DeAndre McDaniel and other Defensive Back Notes Vol. 2

DeAndre McDaniel and other Defensive Back Notes Vol.2


Joe Lefeged (Rutgers) –
5112, 208. Played well in the box with good read and react. He was a little tight
hipped but ran well and showed decent range. Good zone awareness, saw the
receiver and ball well. Good in the short zones but limited over the top. Flashed
ability. Curtis Marsh (Utah State) – 6001, 194. Suffered a pulled hamstring
and did not practice during the week or play in the game. Da’Norris Searcy(North Carolina)
– 5105, 216
. Long arms 34” for a safety. Excellent in run
support. Played like a linebacker when they had him up in Cover 6. Good
instincts and change of direction. Did a nice job in the short zones when in
the box on both strong and weak sides. Really struggled in man to man on
any extended route. Late in over the top coverage and in the deep middle.
Possibly a better hybrid linebacker/safety, used in nickel situations. Has ability
but is limited. Will have to play in the right system. Ahmad Black (Florida)–
5093, 183. Excellent ball skills and range in both run support and coverage.
Not afraid to throw his body around. Takes good angles to the ball and adjusts
extremely well moving downhill. Size may be a limiting factor as an over the
top safety and wonder if he can hold up physically. Looked strong in man
cover on tight ends and backs and showed good zone awareness over the top
and in the flat. Had a productive week of practice and showed outstanding
athletic ability at the safety position. Played bigger than he is as he did a good
job in the box showing good instincts. Did not play in the game. Curtis Brown (Texas) –
5115, 180. Was one of the most impressive corners in
practices during the week. Was sticky and physical in his coverage. Amazing
since press coverage was not allowed. Can be fooled by play action or loses
separation by peeking into the backfield at times. Has the tools to be a nickel
corner eventually moving outside if he stays disciplined. Smooth and explosive
in transition. Zac Etheridge (Auburn) – 5114, 201. Physical downhill
safety at his best in run support. A little tight hipped in turn and run and did
not show the best range over the top. Did some things well and he is a hitter.
He did not stand out in coverage. Took false steps in reactions and showed
some hesitation at times. Struggled in man to man coverage. Marcus Gilchrist (Clemson) –
5097, 193. Is shorter than ideal, but received work at
both corner and safety in practices. Good ball skills and speed. Understands zone
concepts. Physical in the run game. Smart and alert. Gets a jump on the ball with
good instincts. DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson) – 6001, 213. Hands 10 ¼”.
Good footwork and initial reactions. Has good range over the top and tracks well
moving downhill. Solid in tackling drills and showed up physical taking on blocks.
Did most things well and showed good instincts in run support. Played well in the
box and showed good range in pursuit. Good understanding of zone coverage as
he played the receiver and the ball well. Did a nice job in the short zones playing
under the deep route and over the short one. Reacted well on the throw. Not the
best in man on a shifty back or slot receiver but he is overall solid in coverage.
Johnny Patrick (Louisville) – 5104, 185. Injured his ACL and withdrew from
the game. A zone type corner, he has the skills to support the run. DeMarcus Van Dyke (Miami) –
6006, 168. A slender corner who has press cover skills.
Was added to the Senior Bowl roster after a good week of practice at the Shrine
Bowl. Shareece Wright (Southern Cal) – 5110, 182. An aggressive corner who
plays out of control at times by taking bad angles to the ball. Has route savvy to
cut off the receiver going to the ball. Richard Sherman (Stanford) – 6023,
193. Replaced Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara who opted not to play in the
game. A cover two press corner who is smart and aggressive. Got beat down the
field in practice. Will contribute on special teams coverage. A draftable player
who had two pass breakups in the game. Strong enough to shed blocks with his
hands. Interception called back because of offside penalty, but Sherman did a
good job of squeezing the receiver and playing the ball in the end zone.