Tavon Young NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Ravens Rookie

POSITIVES

A shutdown corner in the AAC, Tavon Young has the on-field production and instincts to overcome his lack of ideal measurables as an NFL cornerback.

A physical player near the line of scrimmage, Young has the tools to excel in the slot. He'll fight his way through blocks to make a stick in the run game and, despite some length limitations, can be effective when jamming in press coverage. He's comfortable against bigger receivers and won't be intimidated.

Young has flashed ball skills by notching seven career interceptions. With a nice pop to his pads when coming down in run support and plus ball skills, Young has the look of a potential starter at nickel or dime corner down the road if he can continue to improve his hip turns and pitter-patter footwork in shadow on underneath and quick-hitter routes.

NEGATIVES

Short, short-armed (30 ⅝-inch arms), thin and slow. Those are the first things many scouts will notice when evaluating Young. If scouts start with the measurables, they won't be impressed.

Young fails to wow with quick-twitch movements. Given his lack of speed, he needs to be quick in short areas and when driving on the ball, but he is just average in terms of hip explosion. He's a gambler in coverage and will jump routes too early, only to survive by hanging on with his hands and being a grabby player.

Going from four interceptions in 2014 to none in 2015 will be a concern for Young's resume. Opposing quarterbacks didn't avoid him either; Young saw 69 targets compared to 52 in his junior season, according to College Football Focus. It's possible a knee injury that required surgery before the year was holding him back, but his movements didn't look to be affected.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 5'9 ⅛"

Weight: 183 lbs.

40 Time: 4.46s

3-Cone: 6.80s

Short Shuttle: 3.93s

PRO COMPARISON: Brandon Boykin, Carolina Panthers
FINAL GRADE: 5.50/9.00 (Round 6—Backup Caliber)