Miami Hurricanes CB Tyrique Stevenson is slowly gaining traction within the 2023 NFL Draft cycle along with his scouting report. At this level, how does his tape grade out, and the place does he stand amongst the proficient 2023 group? Time wasn’t at all times on Stevenson’s aspect, however after a standout 2021 marketing campaign, that’s modified.
Tyrique Stevenson NFL draft profile
Early on within the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, the cornerback favorites are predictably the highest-billed recruits — former five-star gamers like Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks. However quietly, Stevenson has recruiting billing on his aspect as properly. Whereas he didn’t catch on fairly as quick as Ringo and Ricks, he’s now discovering his stride, and should quickly be a part of them within the early-round vary.
Stevenson was a excessive four-star recruit within the 2019 class. A top-50 prospect out of Miami Southridge Excessive College, Stevenson was tabbed as a possible early-round NFL draft choose very early on in his profession. His play helped him land with the Georgia Bulldogs, the place he rapidly discovered enjoying time along with his distinctive talent set.
In 2019, Stevenson managed 13 tackles and a sack, together with 5 move deflections. He doubled that deflection complete in 2020 whereas enjoying the hybrid slot, or STAR position, and likewise added 34 tackles and a deal with for loss. Stevenson flashed usually within the slot, however he desired extra alternatives as a conventional CB. He additionally missed dwelling and determined to switch to Miami in January 2021.
Whereas the Georgia protection loved a dominant run in 2021, Stevenson skilled his personal private success, embarking on a career-best yr with the Hurricanes. He earned his first profession interception and likewise racked up 43 tackles and 4 deflections.
Stevenson as soon as aimed to be chosen within the 2022 NFL Draft. However he didn’t miss his probability. If something, he has an opportunity to be chosen even larger in 2023.
- Place: Cornerback
- College: Miami (FL)
- Present Yr: Senior
- Top/Weight: 6’0″, 214 kilos
Tyrique Stevenson scouting report
Georgia’s protection is clearly an atmosphere conducive to success for prospects, however generally, individuals want a change. Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II capitalized on a call to switch from Georgia in 2021. Stevenson is doing the identical.
Stevenson’s positives
Few cornerbacks on the 2023 NFL Draft circuit are extra properly put collectively than Stevenson. The Miami CB stands at 6’0″, 214 kilos, with an especially sturdy and dense body. He additionally has glorious proportional size, with arms that measure properly over 32″. Stevenson’s body is an asset for him, as is his pure athleticism.
As indicated by a documented 37.7″ vertical bounce from high school, Stevenson has very thrilling athletic qualities. The Miami CB is a supremely explosive athlete who brings glorious closing velocity coming downhill. He’s an immediate long-striding accelerator with elite explosive capability. That explosiveness helps him get well from transitions that aren’t as clear, and it, alongside along with his velocity, permits him to rapidly undercut routes.
Stevenson’s explosiveness is one in all his bedrock traits, however the Miami CB additionally has sufficient fluidity to work with. He can rapidly snap his hips upfield when urgent receivers in opposition to the boundary. Furthermore, he transitions with little pressure and doesn’t usually expertise a lot delay. After jamming outdoors, Stevenson can flip his hips again outdoors and re-enter part to choose up his acceleration. He isn’t the quickest on 180-degree transitions, however he’s proven to be easy and composed.
Going additional, Stevenson additionally scores properly along with his agility and twitch. He has the twitch and corrective athleticism to regulate tackling angles with little discover. He rapidly stacks route modifications and carries his acceleration upfield. Moreover, along with his distinctive twitch, Stevenson can snap into place on restoration. He’s an amped-up mover with quick ft in tight areas. He glides laterally to match WRs off the road, and along with his restoration athleticism, he can rapidly recollect himself and redirect momentum after lurching on jams.
Stevenson’s uncooked expertise grants him a excessive ceiling, however he additionally has a decently excessive ground — routinely exhibiting vivid flashes along with his approach. The Miami CB actively makes use of his outdoors hand when monitoring deep to pinch receivers near the sideline after transitioning. He brings affected person, decisive arms in tight protection. When monitoring upfield, Stevenson actively swats WRs arms. He additionally jams in fast succession, along with his size granting him nice drive on these jams.
When working in off-man protection, Stevenson has proven to take care of persistence and self-discipline. He can effortlessly match broad receivers and tempo his footwork as they conduct releases. The Miami CB has a pleasant shuffle-step off the road, which he makes use of to maintain leverage whereas getting depth. At his finest, he’s affected person and well-timed, jamming as quickly as receivers commit.
