Jeff Gladney NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Minnesota Vikings' Pick

CB Jeff Gladney, TCU

STRENGTHS

—Sticky, feisty cornerback who isn't afraid to match up against bigger wide receivers and press them to the line of scrimmage.

—Ran the 40 in 4.48 seconds, but scouts told us he was clocked much faster on their stopwatches. 

—Made his name against bigger wide receivers who wanted to stretch the field vertically; stays in-phase with speed and sticky technique.

—Excellent footwork at the line of scrimmage; plays press technique, then turns his hips and has the recovery speed to stay step-for-step.

—Had only five career interceptions because quarterbacks tended to avoid his side of the field; erases targets with proximity to the receiver.

Jeff Gladney Highlights

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WEAKNESSES

—Undersized at 5'10", 191 lbs and 31⅞" arm length; some may consider him a slot-only player.

—Not very strong down the field; won't out-position receivers for the ball and can't fight through breaking routes with limited length.

—Willing against the run, but lack of size shows up when asked to come downhill on the edge.

—Untested ball skills.

OVERALL

Gladney doesn't fit the size profile for an outside man-coverage cornerback, but his technique and speed suggest he'll be just fine on the sideline going toe-to-toe with NFL wide receivers. He should be a rookie starter.

GRADE: 89

PRO COMPARISON: Joe Haden/Vernon Hargreaves