NFL Draft Profile: Mario Goodrich, Cornerback, Clemson Tigers
#31
Pos: CB
Ht: 6002
Wt: 176
Hand: 0918
Arm: 3058
Wing: 7418
40: 4.52
DOB:
Eligibility: 2022
Kansas City, MO
Lee's Summit West High School
Mario Goodrich Clemson
Tigers
Pros:
Great play strength. Reroutes receivers with his arms and won’t get pushed off his square from physical pass catchers. Forces receivers to play through his frame which is when he’s at his best. Has the long speed to run far downfield on the outside. Instincts in zone allow him to interrupt throwing lanes. Doesn’t fall for eye candy on the outside. Great tackling form and makes a ton on plays solo. Physical enough to bust the bunch at the line of scrimmage. Comfortable playing flat-footed and has the leg drive to drive on the ball/route. Flexible enough to change directions with minimum wasted movement.
Cons:
Average to above average overall athleticism for NFL corners. Footwork can be jumbled when facing twitchy receivers. Doesn’t fully transition before shooting his hands, allowing him to get stacked quickly. Shoots hands too early so his arms lockout and receivers can chop them away. Most vulnerable in press man where he has to rely on his ability to get both hands on the receiver. Low snap count for Clemson even in his 4th year. Eyes could be better in zone and he will be in no man’s land when he could cheat towards the action.
Summary:
Instinctive, physical, strong corner with average to above-average technique and athleticism. Goodrich can fit a couple of different positions at the next level. He isn’t the ultimate versatility package, but he has enough instincts to be an outside zone corner and the physicality to play man with both press bail and soft press techniques. He also does very well driving on the ball and playing flat-footed, giving him off-man versatility. Goodrich is also one of the best tacklers in this class at corner, rivaling even his uber-athletic teammate Andrew Booth Jr. He can be over-reliant on his flexibility in bail, leaving his blindspot vulnerable too early in the route. He does a great job in soft press with mirroring the receiver, forcing them to play through his frame. Not many receivers are going to be able to overpower him and run through him, but he still does his best work in zone and off-man. With below-average arm length, Goodrich will need to be patient and find the sweet spot with timing his hands. If he can square up the receiver and get hands on them, he cuts off their route for much of the first half of the play. He doesn't have the athleticism to be a shutdown corner but could offer a very reliable 2nd corner or starting
Background:
Born on January 12th, 2000, Mario Goodrich attended Lee’s Summit West High School in Lee’s Summitt, Missouri, as a dual-sport athlete in football and basketball. He was a two-way player in high school at receiver and defensive back, though cornerback would be his position in college. Goodrich finished his high school career with 140 tackles, 11 interceptions, 24 pass breakups, and five touchdowns. His performance earned him an invite to the Offense-Defense All-Americal Bowl game. Goodrich was rated a four-star prospect in the 2018 class, per the 247Sports Composite. He committed to Clemson despite offers from Georgia, Arkansas, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and more. Goodrich contributed on defense immediately as a true freshman, albeit in a backup role. He increased his contributions over the next two years, working as a part-time starter in 2020. Goodrich completely took the reigns in 2021, starting all games and making 48 tackles, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups over 561 snaps. His performance saw Goodrich earn third-team All-America honors by PFF and first-team All-ACC. Goodrich was also named MVP of the Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State. He accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and was impressive in his time there.
Grades:
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
7.8/8.4
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