Stevenson can play low in his stance and sink his hips on transitions. He may use quick ft to match WRs on the line and keep loaded. In zone protection, he seems adaptable, and he actively squares up receivers as they method stems. In zone, Stevenson flashes good consciousness. The Miami CB can rapidly choose up beneath routes and shut in. He may rapidly course of leverage and glide to his man in 2-on-1 conditions.
Increasing on Stevenson’s processing, the Miami CB is ready to act rapidly on stimulus off the road. If WRs commit upfield, he can instantly flip his hips and speed up. Furthermore, Stevenson processes breaks properly and has good response quickness. He retains his eyes on the backfield in zone protection and is fast to redirect downhill on delayed attracts. He’s additionally conscious of blind spots and promptly snaps round when receivers attempt to manipulate his sight view.
As a playmaker, Stevenson actively will get his head again round in zone protection, to trace the ball if it comes his approach. Whereas he might enhance on this part, he’s not a legal responsibility. He a minimum of obstructs the passing lane in tight protection and has proven to ship along with his focus in clutch moments.
Amongst different issues, Stevenson flashes nice lengthy velocity in pursuit and rapidly accelerates rapidly within the open discipline when chasing down performs. He additionally brings nice promise as a run assist defender. Stevenson is a prepared defender coming downhill, who sharply acknowledges screens and explodes previous blockers. He absolutely extends and engages blockers along with his size, whereas manipulating them and disrupting lanes outdoors, ready till they decide to angles to exit his stance and assault.
Stevenson’s dimension and size make him a handful for WRs. He’s quick to shed blocks with combative arms. And whereas he might be a extra constant tackler, Stevenson’s flashed the flexibility to take down ball carriers within the open discipline.
Stevenson’s areas for enchancment
There are only a few evident weaknesses in Stevenson’s sport, however there are a number of notes throughout the board within the negatives division. Stevenson doesn’t fairly have elite fluidity, as he does generally get locked up when carrying by 180-degree transitions. His change of route isn’t at all times easy, both. He generally must take just a few steps to assemble himself earlier than redirecting.
In protection, Stevenson sometimes will get too grabby and aids transitions with tugs. This might draw penalties on the subsequent stage. Going additional, he generally makes an attempt to jam whereas imbalanced, which renders him flat-footed, inflicting him to lurch and delay his response. He may be labored off-balance by artful releases and sometimes will get labored too excessive in his stance when matching backward, which impacts his transitions.
Elsewhere, Stevenson might anticipate higher in zone protection. He’s generally a bit too hesitant to shut downhill and clamp down on routes. The Miami CB maintains an excessive amount of cushion at instances and might higher use alternatives to squeeze receivers in opposition to the sideline. On play fakes, he sometimes lets broad receivers sneak by him.
Curiously, Stevenson’s most work-in-progress trait is likely to be his ball monitoring and playmaking consistency. The Miami CB might do a greater job sustaining his velocity when monitoring the ball, as he generally prematurely decelerates. His total ball monitoring is typically questionable, and he might acquire a extra constant understanding of correct positioning. Stevenson also needs to higher use his size to focus on the ball on the catch level.
Shifting forward, Stevenson doesn’t fairly have elite lengthy velocity. He can lose a step when monitoring vertical routes, and he generally overpursues tackling angles in run assist and performs himself out of place. Missed tackles are a frequent results of this. Sooner or later, Stevenson must make a extra concerted effort to achieve leverage and wrap up at contact.
Present draft projection for Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson
Stevenson is a worthy early-round candidate at CB. His preliminary grade landed within the early Day 2 vary. And whereas he’s already value consideration in Rounds 2 and three, along with his pure expertise, it’s not brash to say Stevenson has an out of doors probability of working himself into Spherical 1 with a powerful senior season.
Stevenson’s path up to now as a former extremely rated four-star recruit hasn’t been completely orthodox. However a change of surroundings in 2021 proved to be very useful for him. Not solely did Stevenson discover alternative at Miami, however he additionally upped his sport and put collectively a few of his most constant tape but in protection.
We all know Stevenson’s athletic testing — notably his measurements and explosiveness numbers — will assist him an excellent deal subsequent March. However his traits additionally translate on the sphere. His mixture of size, play power, and elite burst may be robust for WRs to work previous. He additionally has stellar agility and twitch, vary in pursuit, satisfactory fluidity, and incubates his pure expertise with good approach, foot velocity, and self-discipline.
Whereas Stevenson’s fluidity isn’t elite, he actually has a scheme-diverse talent set. Together with his size, persistence, physicality, and corrective athleticism, he is usually a handful in press man. However he additionally has the attention and explosiveness to be harmful in zone. Stevenson might be a top quality NFL starter on the boundary, however he additionally has the flexibility to rotate into the slot and be a particular mismatch generator.
