Finding Broncos: Asante Samuel, Jr | CB

Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel, Jr., another NFL legacy prospect with some intrigue for the Denver Broncos.

Measurables

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 184 pounds

Stats

Pros

Has NFL bloodline (father was four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro corner in New England/Philly/Atlanta)
Works well in man-coverage, especially off-coverage, where he can see, read, and mirror the receiver
Decently loose hips to help mirror in coverage
His size may see him limited to the slot, but he can hang on the boundary in off-man coverage
Always tries to attack to the catch point and doesn’t let himself get out-willed to the ball
A fluid mover and quite smooth for the NFL
NFL dad probably helped his football IQ and his reads of passing concepts as they break down as they're very refined
Loves to be physical as a defender in all aspects and really doesn’t back down
Plenty of fight in him and never gives up on the play

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Cons

Very much a man-coverage corner with major issues that popped up in 2020 when he played a little more zone
Ball skills aren't ideal, but not terrible either
Benefitted from right place/right time often with his interceptions
Versatility is a question as he is an off-man only corner and could be viewed as nickel-only by NFL
Doesn’t have the length for an effective press despite his physicality
Needs to better find landmarks as a defender, especially when playing zone-coverage
Tackling is inconsistent because of his size and length, not because of the technique

Overview

If you run the right scheme and need a nickel corner, Samuel can really be enticing. His lack of length and size are less of concern inside than on the boundary.

Samuel also has the football smarts and can be an asset in the film room right away, even on the sideline during games. There is enough there with his ball skills to develop and improve that area of his game.

Fit with Broncos

How Samuel is valued really comes down to running the right scheme and whether a team like the Broncos views nickel corner as a need. However, Samuel is probably the best pure off-man nickel corner to come out in a while.

Bryce Callahan is entering a contract year so the team could be on the hunt preemptively to add a future hedge.

Grade: Round 2

Where he Goes: Round 2

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