NFL Draft Profile: Vincent Gray, Cornerback, Michigan Wolverines
#4
Pos: CB
Ht: 6010
Wt: 192
Hand: 928
Arm: 3238
40: 4.54
DOB: 12/28/1999
Hometown: Rochester, MI
High School: Rochester Adams
Vincent Gray
Michigan Wolverines
One Liner:
Vincent Gray is a long zone corner, that uses his hands as a weapon in all stages of route defense.
Pros:
Gray is a textbook zone coverage corner thanks to his length, hips, and tackling presence. He played every corner position in Ann Arbor, logging snaps at the boundary, field, and slot corner alignments. He uses adequate hips and long arms to squeeze the spaces naturally created in zone coverage. His best trait is his hand usage. At the line of scrimmage, he strikes, reroutes pass-catchers during their stems, and then finishes by playing through the ball. He may not be an explosive athlete, but he can carry vertical concepts by wide-outs. Willing to get dirty in the run game, where he tackles with velocity and sound fundamentals. His eyes and understanding of quarters and base cover 2 is evident on tape.
Cons:
While Gray is no slouch in terms of athleticism, he doesn't have elite foot speed, agility, or long speed. His foot fire could be better, as he triggers downhill too slowly at the breakpoint. Because of this, Gray is best utilized as a zone corner at the next level, most similar to his college role of press quarters. In order to maximize his ability in this role, you would like to see him get his head around quicker and stay more disciplined on double moves. The strong Michigan pass rush was a bandaid for what would have been big shots with extra time.
Summary:
Gray possesses many of the traits teams to look for out of their zone corners. His role in Michigan's press quarters defense was noteworthy, allowing his length, hips, and hand usage to shine. Lacking some of the quickness and speed required out a man coverage corner, he will be best utilized in a two-high safety system, where he can squeeze passing lanes and trick quarterbacks.
Background:
Gray is from Rochester, Michigan., where he attended Rochester Adams High School as a three-year Varsity player. Gray earned consensus three-star honors and a number 17 overall prospect in the state of Michigan during his high school career. During his time in Ann, Arbor Michigan., he was nominated as an All-Big Ten Honoree in 2021 and was a three-year letterman from 2019-2021 for Michigan. He majored in Political science.
Grade:
Rounds 4-5
Quotes:
“Additionally, Gray’s length gives him a wide disruption radius. He’s very physical at the catch point, and he flashes ball skills when he can get his head around.” Ian Cummings ProFootballNetwork.com
“Two-year starter with NFL size and athletic traits to expect continued improvement on the next level. Gray has good footwork and balance for a taller corner and shows trust in his footwork and technique that many younger cornerbacks don't have.” Lance Zierlein NFL.Com
