Asante Samuel Jr. Scouting Report
The son of the former Patriots, Eagles and Falcons ball hawk, Asante Samuel Jr. enters the 2021 NFL Draft. See how he grades out in the Asante Samuel Scouting Report below.
School: Florida State / Position: CB / Height: 5’10” / Weight: 184 / Class: Jr.
Games Watched: Pitt (2020), Georgia Tech (2020), Miami (2020)
Zone Coverage:
Excellent in zone coverage as he reads the QB’s eyes very well. Similar to his father, Samuel does a fantastic job of attacking the ball in this aspect as well. Moves very well.
Man Coverage:
I really do not like him in man coverage at all. His height does not lend him to be a good match up type player and he does not move as well as you would like. In this aspect, struggles to get his hips flipped around quick enough.
Ball Skills:
Excellent ball skills just like his pops, moves very well with the ball in his hands as well, always looking to take it to the house. Has fantastic hands and always finds a way to get them on the ball.
Strength:
Not a strong player in any aspect, will struggle to match bigger players in man coverage due to this because I believe he will get pushed around. May be competitive enough to help offset this.
Athleticism:
A good athlete who has good speed and who moves well. Has good jumping ability but lacks great strength. Will not be overly out matched in this aspect in the NFL.
Tackling:
Cannot tackle at all. Has almost no ability to break down and does not have any desire to. Will often just lunge at the ball carrier with no actual intent to bring them down.
Mental Processing:
Does a good job of reading the play in front of him in zone coverage but I worry about him in man coverage. Does not read the receivers routes as well in this aspect. When facing the QB however, does a fantastic job.
Press:
Actually played in press coverage a lot at Florida State but was not asked to be physical. In the NFL, he will have to be and does not possess the physical profile to do this.
Speed:
Seems to be about average speed for the position, could end up hurting him in the NFL if he does not become better with his technique and physicality.
Hips:
Very much struggles to get his hips flipped in man coverage which is what gets him a low score here, he does move well in zone coverage.
Assessment:
First and foremost, scouting Asante Samuel Jr. makes me feel very old. Much like his dad, he is excellent in zone coverage and does a fantastic job of attacking the ball and making plays on it. Is maybe the best player in zone coverage in this draft as he does a terrific job of reading the QB’s eyes. However, ASJ is very small. He is not big enough to hang on the outside in the NFL and struggles in man coverage. Of course, if he cant play outside the projection is inside but I feel like he lacks the man coverage ability to hang inside. Due to his ability to consistently create turnovers I believe he can develop into a quality NFL player, but I think it will take some time.
Grade: Third Round
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