STRENGTHS
Devon has excellent quick twitch athletic talent. He has solid size and is a good tackler and that makes it easy to envision him as the type of defensive back who could play more than one position in a team’s defensive backfield. He has the quick flip and quick feet to change direction and the burst to make a play on the ball when others will just settle for a tackle. Devon plays bigger than his size because of his attitude to compete on every play making a play on the ball or making an impact tackle. He is very aggressive in coverage and physical against the run. When you try to run a sweep or screen to his side he is like a directional missile firing off at its target and exploding on contact. He reminds me a lot of the Buffalo Bills slot cover corner Taron Johnson.
CONCERNS
Devon has excellent cover skills but he lacks the one thing needed to be lined up on the outside in coverage and that is a second gear to stay in coverage down the field. The longer he is in coverage the more he panics committing penalties. His aggressiveness is a gift in that it helps him play bigger than his size. At the same time, it’s a curse that will lead to penalties if lined up on the outside against all types of wide receivers. In zone coverage, he wants to make the big play so badly that he loses control of his assignment. He struggles to play with patience and to understand how to work within a structured team defense.
BOTTOM LINE: 2.03
Devon’s athletic talents and overall mental makeup make’s him a perfect fit as a slot cover corner. From that position, he can be used close to the line of scrimmage blitzing, in coverage, and be used to attack the line of scrimmage against running plays. He can make impact plays from the slot but using him on the outside could be a problem and if I’m right and teams agree with me, that lack of confidence to use him on the outside will affect his draft status. Some teams don’t use a slot corner until the third down and then there are other teams that keep their slot corner on the field all the time so the value of the position is a question for some teams. Because Devon plays aggressively that masks his limitations and because he is an outstanding competitor that too masks his limitations but the truth is that Devon right now, doesn’t have the ability to be used in any style of defense. Devon has to learn to use his aggressiveness in a more intelligent way. A way that benefits his team and not just himself. When he does learn that, he will become one of the leaders of his team and an impact player. Draft status? if teams feel he is a cover corner on the outside then look for Devon to be selected very early in this draft.
