Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 5’11
Weight: 182 pounds
School: Tennessee Volunteers
Cameron Sutton 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Tennessee’s Cam Sutton is an exquisite athlete with the physical skills to be a contributor returning kicks or defending passes. Man coverage is his forte, and he has good speed and quick feet to allow him to mirror routes and stick with receivers. One drawback is the fact that he can be slow turning around to track the ball, allowing catches to be made over him while running downfield.
Size is a slight concern not because of Sutton’s height so much as his thin frame that lacks the desired amount of muscle for the NFL. When lined up against big, physical receivers he can get tossed around and thrown off coverage. In addition to his thin frame, Sutton also has small hands and short arms, things that can hinder him in coverage at times. A big receiver with good catch radius can out duel him for the ball.
Over his career at Tennessee as a four-year starter, Sutton registered seven interceptions, none of which went for touchdowns, and 30 pass breakups, demonstrating that he has adequate ball skills. Three forced fumbles, a sack, and 17 career tackles for loss showed off his skill outside of coverage as well. Though not used often in blitzing situations, Sutton is capable of getting to quarterbacks because of his athleticism. However, the area of his stats where his numbers are the most flashy is on punt returns. He scored three times on returns and averaged a solid 14.6 yards per return over his career.
Strengths
- Extremely athletic.
- Excellent return skills.
- Great hands.
- Selfless character.
- Excels in man coverage.
- Fast.
- Instinctive.
Weaknesses
- Lacks physicality.
- Unreliable in run support.
- Slow to turn around and look for ball.
- Small hands.
- Thin frame.
- Not aggressive enough in press coverage.
NFL Comparison: Sam Shields
Teams With Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans
Projection: second to third round
Bottom Line
Cameron Sutton possesses high-level athleticism and the ability to make plays. He’s a man coverage corner with soft hands who can mirror routes and make plays on the ball, despite a skinny frame and short wingspan. He could play outside in the NFL, but he would probably be most productive as a slot corner or matched up against smaller receivers. Teams should utilize him as a punt returner as well, as he can be explosive in that area of the game. His three touchdowns were no fluke.
In the hands of the right coach, Sutton could be like clay. His play is good, but doesn’t jump out as elite. With a little more muscle on his frame, a guy with the dynamic athleticism of Cameron Sutton can become very good with just a few tweaks to his play. With some refined tackling technique, ball tracking, and physicality, Sutton will be able to carve out a role for himself.
