Monday, May 3, 2021

CB Ifeatu Melifonwu Rankings

Overall (Average Ranking - 68.21):

CBS Chris Trapasso (31. Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse (CB5):  At the bottom of my first round is another corner, Melifonwu from Syracuse, who was built in a football lab at 6-foot-2 1/2 inches with over 32-inch arms and a 41-inch vertical. But what really made him feel like a top prospect to me is how well he changes directions at his size. He's not just a linear athlete. And he tracks the football outstandingly.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2021-nfl-draft-big-board-georgias-azeez-ojulari-as-edge1-asante-samuel-jr-in-top-20-plenty-of-receivers/


CBS (44. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu - Draft Scouting Report:  Rating: 85.43. Best Trait: Staying in-phase.  Strengths: Length, Excels vs. deep balls.  Weaknesses: Press-man coverage, Stiff getting out of breaks):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospect-rankings/



ESPN Jeff Legwold (53. Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse, 6-2½, 205 (4.50) (Drafted No. 101 by the Detroit Lions):  Some see Melifonwu as a safety/cornerback hybrid. Defensive backs with his kind of long frame, speed and man coverage abilities aren't going to wait long to hear their names called. He had a combined 20 passes defensed in the past two seasons and had 42 solo tackles in 2020.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2021/story/_/id/31263894/2021-nfl-draft-jeff-legwold-ranks-top-100-prospects

Tankathon (57. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu):  http://www.tankathon.com/nfl/big_board

ESPN BPA (59. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable



Sporting News (64. Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse (6-2, 212 pounds):  Melifonwu is a big, lanky corner whose range, athleticism and coverage assets are best used in zone concepts.):  https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-draft-prospects-2021-player-ranking-big-board/1k5tiozjs62rl1k1weni83rroi

Draftwire Top 300 (69. Ifeatu Melifonwu | CB | Syracuse):  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/lists/2021-nfl-draft-rankings-big-board-top-300-prospects/

PFF Big Board (70. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu:  Melifonwu has rare physical tools for the position at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with a 41.5-inch vertical and 11-2 broad jump. In two years as a starter, however, Melifonwu has earned coverage grades of just 79.3 and 74.1, as he’s not quite as physical as his athletic testing might suggest.):  https://www.pff.com/draft/big-board?season=2021




Athlonsports (96. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu):  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/2021-nfl-draft-top-100-prospects



Positional (Average Ranking - 9.21):

Top 9 cornerbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft (5. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse:  The younger brother of former UConn star and Raiders safety, Obi, Ifeatu Melifonwu has freakish physical ability standing at nearly 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds. However, he does not play to his size and or in an aggressive manner. Still, his size and length allow him to smother receivers in man coverage and at the catch point. Melifonwu’s tools are enticing, but he is a raw prospect, landing at No. 5 in our cornerback rankings.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/top-9-cornerbacks-2021-nfl-draft/



ESPN CB (8. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable

Tankathon CB (8. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu):  http://www.tankathon.com/nfl/big_board

