You can never have too many cornerbacks in the NFL anymore. Despite having Pat Surtain and K’Wuan Williams as quality starters, the Broncos have questions all over their depth players. Damarri Mathis had the typical ups and downs of a rookie starter but also showed growth over the last quarter of the season.
However, after that, the depth is lacking talent inside and out. George Paton values the cornerback position almost more than any other on the field, so adding a quality player to the room is easy to project in this year’s draft.
Tyrique Stevenson is a prototypical press coverage cornerback with a good blend of size, length, and athleticism. He is physical at the line of scrimmage, using active and powerful hands to disrupt the receiver’s release and keep himself in phase throughout the route. He mirrors well moving vertically, stays in phase and has active hands at the catch point.
He struggles in open space and zone coverage, where his stiffer hips and slower change of direction can allow receivers to separate and present open targets. He has enough burst to close on the ball and be disruptive at the catch point, but sometimes he is lost in space and doesn’t bring the physicality you would like to see from a player of his size. He is also a poor tackler, often attacking above the waist and not converting power from his legs to his chest and wrapping up with proper technique.
Tyrique Stevenson is a decent fit for the Denver Broncos because he has the high-end ability as a press coverage cornerback, which is what Vance Joseph prefers as a defensive play caller. However, Stevenson has some deficiencies in zone coverage due to hip fluidity and recognition issues, leading most to believe he is limited to a scheme that mostly features man coverage.
Joseph will mix in a lot of Cover-3 looks into his system and rely on his cornerbacks to be able to read and react while also being reliable tacklers out in open space. Regardless, Stevenson would be a significant upgrade to the depth on the boundary and could turn into a reliable starter if he figures out the finer nuances of zone coverage at the next level.
Garrett Williams is a fiery competitor at the cornerback position, showing an aggressive and competitive demeanor in every phase of the game. He drives on the football very well, especially as a run defender. In coverage, Williams shows a smooth and patient backpedal in man coverage with enough twitch and fluidity to carry routes in any direction. However, there are instances of him being left behind, coming over the middle of the field, and when going deep.
Williams has patient and assignment-sound eyes in zone coverage, reading the route and quarterback very well. He needs to be more aggressive when attacking the football and making plays, but he closes to the receiver well and finishes the play quickly. Williams has some issues getting his head turned around too slowly and allowing catches in contested scenarios. Still, overall he has a high upside and could become a quality starter at the next level.
Garrett Williams is a decent fit for the Broncos, though you wish there were more press coverage opportunities existed. He profiles well and has the right demeanor for success in those situations, but there are questions about his technique. He needs a year to develop and get healthy, but Williams would be a solid addition to the unit with versatility in both scheme and position. Williams could be an answer at safety and bolster the unit as a run defender crashing vertically toward the line of scrimmage.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!