NFL Draft Prospects 2019: Cornerback - Jamel Dean, Auburn

Talk about a bad start to a collegiate career. Jamel Dean was medically disqualified by Ohio State due to suffering multiple knee injuries and had to sit out the year after transferring to Auburn. He hurt his knee once again during the 2016 preseason camp.

Finally healthy in ’17, he started 11 of 14 games for the Tigers, breaking up eight passes. Last season he started all but one game, intercepting two passes and deflecting another nine. This kid is a press-cover specialist, who almost looks like a linebacker at 6’1”, 210+ pounds. Dean is patient in his approach off the line and uses the sideline as a 12th defender, in order to take away space for the ball to be completed. He puts his outside arm on the inside armpit of the receiver and feels breaks coming, plus he has the feet to contest curl routes.

Dean quickly closes throwing windows on inside-breaking routes when he stays on the hip-pocket of his man. Dean shows some nifty moves like pinning the arms of receivers and limiting their ability to attack the ball in the air. With a 41-inch vertical and excellent length, he can contest high throws. He led all corners at the combine with a 4.3 flat in the 40, showing the ability to turn and run with just about anybody not named Jerry Jeudy.

This young man is extremely physical for the cornerback position, as bench-presses receivers trying to put hands on him and plays through them. He doesn’t mind sticking his in the box and taking on offensive linemen in space either. He even put LSU’s left tackle on his butt who was sliding over late to the blitzing Dean. Unfortunately, he doesn’t display the sudden quickness or instincts to make plays on the ball in off-coverage.

Dean relies too heavily on his jam off the line and gets his feet stuck in the mud a little, which forces his to grab jerseys as guys start to get a step on him. He is not the most aggressive tackler and is content with just dragging guys down a lot of the time. Dean’s pursuit from the back-side of run plays is very limited. The medical reports on his knees will be a huge factor in Dean’s draft position. Physically he has pretty much all you want, even if his feet are a little slow, but I think he is press-man corner only by nature.

Grade: Fourth Round