KeiVarae Russell NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Chiefs Rookie

POSITIVES

An early entry into the draft as a redshirt junior, KeiVarae Russell's last two seasons have been trying. In August 2014 he, along with four teammates, was suspended for academic improprieties. Because of the long investigation, Russell missed the entire 2014 season (and school year) before he was cleared to return to the team in 2015.

On the field, Russell is special. He’s a thickly built, athletic corner who was actually a highly ranked running back in high school. A starter as a true freshman at Notre Dame, Russell shook off the rust from a missed season and showed improvement throughout the year.

Russell has the speed and quickness teams want in a starting cornerback. He’s able to recover out of his pedal and match downfield speed and can also shuffle, slide and chop his way through transitions on underneath routes.

Against speed and power—and Notre Dame saw it all in 2015—Russell can adapt and perform. He’s a smooth overall athlete with the instincts and football IQ to step right into an NFL scheme.

Quick, smart, tough and fluid, Russell is a more complete resume away from being a top-50 pick.

NEGATIVES

The Notre Dame injury bug bit Russell this year, with a broken right leg suffered late in the season limiting his workout time before the combine or his pro day. He then suffered a hamstring pull at his pro day, and his times there may be skewed because of it.

Teams will ask Russell about the suspension that cost him his 2014 season, but since it was related to academics it’s not expected to raise much of an issue. The bigger question will be if teams feel he’s shaken off the rust of that missed time and then the injury that ended his 2015 campaign.

Russell hasn’t played much ball in the last two years—which may be a positive given the little wear-and-tear he suffered—but it’s a legitimate concern when talking about an early draft pick.

Any on-field complaints can be ironed out. Russell can be overaggressive in man coverage and will miss chances to make a play on the ball—something he did early against USC in a live viewing before recovering to finish the game with a pick. Russell is on the low end for ideal size in an outside corner and may get beat up by scouts wanting Richard Sherman.

A flat-footed backpedal caught Russell in the mud on transitions against speedier receivers and will be a coaching point for him moving ahead.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 192 lbs.

40 Time: 4.44s

3-Cone: 6.89s

Short Shuttle: 4.09s

PRO COMPARISON: Darius Slay, Detroit Lions
FINAL GRADE: 6.75/9.00 (Round 2—Future Starter)