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PFF scouting report: Jalen Myrick, CB, Minnesota

SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 27: Jalen Myrick #5 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers reacts to a tackle during the second half of the Holiday Bowl against the Washington State Cougars at at Qualcomm Stadium on December 27, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Name: Jalen Myrick

School: Minnesota

Position fit: Primarily an outside corner in college, but likely projects into the slot in the NFL

Stats to know: Allowed just 45.1 percent of the passes thrown into his coverage to be caught in 2016.

What he does best:

  • Possesses exceptional raw speed. 4.28 40-yard dash time tied for the fastest by a cornerback in the past 12 years at the scouting combine.
  • Speed helped him be an elite corner covering go routes, with just one reception from the 18 times he was targeted in coverage on such routes.
  • Underrated coverage corner, with the 11th-highest PFF coverage grade among players in this draft class after the all-star games.
  • Knows how to find the ball. Nine pass breakups tied for 10th among cornerbacks in this draft class.
  • Dangerous with the ball in his hands, averaging 24.5 yards per kick return and scoring one kick return touchdown in his college career.
  • Improved against the run as his college career wore on, with six of his 13 tackles against the run resulting in a defensive stop in 2016.
  • Three straight years of strong coverage grades, improving each year along the way.

Biggest concern:

  • Tackling needs to improve. Missed 10 of the 50 solo tackles he attempted in 2016, and missed one every 5.3 attempted over the past three seasons.
  • Struggled against receivers over six feet tall, with Penn State's Chris Godwin and Purdue's DeAngelo Yancey combining to pick up 191 yards on seven receptions against him in 2016.
  • Can give up the inside too easily to receivers downfield, with 93 of his 418 yards allowed coming on post routes.
  • Can get turned around in press coverage. Used his speed to make up for early losses at times.
  • Will get grabby at the top of routes.
  • Struggled in the East-West Shrine Game, giving up receptions on two of the three plays where he was targeted, including one that went for 24 yards.
  • While he rarely gets beat deep, he still gives up big plays thanks to some poor positioning and angle taking, giving up a reception of 20 yards or more in seven of 14 games in 2016, including the Shrine Game.
  • At 5-feet-10, is he limited to life as a slot cornerback? Size can be an issue against bigger receivers.

Bottom line: In another cornerback class, Myrick's raw speed would perhaps see him drafted highly for that reason alone. However, with this being arguably the best cornerback class of the past decade, he isn't receiving quite the same hype. His size will mean that some teams see him as purely a slot cornerback, but with the speed he showed off in Indianapolis at the combine, along with some impressive coverage performances on film, someone is going to draft him and if he can continue to improve as he did in college, whoever does might just have a steal on their hands.

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