Asante Samuel Jr.
CB
Florida State
Strengths
5'10"
Height
Weight
180
Vertical | Hand | Arm | Wingspan |
|---|---|---|---|
35" | 8 7/8" | 30 1/8" | 72 1/4" |
Bench | Vertical | Broad Jump | 3-Cone |
|---|---|---|---|
12 | 35" | 10' 4" | 6.98 |
40-Time | 10-Time-1 | 20-Time-2 | 20-Shuttle |
|---|---|---|---|
4.41 | 4.09 |
Final Grade
7.08
Injury History
Games Evaluated
vs Louisville (2020), vs Pittsburgh (2020), vs Miami (2020), vs Wake Forest (2019)
Team Fit
BUF
JAX
DAL
Samuel Jr. is an elite athlete. He is super fast and has a unique ability to close the gap between him and a receiver extremely quickly. Samuel Jr. is a stout and solid man coverage defender. He possesses elite hip fluidity and foot quickness to stick the receivers hip at all time. He also is great in press coverage. He does not allow receivers to create any separation off the line of scrimmage. He does a great job of being physical at the catch pont and playing through the ball. He plays with confidence and aggression, which paired with his physical tools allows for him to line up outside or in the slot.
Weaknessess
Samuel Jr. lacks ideal size and physicality for an outside corner in the NFL. He struggles to cover larger receivers at times. He struggles to get off blocks and is a liability in run support. He is not an aggressive tackler and often whifs when trying to bring down a defender. He often gets lost in zone coverage and does not put his eyes on the quarterback to get intel on where the ball is going. His aggressive play at the catch point and when the ball is in the air has caused many unnecessary penalties.
Big Picture
Samuel Jr. has NFL Bloodlines and has the elite physical tools to be a solid corner at the next level. He is a stud in man and press coverage. He possesses elite hip fluidity and foot quickness to close gaps and not allow much, if any separation. He lacks ideal size and strength to play on the perimeter. He has trouble getting off blocks and securing tackles. He has to get stronger and be more of an asset in the run game to be an effective outside corner. Although he lacks size, he makes up for it with his aggression. He is aggressive at the catch point and plays through the ball. He will have to improve in zone coverage at the next level. However, he has all the physical tools and confidence to be an effective CB2. Look for Samuel Jr. to hear his name get called late on day 1.
Player Comp
Denzel Ward, Jaire Alexander
Athleticism:
7.45
7.25
Samuel Jr. is an elite athlete. His foot quickness paired with his lateral agility allows for him to stick to any receivers' hips. He is extremely quick and can stay with anybody on the field. He plays very strong for his size. His balance is decent, but at times loses balance in and out of his cuts.
Foot Quickness | Lateral Agility | Speed | Play Strength | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
7.75 | 7.5 | 8 | 7.25 | 6.75 |
7.46
Coverage Ability:
7.25
7.25
Big Play Ability
Press Coverage | Man Coverage | Zone Coverage | Hand Fighting | Recovery | Hip Fluidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | 8.5 | 6.75 | 6.25 | 7.5 | 7.75 |
Samuel Jr. is a stout man coverage defender. He has smooth and fluent hips. He allows little separation between him and the defender in press and man coverage. He struggles in space, specifically in zone coverage and lacks the discipline to check the quarterback's eyes for intel. His speed and agility allows him to have a good recovery. His hand fighting is good at the catch point, but has a tendency to grab jersey. This causes unnecessary penalties.
Playmaking:
6.92
Closing Quickness | Ball Skills | High-Point Ability |
|---|---|---|
7.5 | 6.75 | 6.5 |
Samuel Jr. has unique closing quickness. He can close the gap on a receiver in a blink of an eye. He has decent ball skills. Excels at playing through the ball. He does a good job high pointing the football for his frame.
7.25
Run Support:
6.25
7.25
Samuel Jr. is a liability in run support. He takes lazy pursuit angles and appears to be uninterested in getting involved. He tries to avoid blocks and struggles getting off them. He too often whiffs or arm tackles when trying to bring down the ball carrier.
Pursuit Angles | Engage with Blockers | Tackling |
|---|---|---|
6.5 | 6.25 | 6 |
Competitiveness:
7.25
Samuel Jr. plays with swagger. He is ultra aggressive in coverage. He has good motor, just need to see that motor in run support.
Aggression | Confidence | Consistency/Motor |
|---|---|---|
7 | 7.75 | 7 |
Intelligence:
7.75
7.25
Samuel Jr. does a great job recognizing plays before they happen. He often is jumping routes and blowing up screen passes. His elite physical tools, allow for him to play either in the slot or outside. Samuel Jr. flashed good communication at Florida State.
Play Recognition | Position Versatility | Communication |
|---|---|---|
7.75 | 7.75 | 7.75 |