Mississippi State’s Jamal Peters size gives him an edge at his position, but can Washington afford to invest in a developmental project?

Jamal Peters, CB
School: Mississippi State | Conference: SEC
College Experience: Senior | Age: 22
Height / Weight: 6-2 / 218 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 6th Round - UDFA
NFL Comparison: Davon House, CB, UFA (Played for Green Bay Packers in 2018)

College Statistics

Player Overview

Arrived at Mississippi State the number one high school player in the state of Mississippi. He played as a true freshman, starting off at the safety position prior to transitioning to the cornerback position. Overall played 46 games with MSU, starting 16 of them.

Strengths

• Exceptional Length and Size combination for cornerback position.
• For receivers and quarterbacks, Peters size creates issues when contesting passes. Windows are tough.
• Can grow into very good press coverage cornerback, long arms creates great advantage for Peters.
• Physical defender - Has length, range, and strength to play in run support. Has played well in run support at MSU.
• Respectable zone coverage cornerback.

Weaknesses

• Has potential as press corner but will need tutelage to hone into specialty. Inconsistent as press corner at MSU.
• Ball skills big concern, hands are unimpressive. Size creates window problems but has not converted pass-breakup opportunities into turnover opportunities.
• Ball skills and issues in man coverage limits him to zone corner, which may benefit him as he will have eyes in the backfield and will be able to recognize route combination developments.
• Closing Speed a concern, ran 4.6 at combine.

Let’s see his work (CB #2)

How he would fit on the Redskins

Coming into the NFL, Jamal Peters would be starting as a depth player for developmental purposes. The corner has the size desired by most zone-based defenses to play primarily on the outside and cause disruption for an offense. He is physical as well, which gives him an advantage in the run game and even as a special teams contributor. For the Redskins, he will likely be on the roster as a UDFA, as the depth for the Redskins at the cornerback position, is full of competition and developmental roles already. However, Peters will have to prove he can be a spot duty player and develop into the role of a Josh Norman - a physical press-zone corner - before seeing significant time on the field. In the meantime, special teams is always a needy unit for a team, and Peters can contribute in multiple ways if his learning curve is a slow one.