From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, 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 down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Miami (FL) CB Tyrique Stevenson.
#2 Tyrique Stevenson/CB Miami (FL) – 6000, 198 lbs. (Redshirt Junior)
Senior Bowl/Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Tyrique Stevenson | 6000, 198 | 8 5/8 | 32 5/8 | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.45 | 1.51 | 4.41 | 7.09 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’5″ | 38.5 | DNP |
THE GOOD
— Well-built frame with bulk and length
— Sticky man coverage corner on underneath routes
— Aggressive on the ball and uses length well to make plays at the catch point, good ball skills and finds the football in the air
— Experienced and eager press corner who gets a nose away from receivers on the line, willing jammer to reroute and disrupt timing of routes
— Willing tackler who wants to rip the football out when wrapping up, will throw his weight around in space
— Experience at both outside cornerback spots, used in man and zone concepts, press and bail and off
— Special teams value, used as jammer, press concepts carry over
— Has some punt return value
The Bad
— Testing suggests stiffness when asked to change direction, though doesn’t appear as tight on tape
— Struggles more defending vertical throws than three-step game
— Will miss and fall off jams too easily and punch with wrong arm
— Gets too passive when stalk blocked by receivers and has trouble discarding
— Lacked major production and high-level impact plays throughout college career while tackling numbers dropped in 2022
— Breaks up more passes than he picks off, didn’t always finish chances
— Will have to answer some off-field questions
— Dealt with minor injuries and missed some time
Bio
— Turns 23 in May
— Two-year starter for the Hurricanes
— Spent first two years at Georgia, making four starts, and transferred to Miami (FL) for 2021 season
— Career: 115 tackles (6 TFL) 21 PDs, 3 INTs, 1.5 sacks
— 2022: 25 tackles (1.5 TFL) 7 PDs, 2 INTs
— Four-star recruit from Miami, FL, chose Georgia over Alabama, Clemson, Penn State, and many other schools
— Arrested in March of 2019 while at Georgia for disorderly conduct (misdemeanor charge) reportedly stemming from bar fight
— Admitted he was immature at Georgia and says he’s grown up
— Models game after Patrick Peterson
— Played linebacker at high school
Tape Breakdown
Stevenson jumped to the top of our radar after the Steelers’ interest in him at his recent Pro Day workout coupled with his reported pre-draft visit with Pittsburgh. Stevenson has size and length and bulk and is best at covering the three and five-step game, defending underneath routes and driving on the ball in man coverage. Couple clips to show that. Length and physicality to break up passes.
When he’s free or is off blocks, he’s a good hitter who throws his weight around, calling on his linebacker days earlier in his high school career. It also shows up in his press-man ability. You won’t see a corner get more “in your face” than Stevenson and though his press coverage needs work technically, his physicality is on display. Top of the screen against A&M and bottom of the screen in the two clips versus Duke.
But Stevenson is a bit tight-hipped on tape and his agility drills were really poor. I didn’t see the extreme tightness those numbers suggest on tape but it could be an issue for him. His press technique needs work and he too quickly falls off his jams. And though he’s a physical guy, he got a little passive on stalk blocks and didn’t always fight off them with enough aggression. For being a guy who loves to tackle, having only 25 of them last year is a little curious. Stevenson has speed but it felt like when he was beat, it was vertically, too. He also struggled to finish plays that could’ve been interceptions, not just breakups. One such example against Pitt earlier this year.
Conclusion
Honestly though, I didn’t see a lot of obvious and clear flaws in his tape. I can see the Steelers’ interest. This will sound like a curse word in church around here but he’s a little Artie Burns-like. Long, good straight-line speed, a little tight, needs to work on his zone and off-man. Burns finished more plays and wasn’t as physical or tough but some of the overall profiles match.
Overall, a Cover 2 and press-man system is best for Stevenson. He has the ball skills and trust in himself to make plays on underneath throws. There’s more questions the further downfield you get but I can see the Steelers’ interest in him. My official comp for Stevenson is Tampa Bay’s Sean Murphy-Bunting.
Projection: Mid-Late Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 8.1 – Future Quality Starter (Second Round)
Game Watched: at Texas A&M (2022), vs North Carolina (2022), vs Duke (2022), Senior Bowl
