The 2023 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Julius Brents 2023 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Cornerback
School: Kansas State
Size: 6-foot-3, 198 pounds
Class: Redshirt Senior
2022 Stats: 43 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 4 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
Brents spent time at Iowa and Kansas State during his college career and developed well. Now he is in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Out of high school, Brents was a three-star prospect who signed with Iowa. He made five starts as a freshman in 2018, registering one interception and three passes defended. His play helped Iowa go 9-4 and win the Outback Bowl. He was injured and redshirted for the 2019 season. Brents returned to Iowa in 2020, where he helped them get to a 6-2 record in a limited role. Following the season, Brents transferred to Kansas State. In 2021, Brents totaled 49 tackles, one interception and two passes defended. Kansas State won eight games, including the Texas Bowl that season. In 2022, Brents had 45 total tackles, four interceptions and four passes defended. His play led the Wildcats to 10 wins and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl.
Following the Sugar Bowl, Brents entered the 2023 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be selected on day two.
The first thing people will notice about Brents is his size. He stands 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, which is greater than the average for an NFL cornerback. The size will help him match up with bigger receivers on the outside. With his size comes good length as well. He has 34-inch arms, helping him combat receivers with big catch radii. His size gives him solid play strength to reroute receivers.
Brents has solid ball skills, as he anticipates well. He then can make a good jump on the ball. His size and length help him attack the catch point well. He is able to defend passes or come down with interceptions once he is in position.
His coverage is better suited for zone than man. He has solid eye balance between the quarterback and receivers, although sometimes he does lose sight of receivers. His ability to see the field and his length help him make it tough to fit balls into tight windows. A team running a lot of zone coverage will have Brents as a potential target.
As mentioned, Brents is a better fit for zone coverage. He can play man-to-man, but he has tight hips and has trouble mirroring routes of receivers. Receivers that are able to get by him are able to beat him vertically, as he has trouble transitioning and then tracking them downfield.
While he has some athletic traits, his play speed has come into question. He did run a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but that speed doesn’t show up on tape. NFL wide receivers will be able to test him and beat him vertically if he is put on an island.
For his size, Brents should complete more tackles. He could use his strength to be more aggressive in taking down ball carriers and wide receivers after the catch. While his run support is solid, it could improve with better tackling.
Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Third Round Pick
Draft Grade: Second-Round Pick
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