2021 NFL Draft: Welcome to first round conversation, Ifeatu Melifonwu
By Cory Kinnan
Set for a massive wise, Ifeatu Melifonwu is making waves
If your favorite team is in need of cornerback help in the 2021 NFL Draft, you are in luck as this crop of defensive backs is quite the deep one. The names such as Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley are the mainstays of the class. However do not sleep on Syracuse’s Ifeatu Melifonwu as the draft vastly approaches.
There is a ton to like about Melifonwu, and he will continue to rise as he is expected to test off the charts at the NFL Scouting Combine. He looks to join his teammates in safety Andre Cisco, and running mate Trill Williams as members of the Syracuse secondary to hear their names called this upcoming April.
What does he bring to the NFL?
Looking at the box score
After transitioning from safety to cornerback, Melifonwu picked off three passes and knocked down 13 over two years at the position. In 2020, Melifonwu had a knack for sniffing out screen passes, racking up three tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He tallied one interception and six passes defended in just ten games with the Orange.
The real deal, Melifonwu looks to follow in his brother Obi’s footsteps, and vastly exceed what he was able to do at the NFL level. As he prepares for the Reese’s Senior Bowl and beyond, we take an in-depth look at what the massive 6-foot-3 and 213 pound Syracuse cornerback brings to the next level in this scouting report.