From now until the 2025 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, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on UCF cornerback BJ Adams.
#0 BJ Adams/CB UCF – 6016, 182 pounds (Senior)
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| BJ Adams | 6016/192 | 8 3/4 | 31 3/4 | 76 1/2 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.53 | 1.60 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’9″ | 32.5 | N/A |
The Good
– Decent athletic ability
– Great technique in cloud coverage
– Has good long arms that can jam receivers in press-man coverage
– Good press man coverage technique
– Success in press-man is incredibly encouraging
– Wins with smooth feet in press man
– Good ball skills down the field
– Good physicality down the field
– Quick break back to the ball on quick hitches
– Plays with high motor and likes to make his presence felt
– Good IQ shown passing off routes
– Flips hips quickly towards the sideline
The Bad
– Weak play strength
– Needs to jam receivers more often in order to win more consistently
– When he loses in press man it is because he does not get hands on early
– Slow half-turn run that allows receivers to gain ground on him
– Lacks the burst to plant his feet in the ground and cover out of his half-turn run
– Stiff hips give slower change of direction out of half-turn run
– Hips open slower when going towards the middle of the field
– Not a lot of splash plays in zone coverage, but does not mess up
– Handsy technique can result in holding penalties
– Needs to get depth quicker in zone coverage to wall off deep shots
– Needs to improve tackling
– No help in the run game
– Not aggressiveness flying to the ball
– Soft taking on blocks
Bio
– Started 29 games across 4 years at UCF, appearing in 48 total
– 2024 : 14 tackles, 1 TFL, 4 PBU’s, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown
– Returned a touchdown vs Iowa State, almost pulling off the top-10 upset
– 2023: 21 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 4 PBU’s
– 2022: 34 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 4 PBU’s
– Three-star prospect out of Arabia Mountain High School in Georgia
– Ranked the No. 90 safety nationally and the No. 94 prospect in Georgia
– Played cornerback, free safety, running back, and wide receiver, and quarterback
– Threw for 677 yards and 8 touchdowns and rushed for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns
– Selected for the 2025 Senior Bowl
– Held back a few games in the 2024 season with a back injury
– Changed his name from “Brandon” to “BJ” in 2024
Tape Breakdown
BJ Adams’ ability to play press-man coverage will make him money in the NFL. His long arms hit the receivers with a quick punch that can stop their release, and from there, he controls them down the field, playing with good physicality. If he is nothing else, he will be a solid press-man corner who will talk a lot of trash and make his presence known on the field. The way he uses his long arms is crucial to his success, and he will need to use them to control the receiver consistently. When he does not get hands-on, his athleticism is decent but not impressive, so receivers can beat him with a quick inside move, as his hips do not flip quickly enough to the middle of the field.
When the receiver releases to the outside, his hip movement is positive, and he can stay with them down the sideline and make a play on the ball. If the receiver runs a vertical route, he continues fighting with his hands to get position, but he will have to control his hands and where they are positioned to avoid holding calls. In this play, at the bottom of the screen, he uses his long arms to punch the receiver, flips his hips quickly, and runs with him down the sideline.
Overall, Adams’s ability as a press man corner will result in positive play on the outside.
When the ball is thrown his way, he displays good ball skills by either making an interception or deflecting the ball. Even when going against physical receivers, he consistently puts himself in positions to win. Whether it is down the field or in the intermediate area, he is trying to make plays constantly, and he will let the receiver know of it afterward. On the top of the screen, Adams defends this glance route with good technique and ball skills.
Adams is an impressive press man corner, but he has struggled in the other parts of his game. In off-man coverage, which he hardly played, he can get beat over the top or underneath by flipping his hips too early. His biggest struggle is when he is in a half-turn run, as he struggles to get out of his breaks and flip his hips to make a play on the ball. He does not gain ground quickly, and faster receivers will fly right past his face and beat him over the top.
The same struggles in off-man coverage apply when he is an outside third in cover 3, where his struggling half-turn run shows up on film. He does not have the ability to put his foot in the ground, get a good bend, and burst out of his stance to make a play on the ball, which can lead to big plays. At the top of the screen, he gets no depth with slow speed in a half-turn and is beaten for a touchdown.
In the run game, Adams is a negative player who avoids making an effort. His bad tackling technique shows up often, and sometimes, it looks like he does not want to make a tackle. When he gets blocked, he gives up quickly and accepts defeat instead of fighting with aggressive hands.
There are plays where he is close to the ball carrier but is caught up in trying to do his own thing instead of making a tackle. He does not want to make tackles, which is the opposite of the aggressiveness he displays in press man coverage. He takes bad angles towards the ball carrier that can cause big plays, and when he gets to the ball carrier, it is a low-effort tackle with lazy technique.
Conclusion
BJ Adams succeeds as a press-man corner who uses his long arms effectively to jam receivers at the line and plays with good physicality down the field. He makes plays on the ball and loudly lets the receivers know when that happens. In off-man coverage and in cover 3, he can let up big plays with his struggling half-turn run technique and average burst. In the run game, Adams is a negative player who acts like he does not want to be there. I think he can positively affect games with his press-man ability. My comp for him is Kendall Fuller.
Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.3 – Fourth Round (Rotational Player)
Games Watched: at TCU (2024), vs Colorado (2024), at Iowa State (2024)
