2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Miami (FL) CB Te’Cory Couch

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Miami (FL) CB Te’Cory Couch.

#0 Te’Cory Couch/CB Miami (FL) – 5101, 185 pounds (Fifth Year Senior)

MEASUREMENTS

*Pro Day Measurements

The Good

– Decent frame for a slot corner, slender but not incredibly small
– Willingness to tackle and fill against the run, active in the backfield
– Effective blitzer who times his snaps well and can create pressure off the edge
– Understands route combinations and zone-matches well
– Able to attack and defend short/quick game
– Capable to flip hips and turn/run vertically
– Made impact plays
– Strong starting experience and has special teams background
– Durable and available

The Bad

– Lacks strength and too often stuck on blocks, struggling to shed
– Stiff and slow to defend in-breaking routes, allows far too much space at breakpoint
– Isn’t explosive out of his pedal
– More drag down tackler when he can’t hit at full speed
– Misses too many tackles and falls off
– Average to below average long speed
– Position-limited at next level
– Likely older than many prospects

Bio

– 34 career starts for Hurricanes
– Primarily nickel corner (482 slot snaps in 2023, 18 wide corner snaps, 70 in box, played 577 slot snaps in 2022)
– Career: 153 tackles (6 TFL), 21 PDs, 2.5 sacks, 4 INTs, 1 FF
– 2023: 38 tackles (1 TFL) 1 sack, 3 INTs, 1 FF
– 4.59 RAS (short shuttle score was 0.5, would tie 12th-worst among cornerbacks in Combine history)
– Three-star recruit from Hollywood, Florida, chose Miami (FL) over LSU, Michigan and Pitt, among several other schools
– Initially committed to Michigan before de-committing two months later, switching to Miami (FL)
– Lost starting job mid-way through 2021 season after a self-admitted poor year, bouncing back and finishing final two years as starting nickel
– Won two state titles in high school

Tape Breakdown

Te’Cory Couch initially committed to Michigan before changing his mind and staying close to home with Miami. A slot corner throughout his career, he took lumps earlier in his career before finishing as The U’s starting nickel his final two years.

Couch plays with a bit of an edge and makes an impact at or behind the line of scrimmage. He frequently blitzed and timed his rushes well, highlighted by this strip/sack fumble.

He’s a heady player as the hook/overhang player in zone, understanding route combinations and able to make plays on the football against the quick game. Some examples here.

But Couch gets stuck on blocks too often in the run and screen game, unable to shed and make an impact as a tackler. That’s a concern for a downhill player. He doesn’t lack want-to, he just doesn’t have the frame or technique and can get swallowed up.

Couch’s biggest problem is defending the middle of the field on in-breaking routes. He’s not explosive out of his pedal in off-man and allows too much separation. It’s his biggest issue, and reflected in some dreadful shuttle times, especially given his size. Ignore the yellow arrows here; that’s not Corley. In the first clip with the arrow, he’s to the left/of the arrow. In the second arrow’d clip, he’s below him in the slot.

Conclusion

Overall, Couch is a highly experienced slot who doesn’t have to kick inside. That separates him from other slot corners. He’s willing to tackle, blitz and defend the one/three-step game. But he struggles to defend breaking routes beyond that, a big problem for a slot corner tasked to defend the whole field. My NFL comp is Chandon Sullivan.

Projection: Priority Undrafted Free Agent
Depot Draft Grade: 5.9 – Priority Undrafted Free Agent (Undrafted Free Agent)
Games Watched: vs Texas A&M (2023), at North Carolina (2023), vs Clemson (2023, INT Cut-up