Touchdown Wire DT (8. Ifetau Melifonwu, Syracuse (Height: 6’2″ (96th percentile).  Weight: 205 (91st).  40-Yard Dash: 4.48 seconds (49th).  Bench Press: 16 reps (70th).  Vertical Jump: 42 inches (97th).  Broad Jump: 134 inches (98th).  3-Cone Drill: 7.01 seconds (34th).  20-Yard Shuttle: 4.34 seconds (20th)) - Bio: Yet another cornerback prospect with a family connection to the NFL. Ifeatu Melifonwu’s older brother Obi was a second-round pick by the then-Oakland Raiders following a standout career at the University of Connecticut and an impressive pre-draft process. Ifeatu was a running back, receiver and defensive back for Grafton High School in Massachusetts and the three-star recruit considered offers from schools like Navy, Maine, Michigan and the University of New Hampshire before picking Syracuse. He redshirted his freshman year but started to see more playing time over the past few seasons, including in 2020 when he was named a Third-Team All-ACC player at corner.  Stat to Know: Having mentioned passer rating allowed a lot during this list, after allowing a rating of 73.7 over 209 snaps in 2018 and 67.0 over 523 snaps in 2019, Melifonwu allowed a passer rating of 94.9 over 910 snaps in 2020.  Strengths: Melifonwu is a long, explosive cornerback with the frame and size to be a dominant player on the outside. He is sticky in man coverage, particularly against vertical routes, but he moves well when receivers break off yet maintain depth, such as on dig routes, post routes or corner routes. He can flip his hips well in those moments and stay in phase on the receiver. He shows good feel and awareness in both man and zone coverage, and when tasked with crossing the field he is adept at not getting picked off by traffic and staying on his man. His length puts him in position to get to passes and disrupt at the catch point. He is physical when he wants to be, although that will merit more discussion in a moment. Melifonwu is at his best working against vertical routes.  Weaknesses: Physicality is a bit of a question mark. You can find examples of him being a bit of a bully, as he was against Clemson against some of their screen designs, or against Notre Dame coming downfield against the run or trying to force plays back towards help. Or after the catch, as he was on a completion against UNC where he put a strong hit on the receiver after a catch in the flat. But at other moments he is a bit more tentative, particularly when in press alignment or working underneath. Dyami Brown was able to out-muscle him on a few cuts.  In terms of changing direction, Melifonwu often needs an additional gather-step or two when the route works back downhill towards the line of scrimmage, such as comebacks, hitches or curls. Routes that maintain or gain depth such as posts, corners or digs he can handle with ease, but the more sudden change-of-direction routes give him more difficulty.  Conclusion: I have often thought that it is easier to teach a player to dial things back than it is to get more aggressive, and if that is indeed the case with Melifonwu, there could be some concern about his transition to the NFL. Still, his size, frame and ability to move is going to be attractive to teams.  Comparison: Melifonwu reminds me of Stanley Jean-Baptiste, another long corner with athleticism coming out of Nebraska. He was drafted in the second round by the New Orleans Saints and never quite managed to stick in the NFL. Hopefully Melifonwu enjoys a much better career.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2021-nfl-draft-cornerbacks-patrick-surtain-jaycee-horn/



USA Today DT (9. Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse  - Pros: Shows good body control and balance when tracking and attacking the ball. Plays with a nasty and confident demeanor on the field. Physical tackler who can play safety roles when needed. Has controlled but useful swagger.  Cons: Doesn’t always properly use his hands and reach effectively in press coverage. Needs to stay in phase longer and trust his makeup speed.):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2021/04/27/2021-nfl-draft-cb-rankings-top-cornerback-prospects/7391870002/

PFF DT (9. IFEATU MELIFONWU, SYRACUSE
PFF BIG BOARD RANK: 70.  Melifonwu has rare physical tools for the position at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with a 41.5-inch vertical and 11-2 broad jump. In two years as a starter, however, Melifonwu has earned coverage grades of just 79.3 and 74.1, as he’s not quite as physical as his athletic testing might suggest.):  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-draft-cornerback-rankings

Athlonsports DT (11. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu):  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/2021-nfl-draft-defensive-tackle-rankings

NBC Sports Edge Final Position Rankings (12. CB Ifeatu Melifonwu):  https://www.nbcsports.com/edge/article/rankings/thors-2021-nfl-draft-position-rankings

Walter football DT (13. Syracuse image Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB/S, Syracuse (Height: 6-3.  Weight: 213.  Projected 40 Time: 4.55.  Projected Round (2021): 3-4.):  4/24/21: If Melifonwu's name probably sounds familiar, it is because his older brother Obi Melifonwu was a second-round pick of the Raiders in the 2017 NFL Draft. Ifeatu Melifonwu had a solid 2020 season, recording 55 tackles with one sack, one interception and eight passes defended. It was a big jump from his previous seasons of play, but his 2020 season was good enough to earn him a Senior Bowl invitation.  Like his brother, Melinfonwu has a good skill set but is not a natural player. Obi Melifonwu was a bust in the NFL in part because of bad influences, so it will be interesting to see if his younger brother can avoid those mistakes.):  https://walterfootball.com/draft2021CB.php




Posted by LionsFan at 7:27 AM

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