Titans Draft Profile: TCU Cornerback Jeff Gladney
Speed. Length. Strength. These are three of the most important aspects of a cornerback prospect in today's NFL. Lucky for league GMs, the 2020 draft class is stacked with guys who excel in these areas. TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney is no exception. Gladney uses his length especially well when attacking passing windows, leading to some […]
Speed. Length. Strength.
These are three of the most important aspects of a cornerback prospect in today's NFL. Lucky for league GMs, the 2020 draft class is stacked with guys who excel in these areas. TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney is no exception.
Gladney uses his length especially well when attacking passing windows, leading to some highlight reel deflections and interceptions. His speed and length also allow him to make up a lot of ground when he is too aggressive coming off the line in press coverage.
In this draft class, players in the secondary like Grant Delpit and C.J. Henderson have had questions raised about their tackling ability and willingness to get involved in run defense. This has not been the case with Gladney. His quickness and strength allow him to have a big impact against the ground game as well as be physical with tight ends or bigger wide receivers during routes and at the catch point.
Gladney also seems to play up to his competition. Playing in the Big 12, he was usually matched up 1-on-1 with some of the most explosive and talented receivers in the country. He never backed down.
Additionally, he has a touch of emotion to his game, a key component to most successful NFL cornerbacks.
His quick hips and smooth feet allow him to take more chances than other cornerbacks especially on underneath routes. Gladney's play recognition is also a strong part of his game that makes his fellow secondary players around him better in coverage.
A small knock on Gladney would be his lack of interception production in college in the interceptions department, but he mostly made up for it with timely pass break-ups.
Another facet of Gladney's game that could be improved upon is his downfield over-aggressiveness. On film, he occasionally latches onto larger targets in order to take leverage from them while the ball is in the air.
On a positive note, his incredible length also allows him to make important plays in the red-zone no matter who he is covering. Gladney cares not for how big your No. 1 threat is, only about how he will knock the ball away from him.
In a very deep cornerback class, Gladney certainly should not be overlooked. The Titans' aggressiveness in free agency and willingness to bring back Logan Ryan will play a big part in the possibility of them snagging him late in the first round. If he's the pick for Tennessee, don't get mad – get glad.
Featured Image: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports.
