Amani Oruwariye – Penn State
Walter Football Rank: 6
CBS Rank: 8
DraftTek Rank: 3
Draft Wire Rank: 4
The Draft Network Rank: 3
Range: Second Round
Size: 6’1″, 204 lbs
Breakdown: A long corner with great ball skills, Oruwariye has the physical tools to eventually become the best corner in the class. He loves to lurk and make breaks on the football and as such is better suited to a zone scheme than man.
Pros: Long and rangy. Good in off and press man and dangerous in zone. Aggressive in coverage with great ball skills. Great burst to the football in off coverage and zone.
Cons: He can get his feet tangled in his backpedal. Long speed is not top-end. Not a forceful tackler. Can get caught jumping routes in zone coverage. Size and strength lend to press, but technique needs some work. Less polished than the other corners at the top of the class.
How he fits: Oruwariye could fit fairly seamlessly in any scheme, but his physical makeup does match what Schwartz covets in corners. The Eagles have already had him for a top-30 visit and it seems they have been doing their homework on the guy. It was a week of highs and lows, but ultimately he was the top corner at the Senior Bowl, where the Birds are always on the lookout. Right now it seems like he’ll go in the top of the second round, which would leave the Eagles on the outside looking in. Maybe they value him as a first round talent, or maybe they see him falling.
Signature play:
Julian Love – Notre Dame
Walter Football Rank: 5
CBS Rank: 6
DraftTek Rank: 7
Draft Wire Rank: 7
The Draft Network Rank: 6
Range: Second Round
Size: 5’11”, 193 lbs
Breakdown: Love is a bump-and-run guy who loves getting up in the face of his opponents. His overall athleticism and technique are average, but he overcomes this with intelligence and competitiveness level with the football in the air.
Pros: Great mirroring ability. Well-timed jams, excellent balance, and good hand placement make him tough to beat in press. Not afraid to be physical. Won’t bite on the ball and head fakes. Smooth footwork. Has great ball skills, holds the record for PBUs at Notre Dame. His success stems from his long arms and fantastic timing which should translate well to the NFL. Good blitzer. Solid, if not an overly forceful tackler. Well spoken, intelligent.
Cons: Doesn’t have great quickness. Long speed is a concern. Off man and deep thirds will not be his strong suit — more due to athleticism than intelligence. Even though press is a forte, he doesn’t have the size nor strength to simply overpower bigger receivers. Struggles to disengage from blocks and won’t make many tackles for loss on the perimeter. Can come in with his eyes down on tackles and whiff.
How he fits: Of the corners, I’ve detailed in previous articles that I think Love has one of the best fits. I say this not only for his skill set but also his value. He’s somewhat of an overlooked commodity in this year’s draft despite having the production of a top corner. This is mostly due to scheme fit. He does not have the long speed many teams require of their number one corners, but Philadelphia likes to force the ball out early. While the Eagles will need to give him help in off man and bail, his press ability fits right in with what Jim Schwartz wants to do. His tackling isn’t where Philly scouts will like it to be either, but there seems to be obvious room for improvement. I would love to be a fly on the wall during his interviews to see how his competitive edge comes off in conversation. If he can prove he has an edge and some nastiness, this pick could be a home run for the Birds with their second second-round selection.
Signature play: Struggled to find quick clips of his press coverage, but this is a great example of his footwork, fluidity and ball skills.
