Finding Broncos: Elijah Molden | CB

Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Washington cornerback Elijah Molden, a prospect the Denver Broncos might have some interest in due to his scheme fit and talent.

Measurables

Height: 5-foot-9

Weight: 191 pounds

Stats

Pros

Can handle both man- and zone-coverage with the elite traits for zone
Has some versatility to his potential role but he can be an elite nickel corner
Ball skills are excellent and he always challenges the catch point
Very sticky in coverage and hard to shake free with good lateral movement to hang in there
A willing tackler and the toughness to compete, mitigating the small size concerns, even on the boundary
Best trait is his football IQ with how quickly he seems to break down plays in front of him and get into the proper position to make a play

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Cons

His smaller size and length can be harder to overcome in the NFL when working on the boundary and likely keeps him just as a nickel corner
Bigger, more physical, and longer WRs could be a challenge outside, despite the toughness he displays when outsized
Lack of length leads to a missed tackle occasionally when he doesn’t come downhill with enough force

Overview

With the traits to be an elite nickel corner in any scheme, Molden would probably be the top corner in the class if he were three inches taller. His diminutive size is even slightly smaller than you want your nickels to be, though he makes up for it with enough bulk on his frame.

Molden doesn’t let his size hold him back from competing, though, and he will rise to the occasion no matter where he is lined up against. Sometimes he will fail against bigger receivers, but not for a lack of effort. His football IQ alone is enough to desire him for a role on your defense, but the added traits and versatility are added bonuses.

Fit with Broncos

If Denver were to part ways with Bryce Callahan, Molden would make a lot more sense in the second round. Even if the Broncos viewed Molden as a replacement next year, he'd make more sense. The issue is, the Broncos really lack size at corner with Callahan and Essang Bassey already as smaller players.

Molden could compete outside for Denver, and be effective in Vic Fangio’s scheme, but some of the receivers the Broncos face next year would provide a big challenge for Molden and would quickly answer how limiting his size would really be on the boundary in the NFL. Molden some Cortland Finnegan to his game and he thrived working the boundary for a long time.

Grade: Round 2

Where he Goes: Round 2

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