NFL Scouting Report: Miami Hurricanes Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson
With the NFL draft on the horizon, the Miami Hurricanes top prospect through the pre-draft process has been cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
Coming from Homestead (Fla.) Southridge, the South Florida native was a big-time prospect out of the prep ranks. According to 247 Sports composite rankings, Stevenson was the 37th best player in the country for the class of 2019.
He played for the East team in the All-American game and signed with the University of Georgia. He redshirted at UGA his first year and had a solid season as a redshirt freshman the following year before he transferred to Miami where Stevenson’s career took off.
He was All-ACC Honorable mention as a redshirt sophomore in 2021, and was a key starter for the Hurricanes again in 2022. Stevenson had great moments for The U, which round should he be drafted in and what’s he capable of accomplishing at the NFL level?
Stevenson has a true NFL body, and good top-end speed. He has measured in at 6-foot, 198 pounds, 32 ⅜-inch arms, and 4.45 speed. He also showed his explosiveness with a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-and-5-inch broad jump.
Kristan Fulton and Tyson Campbell were 2 good, not great, CB prospects with clean man to man technique who I never felt should have fallen out of the 1st round. Both have been quality NFL starters.
— Marcus Whitman (@TFG_Football) April 6, 2023
Tyrique Stevenson gives me the exact same vibe & he's a better athlete. pic.twitter.com/sSxpwpgWmM
Those physical attributes showed on film.
Stevenson plays an aggressive and physical brand of football. He found the most success in press-man coverage where he did an excellent job of moving a receiver off of his intended route and disrupting the timing between that player and his quarterback. He also brought power with his hips when he made a tackle. Not many cornerbacks have the sheer strength that Stevenson has consistently shown. Additionally, Stevenson often displayed the ability to stay in the receivers back pocket throughout the route.
When he was beaten by a receiver, Stevenson also showed strong recovery speed. Considering Stevenson’s overall physical skills, there was no question, he possessed a great combination of height, length, weight, and speed to play cornerback at the NFL level. However, his game was far from flawless as a Hurricane.
Stevenson has sometimes been beaten due to the slowness of his hip turns and overall changes of direction, which he not only showcased on film, but at the combine. He ran the slowest 3-cone drill of any cornerback at 7.09 seconds. It was interesting to see Stevenson’s overall testing numbers because some were tremendous, but that 3-cone drill was a concern for scouts.
Stevenson has moments of poor balance where he lost ground to his opponent, whether in man or zone. As a tackler, Stevenson’s aggressiveness helped him make plays, but he also missed tackles this past year because of not properly breaking down and utilizing sound tackling fundamentals. As he adapts to NFL coverages and the teaching that’s available, Stevenson should be able to be more consistent with his tackling.
As for projecting when he will be drafted, it’s hard to pinpoint. Best guess, second, third or even the fourth round all have merit for where Stevenson will eventually be drafted. Some teams will have desired a more polished cornerback than him, while other NFL management and scouting departments will love Stevenson’s upside.
Once Stevenson becomes a NFL rookie, look for him to be a backup corner that plays a situational role, special teams included. He eventually has a chance to develop into a NFL starter. The talent has shown to be there, and if he continues to improve, Stevenson can most certainly have a successful pro football career.
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