The Carolina Panthers may not have to look too far to find a fix for their secondary.
For our next scouting report ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, we’ll be taking a look at a player—unlike Colorado’s Travis Hunter—whose position is not in question. And that’s cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., of nearby East Carolina University.
Revel is a fifth-year senior who started his collegiate career at the JUCO level in Louisburg College from 2020 to 2021. Since transferring to Greenville, he’s jumped onto the radar as a potential top-50 selection—even after sustaining a torn ACL back in September.
So, with Revel having declared for the draft last week, let’s take a dive into his All-22 film to assess what he can bring to the table . . .
Strengths
At a stringy 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds (unofficial), Revel is one of the most competitive and hyperactive cornerbacks you’ll see come out of college. He plays hard and aggressively on almost every snap and brings the effort that can shine early on in the NFL. He is also a great athlete with ample hip fluidity, short-area quickness, burst and long speed to recovery in coverage.
One of the first things you’ll see from Revel is that he invites contact, especially as a run defender. He will use his length and explosiveness to play through contact against blockers while using his size to be an effective tackle in the open field. He’s also a heavy hitter at his position when it comes to the run game as well as against the pass.
One of my favorite things about ECU CB Shavon Revel Jr. is his hyperactivity and aggression against the run.
Funny thing here is that he gets blasted by the split zone TE and still makes the TFL. pic.twitter.com/iyN57CixnV
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) November 26, 2024
As a zone defender, Revel plays with great eye discipline and spatial awareness—understanding how to control his throttle in coverage drops as either a one-third, quarters or flat defender. His route recognition flashed great improvement in his three games this season.
He is also an ample press-man cornerback due to his heavy hands, above-average length and aggression at the line of scrimmage. He plays feet-first often and showed growth in his discipline and patience as a man-defender with accurate one and two-handed jams. In off, soft, or press coverage, Revel will squeeze wide receivers to the sideline, utilizing it as an extra defender.
Revel is also competitive at the catch point. His length, aggression and ability to high-point the football make him effective in this area. His closing speed to the ball from the top of the route stems makes him a defender to throw toward at a quarterback’s risk.
Shavon Revel Jr. is a feet-first man CB who plays and flashes incredible discipline in press. Uses the sideline as an extra defender to squeeze while tracking and adjusting to the ball. pic.twitter.com/pbAofpCSy0
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) November 26, 2024
Weaknesses
While Revel is an overall quality cornerback prospect, he still has room to grow. Because of his aggressive style, he can be too physical at the line of scrimmage—especially in the contact window. He’s shown a tendency to be grabby with receivers and invite penalties such as holdings and pass interference.
Revel can be undisciplined at the line of scrimmage at times, especially when it comes to his jams. He can sometimes jam receivers too early, leading to potential losses in man coverage and forcing himself into recovery mode.
Despite his size and length, Revel has a generally thin frame and could add more to it while improving his play strength. This would allow him to be a more effective run defender than he already is.
A big concern of Revel’s heading into the draft process will be his medicals. After tearing his ACL, questions will arise about where he could be picked in this year’s draft—and this will be something that should be kept an eye on during the pre-draft process and the NFL scouting combine in late February and March.
The Verdict
Revel projects as a quality starting cornerback, when healthy, and grades out as a first-round choice on film. His skill set in zone and press-man, along with his size and athleticism, allows him to be a scheme-diverse player who can fit in any system he is asked to be in whether that be a Cover 3 base alignment, Cover 2, man-heavy or quarters.
His season-ending injury after the Appalachian State game puts a damper on his pre-draft process plans. He must improve his discipline as a man defender around the line of scrimmage. His aggression and competitiveness will be invited with his NFL team but he must learn to trust his technique.
If you’re looking for a pro comparison from a play-style perspective, his skill set is similar to that of Panthers star Jaycee Horn. If Carolina were to add a cornerback in the early rounds of the draft, Revel would be a fine selection. However, there must be an understanding he may not be ready for the start of the regular season as he rehabs from his injury.
