Instincts/Recognition: Above average route recognition. Has the ability to see routes before they formulate. Understands situational football. Knows the down and distance, and plays his technique accordingly. When in zone, does a nice job of reading the quarterbacks eyes. Doesn’t get overly anxious and aggressive. Does a nice job of not biting on double moves and body fakes. Has good awareness in zone coverage. Quickly picks up on players entering his designated area. One of the better run defending cornerbacks in the nation. Reads the run immediately and attacks it.
Cover Skills: Top notch coverage skills. Is thickly built and plays very physical. Is best when allowed to play press coverage. Plays with proper technique and has the strength to re-route receivers to disrupt the timing of the passing game. Does a good job at staying in the hip pocket of receivers. He is consistently in position to contest passes thrown his way. Has loose hips. Can quickly sink, turn and run on deep routes. Isn’t the fastest player, but has enough speed to recover when beaten deep. Shows a nice closing burst. Needs to work on staying low throughout his backpedal and turning 180 degrees.
Ball Skills: Has the hands of a receiver. Has no issues with plucking the ball from the air. Uses his route recognition to jump on balls before receivers do. Doesn’t concede any balls thrown his way. Like a receiver, he attacks it as if the pass were meant for him. Has displayed excellent sideline awareness when intercepting balls near the sideline. Return ability is average. Lacks running instincts and elusiveness to take interceptions for touchdowns.
Run Support: Sticks his nose in the fray of things. Has the build to take down big backs, and the athleticism to take down smaller shiftier backs. Does a good job of diagnosing the run. Attacks blockers and sheds them consistently. Will be faced with larger receivers at the next level, so shedding blocks will prove to be more difficult. Knows how to take the legs out from under ball carriers. Is a solid tackler. Won’t wow you with highlight hits, but consistently wraps up and brings down the ball carrier.
Intangibles: 2010 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. 2010 1st Team AP All-American. Humble kid that teammates and coaches love.
Overall Stock: Prince Amukamara led the Nebraska Corn Huskers to being ranked 5th nationally in pass defense. His numbers won’t blow you away, but that is because teams refused to throw his way. He didn’t intercept one ball in 2010. However, in 2009 he showed his play making ability. Quarterbacks tested him, and he came away with 5 interceptions. When quarterbacks decided to risk it and throw his way in 2010, Amukamara broke the passes up. He finished the 2010 season with 13 passes defended. Amukamara is what you want in a corner. He is a tactician that possesses the physicality to challenge receivers at the next level. In some peoples eyes, Amukamara is nipping at the heels of Patrick Peterson for the crown of best cornerback in the 2010 draft. If he can run a good forty and perform well at the combine, there’s a chance he can be the first cornerback taken in the draft. The thing that Peterson has over Amukamara is that he’s multifaceted. He has the ability to put touchdowns on the board, whether it be on defense or on special teams. However, Amukamara is more technically sound when it comes to playing the position. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. No matter what happens, a team will be getting a very solid corner come April.
NFL Comparison: Darrell Revis