NFL Draft Profile: Ifeatu Melifonwu

Where could Syracuse's star cornerback be selected?

Mike McAllister | Jan 15, 2021

NFL Draft Profile: Ifeatu Melifonwu /

We spoke with NFL Draft Bible's Ric Serritella to get an in depth look at Syracuse defensive back Trill Williams and his draft prospects.

THE BACKGROUND: Here's a guy who really projects as a starter at the next level, especially in a heavy press man scheme. Academic standout in the classroom, so you know he's a smart, heady kind of guy. Missed four games as a freshman due to injury. Had an ankle and hamstring in 2019. They're going to want to poke and prod and make sure that he checks out OK medically. He's got strong character. Comes from a good family. Five siblings, and obviously we all know his brother, so he's got good bloodlines there."

STRENGTHS: "When you take a look at size, length, speed. Not quite as tall as his brother (Obi Melifonwu), but still very tall. However, the difference here is Iffy has a chance to stay at corner due to his athleticism. Due to his speed. Due to really impressive mirror skills. This is one of the better mirror coverage kind of corners. He's phenomenal in man coverage. We talk about the size, how do we know he can survive at the next level? He can flip his hips. When you've got that quick flip hips at that size, well then you can keep up with receivers at the next level."

AREA TO IMPROVE: "Where he needs to get better, inconsistent eye discipline. He can get caught peaking behind the line of scrimmage. He can zone in on that quarterback where he's looking in at the quarterback and loses track of his opponent. That's one area where he's going to have to be careful at the next level."

DRAFT PROJECTION: "Coming into the year we thought Cisco might be that first round guy. Melifonwu might end up being that guy. I think he'd be the favorite here. I think he's a dark horse for round one. I think he lands early in round two. We've got some guys on our staff here who are pushing for him to go in that first round. I think at the end of the day, this might be the highest drafted player for Cuse this year. I think at the very least, early day two somewhere in round two he comes off the board."

Published Jan 15, 2021

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.