PFF scouting report: Rasul Douglas, CB, West Virginia

Name: Rasul Douglas

School: West Virginia

Position fit: Outside cornerback

Stats to know: Had eight interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 2016.

What he does best:

• Really good hands. Led all cornerbacks in this draft class with eight interceptions in 2016.
• Solid tackler, missed just five of the 58 solo tackles he attempted in 2016.
• Breaks on the ball well in off coverage. Big part of why he has eight interceptions and 10 pass breakups.
• Good feel for cover-2. Gets good depth to discourage sideline pass and works downhill well in the flat.
• At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, he has great size for an outside cornerback in today’s NFL.
• Solid run defender when involved. Seven of his 15 solo tackles resulted in a defensive stop in run defense in 2016.
• Will be coveted by both zone-heavy and man-heavy defensive schemes.

Biggest concern:

• Scheme-wise he wasn’t asked to press very often, so is very inexperienced in that regard. Played press on 15.0 percent of his coverage snaps, below the NCAA average of 19.4 percent.
• When asked to press, often whiffed on the jam or got beaten quickly off the line of scrimmage.
• Can get too handsy with receivers downfield. Really struggled with too much contact at the Senior Bowl. Appeared to be learning just how much he can get away with at the next level.
• Gives up position inside easily. Partly scheme related but also didn’t always close well on in routes and slants.
• Timed speed of 4.59 at the combine was disappointing. Is long speed an issue?

Bottom line: West Virginia’s scheme certainly doesn’t help Douglas’ evaluation as an NFL cornerback, given how much he was in off coverage. He struggled when asked to press at the Senior Bowl, and has shown a tendency to be too grabby downfield. His best bet to play early is likely in a zone-heavy scheme, though teams who like to play press man coverage will covet his size despite the inexperience in that role. Douglas will likely have some teething issues in the NFL and he may be somewhat limited in his first year, he has the ball skills to develop into a very good player if he can fix those issues.

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