STRENGTHS
Fabian has the potential to become an excellent and complete cover corner for the team that selects him. He has the speed, size and length to compete with any size receiver in any style of defense. He is smart and works well with his teammates. He has the size to play bump and run coverage and has the football intelligence to play zone coverage also. Fabian has very good make up speed and with his length could fool a lot of quarterbacks into throwing the ball his way and recovering to knock it down or make the interception. He has good enough hands to make the interception and the speed to make yardage after. Like I said before, Fabian has the talent to become a complete defensive back and impact if he continues to improve.

CONCERNS
There is a lot of little issues that if Fabian can correct he will become a top defensive back for the team that selects him. He is late turning his hips so receivers will be able to easily get separation on quick routes. In single coverage he is on his heels at the snap of the ball and that means he is off balanced. This makes it easy for a receiver to bump him at the snap and get open on deep routes. Fabian has good football intelligence but doesn’t have the confidence in zone coverage to react quickly to what he sees in front of him and make more impact plays. And last but not least… he is a sloppy tackler and doesn’t get off blocks quick enough or react quickly to sweeps and screens to his side. With Fabians speed and explosion he should be playing quicker and faster in every aspect of his game.

BOTTOM LINE
It comes down to this, Fabian learns to tackle and react quicker and plays up to his work out numbers and he becomes one of the best cornerbacks… on par with a Darrelle Revis. He really has that type of talent. But he really doesn’t play up to that type of talent. Right now he’s an “almost” Darrelle Revis and an almost Revis is not a good enough Revis. It’s really just that simple. This kid has stardom if his future…if he wants bad enough and right now I’m not convinced through his play that he does want it bad enough. Nevertheless the draft is about potential and this kid has all the potential you could ever want in a corner back. Selecting Fabian in the second or third round seems logical and any later you might wind up having the seal of this draft out of all the corners in this draft.

Drew Boylhart  MAR.2017