Asante Samuel Jr. 2021 NFL Draft Profile

The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Asante Samuel Jr. 2021 NFL Draft Profile.

Asante Samuel Jr. Background

Position: Cornerback

Size: 5-foot-10, 184 pounds

Class: Junior

2020 stats: 30 total tackles, 3 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 2 fumbles recovered, 1 fumble forced

Samuel Jr. was a bright spot on some below par Florida State teams over the last few seasons. After three seasons in Tallahassee he has decided to follow his father’s career path and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Out of high school, Samuel Jr. was an Under-Armour All-American who decided to stay in state to play for the Seminoles. By the end of his freshman season, Samuel Jr. had cracked the starting lineup. He had 18 total tackles and nine passes defended. He took over a starting spot as a sophomore and finished the season with 49 total tackles, one interception and 14 passes defended. The Seminoles finished the season with a 6-7 record, which includes a loss in the Sun Bowl. As a junior, Samuel Jr. had 30 total tackles, three interceptions and six passes defended in eight games. Florida State had a rough season, going 3-6 on the year.

After over two years as a solid starter, Samuel Jr. decided to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a first or second round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Asante Samuel Jr.

Samuel moves with good acceleration and agility, which helps him in coverage. He has good footwork and loose hips, which helps him play with good quickness and helps him change direction as routes develop. His ability to stick with routes and to play well in short areas makes him an excellent option to play either inside or outside at the next level.

Along with his quickness, Samuel Jr. has good long speed as well. He can run with some of the fastest receivers and if he does allow someone to get by him, he demonstrates good recovery speed to catch up and make a play on the ball.

His toughness is also a great strength. He isn’t afraid to do battle with tougher and bigger receivers. Samuel Jr. is a solid tackler who will come up and help against the run. He also will make tackles quickly after someone catches the ball, which limits receivers from breaking receptions loose for big gains.

Weaknesses

Samuel Jr. is on the smaller end for corners at 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds. His 30.25 inch arms are also smaller for the position. He plays bigger than he is with his toughness, but this does come into play, as bigger receivers can get the better of him because of their big catch radiuses.

His size limits him in more ways than just making it tough to match up with bigger receivers. Samuel Jr. can play zone, but he was way more successful in man coverage. Zone teams may not elect to take him because he doesn’t have the length that they typically look for in a prospect. Samuel Jr. will need to work on reading the field better if asked to play zone in the NFL.

When he does give up ground to wide receivers, Samuel Jr. gets grabby downfield. This led to penalties at the college level, but it could get worse at the NFL level if he falls behind better and faster receivers. He needs to refrain from grabbing to try and catch up to a receiver.

Projected Draft Range: First Round Pick-Second Round Pick

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