Trayvon Mullen 2019 NFL Draft Profile

Trayvon Mullen 2019 NFL Draft Profile

One of the many high profile Clemson defenders in the 2019 NFL Draft class, Trayvon Mullen is an intriguing cornerback prospect. A second-team All-American in high school, Mullen was rated the number 18 player overall in his class. The four-star recruit eventually selected Clemson over the likes of schools such as Louisville and TCU.

Mullen went on to play in 13 games for Clemson in 2016. He posted 15 tackles and a single pass breakup during this first season with the team. The following season, Mullen started 12 of 13 games and was named honorable mention All-ACC. This past 2018 campaign was highlighted by a 30 tackle, one interception, one forced fumble stat line that has made Mullen one of the top cornerbacks in his class.

The 2019 draft class is a bit murky at cornerback. Greedy Williams is generally considered the top player at the position, but opinions certainly vary. As such, Mullen has the potential to be one of the top 3 players drafted at the position and could hear his name called early come April.

Strengths

good size and length for the position;

powerful initial punch to disrupt route timing;

an aggressive ballplayer with the ability to knock balls out that are not firmly secured;

fluid hips and allows for quick change of direction;

good ability to wrap up as a tackler;

possesses naturally quick feet;

overall play speed is above average;

Weaknesses

eyes can get caught in the backfield;

slow to react to quick routes in off-man;

has issues with more advanced routes;

needs to get better at getting off of blocks;

first instinct on contact is generally to duck head;

a tendency to break down early both in coverage and as a tackler;

could stand to add a bit more mass to his frame;

NFL Comparison: Sidney Jones

Projection: Late first to early second round

Bottom Line

Mullen is a physically gifted cornerback prospect with a high ceiling in the NFL. He is a physical player who could thrive in a myriad of schemes. His aggression in pass breakups needs to be coupled with an improvement in interception numbers. The biggest issue with Mullen is his overall awareness on the field. He still has a lot of room for his football I.Q. to grow, and that should be the deciding factor in just how far Mullen goes in the NFL. Mullen should be able to step right in and play second fiddle to an established corner in a zone-heavy scheme. But with proper coaching, he should find his niche as a Swiss army knife on the outside.