New York Giants Draft Prospect: CB T.J. Tampa

The Giants still need depth at cornerback. Here's a look at what Iowa State's T.J. Tampa can bring to the mix.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Mar 27, 2024

In this story:

New York Giants

T.J. Tampa

Iowa State

NFL Draft

T.J. Tampa, CB

Height: 6’1
Weight: 189 lbs
Hands: 9 ⅝”
Arms: 32 ⅛”
Class: Senior
School: Iowa State
Stats

A former three-star recruit out of Lakewood High School in Saint Petersburgh, Florida, where he was the 162nd recruit from the state of Florida and the 199th WR in the 2020 recruiting class, he was pursued as a WR out of high school and made the switch to CB at Iowa State.

Tampa was a reserve defensive back in his freshman year, where he mostly played special teams. He started five of 13 games in 2022 and every game in his final two seasons in Ames, Iowa. He was an AP third-team all-American in 2023 and first-team all-Big 12 in 2023 while being a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award and the Bednarik Award. According to the coaches, he also earned second-team all-Big-12 in 2022.

Tampa did not work out at the Combine due to a mild hamstring injury. Tampa mostly played zone coverage at Iowa State, where he was typically in off or soft leverage. He played both out wide and in the slot while also executing man coverage on tight ends in certain situations.

Strengths

* Good NFL frame - ideal length
* Functional long speed and acceleration for a player of his size
* Fluid for a tall - high hipped - player
* Swift player when quickly changing direction
* Physical in press, lands jam in the slot to reroute WRs
* Controlled footwork in backpedal
* Good eye discipline in zone coverage
* Great processor vs. two/three-man route concepts
* Reads and reacts well to the stripe on the quarterback’s helmet
* Solid explosiveness out of quick breaks (horizontal)
* Good closing burst on click & close from off or comebacks (vertical)
* Good ability to stay in phase on horizontal routes as a man coverage defender
--Does an excellent job undercutting the route for PBUs, very good closing burst/timing
* Has big hits throughout his film
* Length and play strength allow him to be successful as a tackler - can improve
* Love his disruptiveness at the catch-point
* Exceptional technique at the catch-point
* Length and closing burst quickly close throwing windows for the offense
* Gets his eyes on the football in 50-50 contested situations - good timing/judgment
* Demonstrated success vs. top-tier TEs - good reps vs. Sam Laporta (2022)
* Will aggressively fight through stalk blocks
* Block shedding is excellent
* Former WR, former high school basketball star

[View more draft prospect scouting profiles.]

Weaknesses

* Is a bit high-hipped, but his transitions are still functional
* Lacks elite speed (unless he is chasing an Iowa Hawkeye from behind)
* Shiftier receivers in the NFL could give him issues in man coverage
* High in back-pedal - balance issues
* A lot of off-coverage at Iowa State
* Lost track of assignment in zone coverage a few times, leading to blown coverage
* Could clean up his tackling technique (missed 16.9% of his 2023 tackles)
* Open-field tackling especially can be improved - balance and timing are issues
*Needs to convert more of his PBUs into interceptions - only three career INTs

Summary

T.J. Tampa has an impressive blend of size/length and movement skills that allows him to stay in phase against most receivers in man coverage while possessing the necessary discernment and awareness to play zone coverage. Tampa is excellent at the catch point; his technique to locate and disrupt the catch are some of the best in the class, but he needs to do a better job forcing turnovers for a player who was around the football as frequently as Tampa.

In 2023, he forced a 54.6 passer rating and allowed a 51% catch rate on just 40 targets. Offenses were not eager to target Tampa, and they mostly threw against his off-leverage with quick, well-timed, comeback routes that exploited Tampa’s high-hipped nature. Despite his build, Tampa was still fluid enough to get downhill and promptly disrupt the pass or make the tackle, depending on the quarterback’s timing on the throw.

A quality defensive backs coach like Jerome Henderson of the Giants could unlock Tampa’s potential. His processing suggests he could play in a match system, but he could be best served as a zone-heavy CB, although his trail technique in man coverage was solid at Iowa State. Tampa will likely be selected somewhere on day two of the upcoming draft.

GRADE: 6.34