Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama: 2017 NFL Draft Scouting Report

With the 2017 NFL Draft soon approaching, here is a scouting report on one of the top defensive players in this year’s draft, Marlon Humphrey.

Since 2007, University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been a constant hub for next-level draft prospects. In particular, the defensive side of the ball has seen a number of elite talent out of Tuscaloosa. Names such as linebacker C.J. Mosley, cornerback Dre Fitzpatrick, and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus are just the tip of the iceberg to come from the university.

In six of the last seven NFL Drafts, Alabama has produced at least one top-15 selection. That trend will likely continue this year.

One of those probable selections will be a corner that has carried the mantle of previous stellar Alabama cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, a former five-star corner out of Hoover, Alabama.

Take a look at the diagnosis on Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey.

Measurables

Height: 6’1

Weight: 198 lbs

Strengths: Very solid athletically, better athlete than a lot of Alabama corners in the Saban era…..198 lb frame provides solid size, Humphrey will probably fill out as a 205-210 lb corner…..Along with that size comes favorable length….27 starts in two full seasons at Alabama (redshirt sophomore)….Freshman All-American in 2015, first team All-American by Football Writers Association of America this past season…..Active in run support, able to fight off blocks and square up on tackles…..Rarely allows yards after the catch…..Has shown the ability to consistently time his break on routes ran by receivers…..Prevents separation by receivers on a reliable basis.

Weaknesses: Biggest thing with Humphrey is his occasional lapse when it comes to playing the ball in the air, must sharpen his awareness to get his head turned around….Can improve his overall tackling ability….Backpedal seems flat-footed at times….Played press-man coverage but probably not the ideal scheme for him.

Bottom line: When viewing Humphrey’s film over the past two seasons, nothing that he truly does is “eye-popping” or “spectacular”.

However, that does not mean that the redshirt sophomore is not going to be an asset for a secondary. You can’t teach his size and he is already a well-coached prospect with less than 30 starts to his name. He has shown ability in both man and zone coverage. Still, his skill set probably fits better with a team that operates out of Cover-2 and Cover-3 defenses.

While corners out of Alabama have been streaky as of late, Humphrey has plenty of potential. By improving his overall technique, Humphrey will likely carve out a nice career and play better as a pro than Fitzpatrick and Dee Milliner (former Bama CB).

Coming into the 2016 season, Humphrey had the look of a future first rounder. At the conclusion of the 2016 season, that has not changed at all. I expect Humphrey to land in the mid-to-late first round in the upcoming 2017 Draft.