PFF scouting report: Tavon Young, CB, Temple

Below is the PFF draft profile for Temple's Tavon Young, which incorporates PFF’s college grades and scouting intel from our team of analysts. To see all of PFF’s 2016 scouting reports, click here.

Position fit:

Slot corner

Stats to know:

Allowed a passer rating of just 46.9 to opposing quarterbacks when targeted in 2014, but 80.8 in 2015

What he does best:

• He has good instincts, and will drive on the ball and into the catch point to try and cause incompletions. Had nine PDs and four interceptions in 2014
• Plays the run well. For a player of smaller stature, it isn’t a problem when it comes to getting physical and making tackles in the run game. Has missed only seven tackles over two seasons
• Generally far more physical than his size would suggest. Isn’t concerned with the size of the player he is dealing with and will make his presence felt
• Has the ability to match up with speed. Held Notre Dame’s Will Fuller to three catches for only 27 yards on six targets, and he broke up two of the incompletions.

Biggest concern:
• Young looked small on tape and measured smaller than his listed 5-foot-10 at the combine. At 183-pounds he doesn’t have any bulk to offset that lack of height, and falls well below the threshold many NFL teams have
• For a player as quick as he is, he can be clumsy in his footwork and does not look very fluid or quick to change direction at times
• Saw a big drop in performance from 2014 to 2015, seeing his PFF coverage grade and coverage numbers drop
• Will likely be limited to purely a sub-package cornerback at the next level, or a zone scheme on the outside

Player comparison:

Captain Munnerlyn, Minnesota Vikings. Munnerlyn is a player that can survive on the outside but is at his best as an undersized player on the inside covering the slot in sub packages. Young has shown the ability to play outside, but he will have to prove that at the NFL level.

Bottom line:

Small cornerbacks are not high on the NFL’s wish list at the moment, and in order to buck those measurables he needs to have stellar tape. His 2014 was impressive, but 2015 was a big drop in performance and he wasn’t nearly as good. He will likely have to prove himself as a sub package corner at the next level before he ever gets a chance to play on the outside. If he can prove he has the upside of the player we saw in 2014, it’s not inconceivable he can perform well there.