Eli Apple NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Giants Rookie

POSITIVES

A two-year starter for the loaded Ohio State Buckeyes, Eli Apple joined a host of his teammates in declaring early for the 2016 draft.

A clean technician, Apple has the smooth feet to mirror in coverage and explosive hips to drive on the ball. A competitive player who fights for position and attacks the ball, Apple has the size to contest jump balls and the quick transitions to plant and drive on underneath passes. A true matchup cornerback on the edge, Apple is an ideal press-man cornerback.

Turn on the film and Apple is the guy always around the receiver. He fights through the route and has the agility to run and flip his hips to contest every route in the book. He’s the type of cornerback ready-made to travel with the offense’s No. 1 receiver. Even when he allows a catch, Apple works to make tackles in space and will punch the ball out of the receiver’s hands.

Apple is a worker and a complete player on all three downs. He’ll play the run with the same mentality that he plays the ball. Given his positives in height, weight and speed, Apple projects as one of the few early starters on the outside of the formation.

NEGATIVES

A physical cornerback at the line of scrimmage, Apple doesn’t have the ideal length (31 ⅜" arms) to match his height.

Apple struggles to locate and find the ball in the air when working over the top. When the ball goes up, Apple plays the man. This could be due to coaching and scheme, but he doesn’t whip around and look for the ball down the field. Penalties may be an issue for Apple early in his career.

The biggest issue for Apple in his transition to the NFL will be his hands. Because he doesn’t want to let speedy receivers get by him, Apple relies on his hands to hold and stop receivers at the top of their stem. Apple often looks uncomfortable in zone coverage and is primarily a man-coverage cornerback.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 199 lbs

40 Time: 4.40s

3-Cone: N/A

Short Shuttle: N/A

PRO COMPARISON: Trae Waynes, Minnesota Vikings
FINAL GRADE: 6.99/9.00 (Round 2—Future Starter)