2020 NFL Draft Big Board: Ranking the Top 10 Cornerbacks

8

Jeff Gladney 12

Scouting Report

There may not be a more gifted athlete in this cornerback class because Gladney is an absolute freak. His excellent foot speed doesn’t even begin to dive into the type of athlete he is. Gladney possess very good strength, exceptional leaping ability and smooth transitions.

Turning on the tape will make you recognize how his athleticism is just a compliment and does not paint the whole picture of his game. Gladney plays the game with high level football intelligence. He understands how to leverage routes and reads the eyes of the quarterback to lead him to the football.

His combination of very good mental processing and good ball skills allows for him to consistently compete on every throw. Gladney is even adept at making breaks on routes that aren’t in his zone to make plays on the football. The elite athletic ability just helps him get to where he needs to go but make no mistake about it that he dissects plays before they fully develop. Very physical in run support as a good tackler who loves to get his hands dirty, Gladney isn’t afraid to mix it up with the big guys.

He will need to be more consistent in his footwork as he can often times look unnatural in his back pedal which hurts ability to consistently be effective in breaking on throws in front of him without false stepping. Jeff Gladney has a chance to be the biggest riser of the group due to him already accepting a Senior Bowl invite and being a guy who is destined to set the world on fire at the NFL Combine come February.