Over the next month, we are going to be taking a look at a handful of draft prospects leading up to the 2022 NFL draft.
With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.
Today, I take a look at Georgia cornerback Derion Kendrick.
Derion Kendrick | Georgia | #11 | Senior | Rock Hill, SC | 6’0” | 194
40-yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
*Did not participate in drills at the NFL Combine.
Career: Clemson transfer who earned All-ACC first team and All-SEC second team honors over the last two seasons. Former five-star receiver who rose as an emergency sub to a starting role in spring 2019. Recorded 104 tackles (6.0 for loss), seven interceptions, and 14 pass breakups in 49 collegiate games. Named Orange Bowl MVP after his two picks in the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan.
Red Flags: Dismissed from Clemson in February after he was arrested in his hometown on charges of unlawful possession of a gun and simple possession of marijuana. The charges were later expunged after Kendrick completed a pretrial intervention program. Also missed several games in 2020 due to disciplinary issues. Kendrick has said those punishments arose from a lack of communication about a family situation that required his presence at the hospital.
Strengths: Diverse outside cornerback capable of succeeding in multiple schemes and packages. Great peripheral vision and confidence to multitask when reading the quarterback. Smooth bail technique that he can click out without friction. Patient in coverage both on and off the line. Hard to bait and is unruffled by double-moves. Ball skills are natural and tracks throws to the endpoint. Experience on the other side of the ball allows him to frequently run routes for the receiver. Triggers on concepts and play designs before they develop. Lower body mechanics and are twitchy and responsive. Footwork flows and accelerates sharply to close short distances. Shows up in run support when the ball is headed his way.
Weaknesses: Spacing is inconsistent and gives receivers the opportunity to zone him off from the ball. Long speed maxes out early when carrying vertical targets. Gave up a handful of big plays in key postseason games when tested downfield and could lack true one-on-one dependability. Tries to grab players instead of tackling them using the full leverage of his weight and frame. Inside versatility is largely a mystery.
Final Word: A good athlete who coolly dissects plays and out-thinks the offense, Kendrick’s quick ability to process and be one step ahead is an instinct few at his position will be able to replicate. His silky footwork, ballhawk expertise, and plug-and-play nature certainly boost his appeal; his substandard history guarding high-profile wideouts in the postseason and off-field concerns do not. Kendrick offers upside as a team’s third option at cornerback whose intelligence will allow the plays to create themselves when in the league.
Fit Likelihood: Medium
Grade: 2nd
Film Highlights:
Kendrick reads the eyes of the quarterback perfectly while mirroring his opponent’s route path to the eventual interception snag.
Derion Kendrick playing the QB's eyes perfectly for his 2nd INT of the nightpic.twitter.com/dd3tbbWyTi
— PFN Draft (@PFNDraft) January 1, 2022
Great snap-and-react by Kendrick on this rep to get in position and close to the sideline.
Some truly tremendous athletes in this CB class from Andrew Booth, Derek Stingley, to Derion Kendrick. Former WR, silky smooth lower body, electric feet.
Excellent rep here to match, get his hips flipped to the boundary and close on the football. pic.twitter.com/vttzdr9zHm
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) January 6, 2022
