DJ Daniel 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6′-1″
Weight: 185lb
School: Georgia
DJ Daniel 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Overview
There are three cornerbacks coming out of the University of Georgia in the 2021 NFL Draft: Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, and DJ Daniel. Due to the fact, an ankle injury kept Daniel off the field in 2020, his draft stock took a hit and many project him as a late-round draft pick. However, his athleticism should not be overlooked.
DJ Daniel grew up in Griffin, Georgia, and played under Nick Davis at Spalding High School. Daniel wanted to joinUGA right out of high school, but he was not academically fit for the program. Because of this, he spent his first two collegiate years at Georgia Military College. Afterward, Daniel surprisingly chose South Carolina but switched his option to Georgia three months later. He declared for the NFL Draft in January and can definitely say Georgia was the right choice.
After spending his last two collegiate years at Georgia, DJ Daniel is ready to up his game at the next level. The senior Bulldog did not get a huge amount of playing time in his senior season, however. Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes took the main snaps as the boundary cornerbacks for Georgia, while Daniel played mainly as a reserve defensive back. Besides sitting as a reserve, an ankle injury sidelined Daniel for a few games in 2020.
Despite sitting behind both Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes in 2020, Daniel got some major playing time for Georgia in 2019. Campbell went down with a foot injury and he stepped in. Even after Campbell recovered, Daniel kept his starting spot for the rest of the season. He made a game-clinching pass deflection against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish early in that season.
DJ Daniel finished up his college career (two seasons) with 51 tackles, three tackles for a loss, nine pass deflections in 17 games for the Bulldogs.
Strengths
- Strong, reliable tackler;
- Makes flashy plays in the run game;
- Good size for an NFL cornerback;
- A core special teams player;
- Good footwork, not flat-footed;
- Has the ability to limit yards after the catch.
Weaknesses
- Slow transition off of the line of scrimmage;
- Cannot locate the ball, does not turn around;
- Grabs when he is beat in coverage;
- Not a physical baller in coverage;
- Not fast moving in reverse.
Projection: 5th-6th round
Player Comparison: Iman Marshall
Teams With Need At Position: New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Tennesee Titans
Bottom Line On DJ Daniel
DJ Daniel is an underrated defender when it comes to this defensive back draft class of 2021. His athleticism, size, and tackling ability are sure keys to being an NFL-caliber cornerback. His flashes in the run game make his case better than others waiting to be drafted. Taking the good qualities from two of the top cornerbacks in this class will only heighten his potential.
Unfortunately, he takes some bad qualities from his teammate Tyson Campbell. His lack of physicality and ball skills in coverage end up making his job more difficult during game action. His grabbiness in coverage is also an issue, but coaching can fix the issue.
Daniel showed good results at this year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl. Along with some of his Bulldog teammates, Daniel won an award as the top cornerback on the American team.
With his special teams skills along with being athletic, Daniel’s ceiling is a solid depth cornerback in the NFL. Most scouts see him as a fit in a zone-schemed defense. If NFL coaches can help alter his ball skills and lower his grabbing tendency, Daniel’s ceiling will only rise. At that point in the game, many will see him as a late-round steal from this year’s draft class.
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