DeShon Elliott NFL Draft 2018: Scouting Report for Baltimore Ravens' Pick

POSITIVES

—Is an aggressive downhill player who shows enthusiasm for making hits at or behind the line of scrimmage.

—Has NFL-caliber instincts that flash in intermediate coverage. He also has a willingness to jump routes and create turnovers.

—Played off the edge at Texas at times and showed sure tackling, both in traffic and in the open field.

—Often redirects other players on defense and shows the mental processing skills to diagnose offensive formations moment to moment and counter with new defensive alignments.

—Was impressive in getting to the ball, as he nabbed six interceptions and had three forced fumbles in 2017.

NEGATIVES

—Has a tendency to get grabby downfield rather than trust his technique to open and run with players.

—Will bite on play action and leaves seam routes susceptible to completions.

—Is better playing downhill and struggles to open up and run with NFL-level talent.

—Body control looks clunky, even when he's in phase with receivers. This may lead to increased pass-interference calls.

—Shows wasted lower-body movement, largely as centerfield defender. That leads to an awkward running style and a lack of true sideline-to-sideline speed.

DeShon Elliott S NFL Draft

OVERALL

DeShon Elliott has the foundational skills to be a solid NFL contributor, but he'll need more time to develop as an open-field athlete if he's ever going to start in the NFL. The mental processing and competitive toughness skills are obvious, but those won't mask athletic deficiencies against superior talent. Elliott will have to rely on his instincts and ball skills to make coaches notice him as a potential backup and spot starter as a rookie.

GRADE: 5.99 (Round 4)

PRO COMPARISON: Darian Thompson, New York Giants