PROSPECT SUMMARY - PAULSON ADEBO

Paulson Adebo aligns at cornerback for the Cardinal defense. He plays the position with very good athleticism, as evidenced by his hips and his overall agility while in coverage. He is a loose athlete with the hip flexibility to open and run upfield. He demonstrates good agility in off coverage to close separation at the top of the route. He plays with the instincts and football IQ necessary to thrive in zone situations. He has very good ball skills to locate and track, while also demonstrating the competitiveness to close and get his hands on the football

Ideal Role: Outside-only cornerback with the potential to be an NFL starter.

Scheme Fit: He has the schematic versatility and skill set to play in any NFL scheme.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Drae Harris

Games watched: Arizona (2019), Oregon (2019)

Man Coverage: He demonstrates excellent ability in man coverage. He is very instinctive in coverage and knows when to open up his hips. He demonstrates good long speed and quickness to close separation.

Zone Coverage: He demonstrates an excellent understanding of zone coverage. He will aggressively come up as a tackler when he is the force player. He also does a very good job passing off routes with an understanding of where his help lies in coverage.

Ball Skills: He plays with excellent ball skills. He is typically close in man coverage situations and demonstrates the competitiveness to close separation. He has good hand-eye coordination and it allows him to get his hands on the football. He has very good hands and takes advantage of mistakes by the opposing quarterback.

Tackling: His tackling overall is good. He is willing to come up hard on running backs. His efficiency overall has been inconsistent, as he will miss some tackles on running backs. However, he’s better as a tackler on the perimeter against wide receivers.

Versatility: He is a versatile player. He aligns predominantly outside and although he's not ideally suited to play in the slot, he demonstrates the instincts and agility to align inside. He has very good core special teams ability as well.

Competitive Toughness: He plays with average competitive toughness. He demonstrates his competitive toughness when he closes and arrives at the catch point. He is “ball hungry” and works hard to close separation at the top of the route. However, he is not a physically tough player, as evidenced in his ability against the run.

Functional Athleticism: He plays with excellent functional athleticism, as evidenced by his hips in coverage and his agility overall. He also demonstrates outstanding body control and agility in off coverage.

Football IQ: He plays the game with excellent football IQ. He shows an excellent understanding of route combinations and also does a good job of leveraging routes in zone coverage. Moreover, he “thinks” the game well and has a good understanding of situational football.

Run Defense: This player has average ability against the run. He is willing as a tackler and comes up hard as a force player, but at times appears disinterested in tackling. His efficiency has been better on the perimeter than it has been against the run.

Length: He has excellent length for the cornerback position. He is a leggy, high-cut player but has good size and length to align outside in the NFL. His length helps him with 50/50 ball situations as well as in the red zone.

Prospect Comparison: C.J. Henderson (2020 NFL Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars)