Ifeatu Melifonwu Selected by Detroit Lions in NFL Draft

Syracuse cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 101st overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Melifonwu was one of the better cover corners in the nation last season, and was an All-ACC Third Team selection. You can read about Melifonwu's high school recruitment HERE.

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Melifonwu finished his Syracuse career with 88 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and 19 passes defensed in three seasons. His best individual year was this past season when he had 54 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and six passes defensed in 10 games.

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What type of NFL prospect is Melifonwu? Former NFL head coach Jim Mora Jr. thinks highly of the former Syracuse star.

"I think Iffy can become an elite defender," Mora Jr. said. "If he can learn route recognition, if he can figure out his eye discipline, if he can figure out that down the field they're not going to let him grab like they did in college, if he can keep that aggression he plays the run game with, I think, it's a tough one, but I think he can be an All Pro player. I really do. He's got elite traits, now he's just got to hone those traits. He's got to hone those things in. He'll get with an elite defensive back coach, and if he dedicates himself to working hard, to listening, to learning from other players, working on his weaknesses, he can be a great one in my opinion with the elite traits that he has.

"I think he's a rare talent. When you have his size, his speed and his ability to drop his hips, change direction is pretty rare. He's going to have to continue to work on the change of direction skills, which is something that is always going to be a factor for a 6-3, 210, 215 pound, whatever he is that day defensive backs. But he's long arms, he can play zone, he can play man, he can get his arms on guys. What I like best is he's a physical corner in the run game as well. I think that he really could fit in almost any scheme. If you want to put him in a Tampa-2 type of scheme where he's a rolled up corner jamming guys. I think he'd be effective there. No team plays just one defense, so I think he'd be a really good cover three, thirds corner, man corner."

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