Cordrea Tankersley, CB: Lockdown Potential Confirmed

Cordrea Tankersley, CB
School: Clemson | Conference: ACC
College Experience: Senior | Age: 23
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 199 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 2nd Round
NFL Comparison: Jimmy Smith

College Statistics

Player Overview

Clemson has produced several impressive prospects at the cornerback position. Bashaud Breeland in 2014/15, Mac Alexander in 2015/16, and now Cordrea Tankersley in 2016/17. Tankersley was only a 3-star prospect coming out of high school and chose Clemson over other schools of note (Miami and South Carolina). It has proven to be a wise choice made by him. Tankersley didn’t get much time on the field his first two years mainly because of the cornerbacks that came before him but he made his mark on special teams covering kicks and punts. He burst on the scene at Clemson in his junior year and beat pretty much all of his statistical marks in his senior year and has proven to be one of the best corners in the country even in this loaded draft class at the position.

Strengths

• Excellent size, length, and build for the position.
• A physical player is a pest in coverage and can run step for step with the receiver. Uses smart body checks during the developing route and uses his hands well to break up the pass at the last moments.
• Natural hands with impressive ball skills. Seems hyper aware of where the ball and receiver are at all times and can run routes for his competition. 20 pass breakups as a starter proves he understands routes and coverage responsibilities.
• Is a reliable tackler and has no issues coming up in the run game or against short passes and making a stop.
• Has a good ability to bait the QB appears to be farther away from his target than he actually is. He is a great athlete with several gears and has adequate recovery speed.

Weaknesses

• At times looks rigid and labored in his backpedal and bail coverage technique. Needs to practice to improve fluidity if possible to avoid wasted movements.
• Will get grabby if he gets beat. Needs to consistently locate the ball in the air, he struggles with this if he isn't facing the direction of the QB.

Let’s see his work:

How He Would Fit On The Redskins

Tankersley could be a good one. It's hard to say exactly how the top tier corners will stack up in this draft and where they will be taken but it's possible Tankersley could be one of the first round talents to drop all the way to the mid second round. If he’s there in the second when the Redskins pick they should consider taking him. I think he is one of the most complete corners in the draft all things considered. He’s a boundary corner all day and may not see much of the field in his rookie year outside of dime CB duties but can contribute still on special teams coverage. He has the build, aggression, and physicality to really annoy the hell out of receivers and has experience in a variety of coverages including man, cover 2, cover 3, and cover 4. What impresses me the most about him is his ability to track the ball, get himself into position and fight with the receiver until the whistle blows. There are no half-hearted efforts in his game. #youcanneverhavetoomanycorners