Finding Broncos: Two Nickel Cornerbacks Worth Developing
The Denver Broncos have a dilemma on their hands when it comes to their slot cornerback position. Incumbent starter K’Wuan Williams has had some major injury concerns and is in the last year of his deal, and backup Essang Bassey has struggled on the field defensively, especially against speedier receivers. Adding another versatile player that can find a home in the slot is a sneaky need for the roster for 2023 and going into the future.
Tre’Vious Hodges Tomlinson | CB | TCU
Pros:
- Incredibly athletic player with smooth transitions in the lower half.
- He has a ton of speed to match downfield against deep threats.
- Twitchy and explosive lower half capable of free movement in open space.
- Incredibly competitive at the catch point with immense amounts of ball production.
- Solid footwork in the backpedal and when running laterally down the field.
- Finds the ball easily and has active hands.
- More than willing to stick his nose in as a run defender.
- Attacks ball carriers in the lower half and trips them up easily.
- The closing speed is incredible.
- Position versatility is a plus, though he will likely be a slot-only player at the next level.
- High-quality man coverage cornerback.
Cons:
- Incredibly small player.
- Play strength is exactly what you would expect from a player this size.
- Can get overly aggressive at times and bite on double moves.
- Over pursues in the running game frequently, taking him out of the play.
- Eyes can be deceptive at times, allowing explosive plays.
- Pad-level inconsistency in the back pedal causes him to open up too easily.
- Needs to figure out hand technique to escape blockers on the boundary.
- Instincts in the open field appear to be lacking.
- Crosses zone boundaries too frequently, trying to make a play on the ball.
Overview:
Tre’Vious Hodges-Tomlinson is an incredibly athletic player that has massive size concerns at the next level. Though he plays above his weight class, Hodges-Tomlinson is an outlier for the NFL with a 5-foot-8-inch, 178-pound frame with short arms. Despite that, there is a lot to like about the TCU product. He is super fluid with his hips and incredibly explosive, showing high-quality man coverage mirror technique. He has a ton of ball production over the course of his career, with 41 total pass breakups over his four-year career.
Hodges-Tomlinson has experience on the boundary, in the slot, and as a safety in his time at TCU, but his best projection to the NFL level will be as a slot defender in a man coverage scheme. He can appear lost in zone coverage at times as he doesn’t recognize route combinations very well, but he makes up for it with his knack for finding the football. As a run defender, he does well slashing through gaps to attack ball carriers, but his lack of play strength and technical refinement to escape blockers will likely lead him to be a third-down specialist at the next level.
Fit with the Broncos:
Size concerns are very real with Tre’Vious Hodges Tomlinson, but the Broncos need to find high-quality players to fill out their roster. The tape he was able to produce warrants a Day 2 selection and shows a highly productive and aggressive player in man coverage, making him a decent fit for what Vance Joseph wants to do with his defense. Hodges-Tomlinson has the mental makeup and coverage ability to line up outside if needed, but his lack of play strength and smaller stature is likely going to lead to a draft day slide. Should he be available in the later rounds, the Broncos would be wise to add him to the roster to help fill out their depth.
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Kei’Trel Clark | CB | Louisville
Pros:
- A fiery competitor that constantly gets in the face of his opponent after the play.
- Not scared to play above his weight class in run support and as a tackler in space.
- Really physical at the point of attack.
- Brings nice blitzing ability from the slot.
- Can play outside on the boundary or in the slot with good success.
- Has an explosive first step when triggering downhill both in coverage and in run support.
- Mirror ability in man coverage is a plus.
- Opens his hips to turn and run with good fluidity helping him to run laterally in cover 3 with ease.
- Lateral agility is a big plus.
- Is patient in the backpedal and keeps cushion moving backward with quick feet.
Cons:
- Smaller stature for the position with shorter arms.
- His tackling technique is hit-and-miss.
- Hip fluidity is lacking overall, with struggles with his change of direction ability.
- Upper body control is all over the place.
- Lacks strength in the upper body to fight through contact against blockers.
- Ball skills are inconsistent. However, he does have solid ball production.
- Played mostly in off-coverage, so the press technique is a projection moving forward.
- Long speed is lacking.
- Suffered a torn ACL in 2021.
- Instincts in the slot are still being developed.
Overview:
Kei’Trel Clark is a smaller cornerback that brings outstanding competitiveness and physicality for a player of his size. He isn’t scared to mix it up and throw his body around, but there are some consistency issues with his technique that can get him into trouble as a tackler. While his most consistent tape lies back in 2021 when he played on the boundary, his best projection due to size and speed concerns is most likely as a developmental slot cornerback.
Clark does a nice job staying in phase when he recognizes the route, mirroring well when moving downfield. He can get overly grabby at times and draw flags when receivers start to separate, so playing with better instincts and technique moving forward is needed.
Fit with the Broncos:
With the Broncos needing to add talent to the room at cornerback, Clark makes sense from a developmental standpoint as a player that can play inside. While there are some issues with change of direction ability, Clark makes up for it with twitchy and explosive feet that trigger quickly in recovery. There is a possibility that he takes a year to develop some more mass before seeing the field frequently while also working on technique, but the tools to succeed at the next level are worth taking a chance on somewhere on Day 3.
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