NFL Draft 2019 Scouting Report: CB Kendall Sheffield, Ohio State

*CB grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, Wonderlic test results leaked, etc. We will update info as it becomes available. 

In a class of several interesting, ‘good’…possibly ‘great’ cornerback prospects, for me, Kendall Sheffield is among my handful of contenders to be called ‘the best in class’ among the CB prospect group.

Why?

I wish I could dazzle you with metrics and statistics to make my case, but I really cannot. Sheffield doesn’t have stats/numbers that jump off the screen, and he couldn’t do anything at the NFL Combine because of a pectoral injury. I’m sure his Pro Football Focus/PFF grades are weak (I don’t know, because I don’t subscribe to them…literally and figuratively). With all that…why am I backing Sheffield? How am I backing him?

I think there is some evidence/data to look at here, but it’s kinda hidden and you have to dig to piece it together…and there are some leaps of faith to it, but aren’t there always in this business?

For me, his tape is the catalyst for everything. When I watched some preview tape of his work pre-Combine, I thought he was the best ‘coverer’ among the cornerback prospects I had previewed. The single best shadower/stick with his man smoothly player I saw on tape among the CB prospects going to the Combine. Prepping for this deeper study, watching more tape, I am still siding with the case that Sheffield is, arguably, the best pure cover man in this draft.

Sheffield is the most effortless movement cover corner in the draft. Two CB prospects I’m reminded of watching him – fellow Ohio State-ians…Denzel Ward and Marcus Lattimore. When you’re just great at your craft it shows quickly. Sheffield’s foot movements and adjustments are so natural, so graceful…it just stands out to someone who watches a lot of DB tape.

Eyes can be deceiving, so I was interested in his speed-agility times from the Combine…but he didn’t participate. Because of that, he started to lose national momentum as a CB prospect – which shows you how stupid this whole draft ranking process is from our illustrious media/analysts. We’re going to downgrade him because he didn’t dance for us at the Combine…totally logical. Making things worse, when he ran a sensational 6.69 three-cone and 4.06 shuttle with a sweet 39.0” vertical at his Pro Day…the analysts yawned. To me, I was thrilled with the news – it proved a lot of what I saw on tape…the feet.

Sheffield didn’t run the 40-time at his Pro Day, but I’m going to guess he’s pretty fast there too as he was a high school track star and filled in some on the track team at Ohio State. It’s possible Sheffield is the fastest/best athlete at cornerback in this draft…he just didn’t run the 40-yard dash to lock it in with the analytics people.

Consider Sheffield’s evidence for top corner in this class…

1) Was a five-star recruit out of high school.

2) He committed to Alabama and played/redshirted there for a year. Then went JUCO for a year to stay in shape in order to then move to Ohio State the following year.

3) Two years at Ohio State as a starting corner, a talented corner.

4) Might be the quickest/fastest measured athlete among the CB prospects.

He doesn’t come to the party empty handed.

Earlier, I said Sheffield’s PFF grades might be weak. One thing I noticed in his tape, he was a shutdown corner on most WRs, but he did allow a few big plays here and there – but not so much getting burned by speed or moves or routes, etc., but by players making some of the most stunning catches on him you could make. Watching Sheffield on tape is mostly dull…him doing good-great work and QBs not testing him much. But then some QBs would heave passes toward him to their favorite WR, and sometimes that WR would make like a one-handed leaping catch and come down just inside the sideline – it happened to him like 4-5 times over his two seasons (and I only watched him against better teams/QBs).

Go watch him vs. Indiana 2017, versus fringe NFL (big) WR Simmie Cobbs…Cobbs had a great day despite Sheffield all over him -- but Cobbs pulling things out of his arse…which hurts Sheffield ‘cover metrics’, I’m sure, by giving up these ‘big plays’ without context. In reality – Sheffield is all over his receiver, and they had to make surreal plays to even make a play.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a 2+ minute video of what I’m talking about, 4 catches shown, but only consider the two where ‘#8’ (Sheffield) is covering. Link: https://youtu.be/8qP2hS1vCE4

I think Sheffield is one of the best athletes and prospects in this draft, and no one is really on-board with that…which is great news for us, because that means a bargain is coming.

Kendall Sheffield, Through the Lens of Our CB Scouting Algorithm:

No statistical trend really jumps out from Sheffield’s college history. The one thing I recall was when USC/2017 tried to go after him in their bowl game with the illustrious (overrated) Sam Darnold – Sheffield defended 4 passes that game, and Darnold’s numbers/performance was a joke against the OSU secondary (45 passes, 57% comp. pct., 0 TD/1 INT, and 7 points scored…this was THEIR/the establishment’s top QB prospect last year).

Sheffield’s 6.69 three-cone time would have been the 2nd-best at the NFL Combine. If you add some extra time to that for ‘Pro Day’/hand times, it still would have been top three I suspect. Same for his 4.06 shuttle.

Pro Day Measurables…

5’11.3”/193, 9.25” hands, 31.5” arms

4.06 shuttle, 6.69 three-cone

39.0” vertical, 10’9” broad jump

The Historical CB Prospects to Whom Kendall Sheffield Most Compares Within Our System:

Desmond Trufant is a great comp – athletic, great technique, not much for tackling…but somewhat because no one likes to throw at him. He doesn’t have as much opportunity to tackle. 

*The ratings are based on a 1–10 rating scale, but a prospect can score over 10.0+ and less than 0.0

OVERALL RATING -- We merge the data from physical measurables, skill times/counts from the NFL Combine/Pro Days, with college performance data available on pass coverage/tackles, etc. and grade it compared to our database history of all college CBs, with a focus on which CBs went on to be good-great-elite in the NFL. We found characteristics/data points that the successful NFL CBs had in common in college, that most other CB prospects could not match/achieve.

Scoring with a rating over a 7.00+ in our system is where we start to take a CB prospect more seriously. Most of the future NFL successful college CBs scored 8.00+, and most of the NFL superior CBs pushed scores more in the 9.00+ levels...and future NFL busts will sneak in there from time to time. 10.00+ is where most of the elite NFL CBs tend to score in our system analysis.

COVERAGE -- A combination of on-field data/performance and physical profile data

SPEED -- Measurables from a perspective of straight-line speed, burst, etc.

AGILITY -- Measurables for lateral movements, quick cuts, body type, speed, etc. 

POWER -- A look at physical size, tackling productivity in college, other physical measurables. One of the side benefits/intentions here, is to see which CBs may be more of a model for a conversion to playing safety successfully in the NFL. Also denotes CBs who are more physical/will have higher tackle totals...over pure speed/coverage CBs.

2019 NFL Draft Outlook:

I see Sheffield projected 2nd or 3rd-round, and never 1st-round. I’d bet more 2nd-round…possibly early 2nd-round. He’s too good to be ignored by the NFL…he did go to both Ohio State and Alabama – for NFL people, you can’t get any more credibility than that! I’m surprised the media has abandoned him.

If I were an NFL GM, he’d be a guy I’d target if I needed a corner – a top 15 talent going in the 2nd-round.

NFL Outlook:   

It won’t be long before Sheffield is starting, no matter where he winds up. He should be a solid+ starter, possible Pro Bowl player…and a rich man upon his 2nd contract. 

4/16/2019