Caden Sterns NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Denver Broncos Safety

HEIGHT: 5'11⅞"

WEIGHT: 202

POSITIVES

—High-motor athlete who flies around the field.

—Has backpedal and footwork to play deep.

—Shows a good burst as a blitzer.

—Takes correct angles and delivers a blow on contact. Throws body around.

—Tracks the ball very well in the air. Uses hands to high point.

NEGATIVES

—Struggles with route recognition. Slow to react.

—Lacks the footwork and quickness needed to cover slot man-on-man.

—Can play out of control.

—Will struggle in space vs. quicker athletes.

2020 STATISTICS

7 games: 52 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PBU

NOTES

Suffered from turf toe during 2020 season.

OVERALL

Sterns is an interesting prospect who has a very good size and build with a thicker lower half. He opted out of the rest of the 2020 season after the loss to Iowa State that eliminated them from the Big 12 championship. A three-year starter, his on-ball production declined a bit from his freshman season in 2018. Ultimately Sterns is an athletic safety with very good range when playing deep.

He has shown the ball skills and hands to catch most balls thrown his way. Sterns is less efficient when asked to play man, when he routinely stops his feet at the top of the route and struggles to open and run. When playing forward, he does a good just supporting the run and filling running lanes. He throws his body around and delivers a blow on contact, although there are times where he comes in out of control and misses the tackle. With his size and skill, Sterns can find a role for a team.

GRADE: 7.0/10 (Future Role Player/Spot Starter - Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 160/300

POSITION RANK: S11

PRO COMPARISON: Deionte Thompson

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings