Where Monday stood out watching his 2021 tape was his versatility and the multiple ways in which he was used at Auburn, which tells you the coaching staff believed he could mentally and physically handle myriad responsibilities. But the issue as he transitions to the NFL is that much of what he did in college he does not possess the athletic traits to do at the NFL level, particularly playing significant snaps at post safety. The best parts of Monday's game, and where you could see him transitioning to the NFL, are playing downhill as a run defender and playing underneath in zone coverage concepts, with a big question and one that will meaningfully impact his development as an NFL safety is whether he can match up man-to-man to quality NFL TEs. Can Monday play cover 4 effectively and match up and carry wide receivers running vertically out of 2x2 sets, or is he solely a box safety prospect in cover 3? One thing that consistently showed up, and that will negatively impact Monday's projection to the next level, was there was no power to his game. Monday, due to his size and length, will have an opportunity to start at some point, but it will take some time, and his projection to the NFL will be very much team and scheme specific.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 1/2" | CONE | 6.89 |
| WEIGHT | 204 lbs | BROAD | 125" |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | 35" |
O'Neal is somewhat of an enigma as you project and transition him to the NFL in that he looks the part and fits the safety profile, with excellent size and plus athleticism and smooth movement traits, but he does not play to his traits with the consistency needed. What stood out in every game I watched was his poor tackling ability, both as an alley defender and playing in space, where he had to square up with balance and body control. O'Neal has good size and a physical and competitive toughness that projects best as a box safety in a defense whose foundations would be single high safety coverage (cover 3 and cover 1). He was at his best closer to the line of scrimmage and playing downhill with aggression but his tackling ability would need to improve significantly in that area. O'Neal's 2020 and 2021 tape showed a player whose speed and range limitations would severely minimize his ability to play on the back end at the next level, and I would even have to question whether he could be effective as a quarters safety. The other concern would his ability to match up man-to-man on quality receiving NFL TE since he did not do that much at all at Texas A&M. Hall may look the part, but he will have a tough becoming a starting caliber safety at the next level.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11" | CONE | 6.74 |
| WEIGHT | 198 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | 35" |
Pitre is one of the most interesting evaluations in this draft class when you study how he was deployed at Baylor at their Star position and then contrast that with his size and length and overall measurables. Pitre has the size of a corner and part of his role as the Star was to match up over the slot, but he played significant snaps as a box safety and outside linebacker who was aggressive and attacking as a run defender and blitzer, both from OLB position and slot corner position. In addition Pitre also played snaps as a back end safety almost exclusively in cover 2 so there is no question as to his versatility. Pitre is a good football player, and his multi-position deployment in the Baylor defense says a lot about his mental capacity to execute different assignments from down to down. While Pitre played the high percentage of his 2021 snaps at slot corner, I believe he will best transition to the NFL as a safety who will likely begin his career as a sub defense player (probably for a team that features dime as its predominant sub defense) where his blitzing ability can be a factor in the tactical defensive scheme (he will not line up on the ball on the edge and rush the QB versus OT in the NFL). The question with Pitre is whether he can match up man-to-man on quality NFL slot receivers, and that is an open question and projection as you look to define his role at the next level, with the more definitive slot role coming in zone coverage concepts. My guess is some teams will see Pitre as a slot corner prospect (you have to feel good about his man-to-man ability) and other teams will see him best transition as a safety prospect.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 3/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 187 lbs | BROAD | 126" |
| 40 TIME | 4.48 | VERTICAL | 38" |
Steele could be frustrating to watch, and that makes him a difficult projection and transition to the next level. He looks the part of an NFL outside corner with his desirable size and length, and there were many snaps in which he showed the smooth, balanced, comfortable movement and transition and change of direction that you want to see, and many snaps in which he played mirror match press man coverage the way it's supposed to be played (interception versus Notre Dame, another great rep versus BYU). But there was so much inconsistency in the execution of his athletic and physical traits, especially in certain kinds of coverage versus specific routes, that it left me wondering what Steele can become at the next level despite his desirable size/length/movement profile. If a secondary coach in the NFL can unlock the traits that Steele possesses, there is absolutely something there to work with and he could end being a quality starting outside corner, especially to the boundary where his size and length would be a major attribute. If Steele cannot go beyond the issues that showed up on his USC tape, then he will struggle at the next level to match up to the higher level NFL WRs that he will have to face. One thing that will help Steele in his transition is his scheme versatility, with extensive experience playing both press man coverage and off coverage zone, in addition to playing inside in the slot and the boundary safety position.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 1/4" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 190 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- | VERTICAL | -- |
Stingley has the physical and athletic traits all NFL teams look for in outside cornerbacks as you project and transition him to the next level with his size/athleticism/fluidity/suddenness/competitiveness profile. At his best he is a press-man corner who showed the traits needed to play both physical press and mirror-match press, with the loose hips and easy transitions demanded in those techniques. One thing Stingley must clean up in press man is a tendency to get back on his heels as his first reaction to the receiver, and while he was able to compensate for that with his recovery burst and speed a large percentage of the time in college, it is not a certain guarantee that will happen against the top receivers in the NFL. Stingley's tape showed that he is not as comfortable nor as good playing off coverage as he is playing press man, with his transitions and direction changes tending to be more sticky and segmented. Stingley has outstanding outside corner traits and there are many reps in which you saw this traits, but there are some concerns with his college tape (even 2019) that must be cleaned up if he is to become a high level man-to-man corner in the NFL. At his best some could well make a comparison to Stephon Gilmore, but I believe Gilmore played a much more physical game as a press man corner coming out of South Carolina.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0 1/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 199 lbs | BROAD | 128" |
| 40 TIME | 4.36 | VERTICAL | 35" |
Taylor has the size and length (both body and arm) to play outside corner as you project and transition him to the NFL, and based on his 2021 tape at Tennessee he can be scheme versatile, with the traits to play both man and zone effectively. His ability to line up and play press man coverage with both physicality at the release point -- with a strong and forceful punch -- and the needed transition quickness and speed to run with vertical routes is a definite plus as you look to match him up to quality NFL WRs. Taylor also showed a feel for zone coverage, understanding receiver splits and route concepts-combinations and playing with good eye discipline. Overall Taylor fits the profile NFL teams are looking for with his size/length/movement/scheme-versatile traits, and you then add his physicality and competitive toughness and speed to run vertically, and you have a strong corner prospect who can be a match for almost all teams in the league.The more I watched Taylor the more I liked his tape and I believe he has a chance to develop into a quality outside corner in the NFL.
