Daequan Hardy NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Buffalo Bills CB

HEIGHT: 5'9"

WEIGHT: 179

HAND: 8⅛"

ARM: 30"

WINGSPAN: 70⅞"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.38

3-CONE: 7.06

SHUTTLE: 4.20

VERTICAL: 42.5"

BROAD: 10'6"

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POSITIVES

— Has very good positional flexibility. Has played mostly from the nickel cornerback spot but has the ability to play outside, too.

— Shows good feel and vision when dropping in zone coverage. Very good route recognition and attacks the ball in the air.

— Explosive player with excellent speed to run with all receivers he's matched up against.

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NEGATIVES

— Lacks ideal size for his position. Scrappy player, but lack of length can show up when he's taking on bigger receivers.

— Poor eyes can lead to trouble when in coverage. Gambling tendency can cause him to guess in zone.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 11 G, 22 TOT, 3 TFL, 1 SK, 2 INT, 7 PD

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NOTES

— Born June 13, 2001

— 18 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— 2023 second-team All-Big Ten return specialist (Coaches and Media)

— 2023 second-team All-America punt returner (CBS Sports)

— Shrine Bowl invite

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OVERALL

Daequan Hardy is an undersized cornerback who has shown positional versatility, but he primarily plays from the nickel spot. He's a feisty defender who does a great job of playing to his strengths. Though he may not have the ideal metrics and skill set for an NFL cornerback, he's a competitor who makes it hard for receivers.

When playing in coverage, Hardy has excellent speed and twitch to run with receivers. While he is an explosive defender, he allows separation out of breaks with underneath routes at times. When in zone, he does a great job of playing the quarterback and the ball, showing off his ball skills to identify and play the ball in the air.

When playing the run, Hardy is a physical defender who isn't afraid to come up and support the run. He is a solid tackler who does a great job of shooting the legs and getting ball-carriers down on the ground. At times, his lack of size shows up when he's taking on bigger receivers or when he is asked to set the edge against linemen.

Ultimately, Hardy may not have shown enough to be a high draft pick, but teams should pay attention to him in the later rounds. On top of being an explosive defender, he has the added benefit of being a punt returner. Hardy will have to show his value in the NFL as a special teams player first, while adding depth to a team's cornerback room.

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GRADE: 6.1 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 160

POSITION RANK: CB21

PRO COMPARISON: Tre Brown

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

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