3 Senior Bowl Cornerback Prospects for the Lions
This week, the Detroit Lions and their staff are down in Mobile, Ala., coaching the North squad in the Senior Bowl.
It's a great opportunity to get up close and personal with the prospects, while giving the Lions an inside track on future NFL players.
The last time the Lions coached a Senior Bowl was in 2013.
They drafted quite a few players from the game, and then arguably had their best draft in recent memory.
At the cornerback spot, Darius Slay has been a star for the Lions.
Unfortunately, he is going into the last year of his deal.
It will be imperative that the Lions find another young corner, just in case Slay leaves in free agency in 2021 or is traded this upcoming season.
Last year's fifth-round draft selection Amani Oruwariye showed promise in his rookie campaign.
The corner cupboard is pretty bare behind him, if Slay walks in the near future.
Let's take a look at three draft prospects at the cornerback position that the Lions will be coaching on the North squad this week.
CB Lamar Jackson, Nebraska
HT: 6'3 | WT: 215 pounds
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Jackson has the height that the Lions covet on the outside.
He allowed a passer rating of just 55.7 in 2019 and a passer rating of 63.6 in his junior season, per Pro Football Focus.
While at Nebraska, Jackson really relied on his size to manhandle his opponents. That won't likely be the case in the NFL.
Despite playing plenty of man-press coverage, he tends to be more grabby than relying on his feet -- which could get him in trouble with the NFL's elite receivers.
Jackson is unlikely to blow you away with foot quickness.
He will need to continue to build on his technique and really use that length to its full potential.
Another negative with Jackson is his run defense or lack thereof.
For someone with his size, he misses plenty of tackles, and has a penchant for not wrapping up the ball carrier.
At the end of the day, Jackson is likely a fourth-or-fifth-round project with upside.
CB Troy Pride Jr., Notre Dame
HT: 6'0 | WT: 194 pounds
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As a mid-round prospect, Pride projects well as a man-press corner in the Lions' scheme. He has good size, and will likely test in the elite range for the 40-yard dash at the combine.
According to PFF, he was targeted 38 times on 20-plus yard passes in his collegiate career, and only allowed six of them to be caught.
In 2019 alone, quarterbacks had a passer rating of 20.5 when testing Pride deep. Pride is very difficult to outrun on the longer passes.
For a player with such great athleticism, he can struggle to locate the ball and even when in tight coverage. It's his biggest downfall.
Ball skills are very important in the NFL, but you hope he can be coached up at the next level.
The potential is through the roof, if he can develop a little more in the ball-tracking department.
CB Michael Ojemudia, Iowa
HT: 6'1 | WT: 199 pounds
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Ojemudia is a local product from Farmington Hills, and could be a bit of a tweener.
In high school, he played at tight end and at linebacker. At Iowa, he played at cornerback.
He may even forecast more as a safety in the NFL due to his strengths.
He uses his size well, and is one of the better run defenders in this year's class.
His skillset is likely viewed as a big plus in the eyes of the Lions' coaching staff.
During his senior season, Ojemudia only allowed one touchdown, and recorded three interceptions while allowing a 55.6 passer rating against.
The Iowa zone-heavy scheme makes his transition to the NFL a little bit more difficult.
Ojemudia definitely has the body type to give wide receivers fits while in man-press.
He just needs to demonstrate that he has the hip fluidity to stick with some of the best while in Mobile.
As of now, he is likely a mid-to-late-round prospect, but that could change quickly within the next couple of months.
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