| HEIGHT | 5' 10 5/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 196 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.38 | VERTICAL | -- |
Taylor-Britt is a scheme-versatile corner with outstanding competitiveness and physical and mental toughness as you project and transition him to the next level. Taylor-Britt plays every snap with high-level intensity and energy and physicality, and there are times his movements have a twitchy, sudden feel to them, planting and driving on routes in off coverage and triggering downhill to make tackles and accelerating vertically to defend the deep pass. He has a quick, explosive feel to his movement that shows up in both coverage and run defense, where he brings an attitude and a bit of an enforcer's mentality. My sense watching Taylor-Britt's tape was that he had a strong feel for zone coverage, with an innate understanding of receiver splits and route concepts and combinations, and he played with outstanding awareness and recognition and a natural feel for spacing and route balance. Taylor-Britt also showed the traits to play both press man and off coverage man, and I believe he can develop into a quality staring outside corner in the NFL with the needed attributes (man coverage/zone coverage/physical competitive run defense/blitzing ability) to move inside and play the slot corner position. Overall, Taylor-Britt is a strong prospect with multi-dimensional traits and a lot of juice and a competitiveness that jumped off the film.
| HEIGHT | 6' 2 1/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 195 lbs | BROAD | 128" |
| 40 TIME | 4.36 | VERTICAL | 40" |
Woods possesses a premium length/speed profile that you do not normally see at the safety position, and as a result he projects as a true post safety prospect as you transition him to the NFL. Woods 2021 tape showed all the traits you look for in a post safety at the next level: speed, range, ball skills, plant-and-drive burst to play routes in front of him, ability to play downhill and tackle in the run game, and the man-to-man ability to match up to slot receivers. Woods has great length with high-end speed and range and he can cover ground easily and efficiently from the middle of the field to outside the numbers. The biggest question with Woods as a pass defender also stems from his exceptional length for the position, and that's his high-cut long legged frame, which resulted in him being more of a straight-line linear athlete than a fluid, loose change-of-direction athlete, and that certainly can be a factor on the back end when you have to turn and run with vertical routes. What Woods' tape also showed on tape was his quick trigger playing downhill in the run game, and while there were snaps in which he did not come to balance and did not bring his lower half forward, more often than not he was able to make tackles. Overall, Woods is a strong post safety prospect with a size/length/speed profile that is relatively rare for the position, and with coaching and development he could well develop into one of the better post safeties in the NFL.
| HEIGHT | 6' 4 1/8" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 205 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.26 | VERTICAL | 42" |
Woolen may be the most fascinating corner in the 2022 Draft with his exceptional athletic and physical profile for the position. A converted receiver, Woolen is just over 6'4 with athletic measurables that are off the charts for any size at corner, not just one as long as Woolen. At this point in his corner career Woolen looked much more comfortable playing press man coverage than playing off coverage man or zone, where he could crowd receivers releases off the ball with his length and control them through the early part of their route stem with his mirror match ability. As Woolen gains more experience at the position he should develop into a quality zone corner with his length, speed, and range giving him the ability to react and close, but right now he lacks the innate feel for zone coverage with its required understanding of receiver splits and route concepts-combinations and the eye discipline that is demanded. The bottom line is there are no corners with Woolen's athletic traits profile, and while there are clearly flaws and concerns in his game, at this point the elite size/length/speed that he brings to the table is about as enticing as it gets. If he develops his game in all areas with coaching and experience, Woolen has a chance to be one of the best corners in the NFL.
| HEIGHT | 5' 10 1/2" | CONE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 173 lbs | BROAD | -- |
| 40 TIME | 4.57 | VERTICAL | -- |
Wright was a fun player to watch with his outstanding playing personality, high-level competitiveness, and physicality despite the fact that he weighed less than 175 pounds. Wright was always willing to hit and tackle, and that attitude showed up in every game. Wright played outside corner at Oregon, and while he possesses the natural quickness, fluidity, transition, and change of direction to line up there, his lack of size will present an issue at the next level given the size of NFL receivers and the increasing focus on outside the numbers throws like back shoulder fades. My sense watching Wright is that he could transition inside to the slot with his competitiveness and physical toughness, and although there would be a transition, I think of a Mike Hilton who compensates for his lack of size with toughness and attitude, resulting in his ability to play the run and be effective as a slot blitzer. It would not be inconceivable at all for Wright to make that transition over time.
