NFL Draft Profile: DaRon Bland, Cornerback, Fresno State Bulldogs
#1
Pos: CB
Ht: 6001
Wt: 203
Hand: 0918
Arm: 3228
Wing: 7678
DOB: 7/12/_
Eligible: 2022
Modesto, CA
Central Catholic High School
DaRon Bland
Fresno State Bulldogs
One-Liner:
Long armed cornerback with good speed, Bland is a segmented mover who lacks short area explosiveness.
Pros:
Long armed outside cornerback who possesses good speed, allowing him to carry receivers vertically without getting grabby. Bland uses his length to disrupt receivers trying to cross his face. He has very good mirroring skills on a vertical plane, possessing good eyes and having the ability to stop and stick with curls and comebacks. His recovery speed is above average. Bland can make plays on the ball from behind thanks to his length and disrupt catches from unfavorable positions. He plays through the catch, displaying his competitiveness. Bland is willing to take on blockers with good effort and fights hard to gain outside leverage. His mental alertness is very good as he can avoid picks.
Cons:
Only having one year of starting experience at the Mountain West level, Bland has a tendency to get grabby when he does not have to be. His first step explosion is below average as he lacks springiness. A segmented mover, he has tight hips and transitions with high hips. Tight ends are able to box him out at the catch point. Bland is a poor tackler as he does not wrap up and finish reliably.
Summary:
Outside cornerback with long arms and good speed. Bland is able to mirror on a vertical plane and use his length to disrupt catches. He has stiff hips and lacks desired short-area agility and explosiveness to consistently succeed in man coverage. Bland projects as a developmental cornerback in a scheme that asks him to cover deep thirds and quarters frequently. With improved tackling, he should be a solid special teamer with the potential to be a solid backup or low-level starter.
Grades:
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
7.0 / 7.7
*Go All Access - Subscribe to NFL Draft Bible today and receive a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated magazine, for FREE!
CLICK BELOW FOR MORE NFL DRAFT CONTENT
2022 NFL Draft Big Board & Position Rankings
2022 NFL Draft Underclassmen Tracker
- Seniors Declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft
- Underclassmen Declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft
- Players Returning To School
- College Football Players Out of Eligibility
2022 NFL Draft Team Needs
2022 NFL Draft Order
2022 All-Star Game Measurements
NFL Draft All-Star Game Tracker
Combine | Senior Bowl | Shrine Bowl | NFLPA Bowl | Hula Bowl | Cajun Bowl | CGS | Topical Bowl | HBCU Bowl | HBCU Combine
2022 NFL Draft All-Star Game Info
- Reese’s Senior Bowl – February 6th, 2022 (Mobile, AL)
- East-West Shrine Bowl – February 3rd, 2022 (Las Vegas, NV)
- NFLPA Collegiate Bowl – January 29th, 2022 (Pasadena, CA)
- Hula Bowl – January 15th, 2022 (Orlando, FL)
- SPIRAL Tropical Bowl – January 17th, 2022 (Orlando, FL)
- Cajun All-Star Bowl – February 12th, 2022 (Beaumont, TX)
- College Gridiron Showcase – January 8th, 2022 (Fort Worth, TX)
