Finding Broncos: Two Boundary Corners for Added Depth
You can never have too many cornerbacks in the NFL anymore. Despite having Pat Surtain and K’Wuan Williams as quality starters, the Broncos have questions all over their depth players. Damarri Mathis had the typical ups and downs of a rookie starter but also showed growth over the last quarter of the season.
However, after that, the depth is lacking talent inside and out. George Paton values the cornerback position almost more than any other on the field, so adding a quality player to the room is easy to project in this year’s draft.
Tyrique Stevenson | CB | Miami
Pros:
- Solid press-man coverage cornerback that can turn and run easily.
- Great size and length for the position.
- Incredibly physical at the line of scrimmage in press coverage.
- He uses a powerful punch to delay the receiver and allow his hips to open to turn and run.
- The closing speed to the receiver is above average.
- Footwork is good in close quarters.
- Active hands that are disciplined throughout the route.
- He rides the hip and has a feel for route breaks, keeping himself tight to the receiver and close to the passing lane.
- He fights through the hands well to break up passes at the catch point.
- Does incredibly well in jump ball situations with active hands and good leaping ability.
Cons:
- Hip fluidity is lacking in open space.
- He gets his feet too close together in his shuffle step, leading to clunky changes in direction.
- He gets lost in zone coverage and sometimes struggles to find the ball.
- He has inconsistent ball production, though he did grab a couple of interceptions in 2022.
- The tackling technique is severely lacking, with a high target area and failure to bring his arms to the party.
- Gets top-heavy at times, leading to balance concerns in coverage and when approaching ball carriers.
- He takes poor angles, allowing ball carriers to progress downfield as he over-pursues the play.
- He can get outrun in deep ball situations.
Overview:
Tyrique Stevenson is a prototypical press coverage cornerback with a good blend of size, length, and athleticism. He is physical at the line of scrimmage, using active and powerful hands to disrupt the receiver’s release and keep himself in phase throughout the route. He mirrors well moving vertically, stays in phase and has active hands at the catch point.
He struggles in open space and zone coverage, where his stiffer hips and slower change of direction can allow receivers to separate and present open targets. He has enough burst to close on the ball and be disruptive at the catch point, but sometimes he is lost in space and doesn’t bring the physicality you would like to see from a player of his size. He is also a poor tackler, often attacking above the waist and not converting power from his legs to his chest and wrapping up with proper technique.
Fit with the Broncos:
Tyrique Stevenson is a decent fit for the Denver Broncos because he has the high-end ability as a press coverage cornerback, which is what Vance Joseph prefers as a defensive play caller. However, Stevenson has some deficiencies in zone coverage due to hip fluidity and recognition issues, leading most to believe he is limited to a scheme that mostly features man coverage.
Joseph will mix in a lot of Cover-3 looks into his system and rely on his cornerbacks to be able to read and react while also being reliable tacklers out in open space. Regardless, Stevenson would be a significant upgrade to the depth on the boundary and could turn into a reliable starter if he figures out the finer nuances of zone coverage at the next level.
© Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Garrett Williams | CB | Syracuse
Pros:
- He has shown success in both man and zone coverage with enough fluidity to succeed at the next level.
- Physical demeanor and likes to come downhill as a tackler.
- Footwork is smooth in his back pedal, and he transitions easily.
- Decent length for the position.
- He mirrors well to the receiver and keeps his hands ready in chest-to-chest situations.
- Tackling machine with good form and power.
- Has 152 total tackles in his three-year career.
- Closing speed to kill separation and attack the ball carrier flashes frequently.
- Quick to trigger against the run, filling gaps with a vengeance.
- Has some safety reps on his tape, showing well, especially as a run defender.
- No penalties over the past two seasons, per PFF.
Cons:
- Tore his ACL last season.
- Can get stuck in the mud on in-breaking routes.
- Long speed is an issue when riding defenders deep down the field.
- He gets his head turned around too late, allowing too many catches down the field.
- Ball skills and awareness are lacking.
- Saw limited reps in press coverage, so projection is needed.
- He needs to be more aggressive, getting into the passing lane and knocking the ball away.
- He needs to play to his length better.
- He only had four career interceptions, per PFF.
Overview:
Garrett Williams is a fiery competitor at the cornerback position, showing an aggressive and competitive demeanor in every phase of the game. He drives on the football very well, especially as a run defender. In coverage, Williams shows a smooth and patient backpedal in man coverage with enough twitch and fluidity to carry routes in any direction. However, there are instances of him being left behind, coming over the middle of the field, and when going deep.
Williams has patient and assignment-sound eyes in zone coverage, reading the route and quarterback very well. He needs to be more aggressive when attacking the football and making plays, but he closes to the receiver well and finishes the play quickly. Williams has some issues getting his head turned around too slowly and allowing catches in contested scenarios. Still, overall he has a high upside and could become a quality starter at the next level.
Fit with the Broncos:
Garrett Williams is a decent fit for the Broncos, though you wish there were more press coverage opportunities existed. He profiles well and has the right demeanor for success in those situations, but there are questions about his technique. He needs a year to develop and get healthy, but Williams would be a solid addition to the unit with versatility in both scheme and position. Williams could be an answer at safety and bolster the unit as a run defender crashing vertically toward the line of scrimmage.
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