Via Last Word On Pro Football, by Parker Hurley
Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 204 pounds
School: West Virginia Mountaineers
Rasul Douglas 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Rasul Douglas did not take the typical path to the draft as others did. Coming out of high school, he was not recruited to any division one schools and ended up in Community College in New York. Douglas continued to play, though, and after two seasons at Nassau Community College, he began to see his NCAA recognition. He got offers from a plethora of schools but chose to transfer to the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Douglas’ junior year saw a lot of transition in the game. Douglas hardly played, appearing in just five games. However, in 2016, with his teammate Darryl Worley gone to the NFL, Douglas stepped in and made a major impact for the Mountaineers defense. He put up 70 tackles, to go with three sacks, and an outstanding eight interceptions. It was enough to give him All-Big 12 status. From community college to the NFL Draft, Douglas has proven he is ready after his play at West Virginia. The question now will become how his game translates, and where he gets drafted. Here is our Rasul Douglas draft profile.
Strengths
- Elite playing height and weight.
- Great arm length.
- Has physical frame to body receivers in press.
- Does well in jumping routes and being physical in contested catches.
- Reads the quarterback well.
- Does well understanding his position in zone and can branch off and make plays.
- Ball hawking mentality
Weaknesses
- Not light on his feet.
- Doesn’t have great hips.
- Can get beat with deep speed.
- Not a quick twitch player.
- May not have the quickness to match up in man.
- Not the strongest form tackler.
NFL Comparison: David Amerson
Teams with needs at position: Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers
Projection: third round
Bottom Line:
Douglas has everything you want from a height, weight, and length point of view. He can handle big and physical receivers on the outside and has the ability to use his length to break away passes. He also comes with a physical side too, and does a strong job knocking balls out of his opponents hands or winning 50/50 balls. On paper, Douglas checks a lot of boxes.
The question with him will be his play speed and his tackling. He is quick enough to close in on the opponent and wrap him up, but he does not have the deep speed. Faster wide receivers should be able to get the better of him, especially as he doesn’t have quick hips. He is willing in the run but still does not have great form, which may have come with his lack of experience. Having him become a better tackler would be the best priority as Douglas has the size to play press in a zone or two deep looks. Overall, Douglas is an intriguing prospect with division one production and a lot of room to grow as a player. It may shoot him into round two, but his questions in speed, athleticism, and tackling will hold him back into the late second or third round in the draft.
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