Durant is the second HBCU player off the board so far in this year’s draft
After not making their first selection of the 2022 NFL Draft until late Friday night, the Los Angeles Rams were prepping for a busy day of picks on Saturday.
And in the fourth round with the No. 142 overall pick, the Rams selected South Carolina State cornerback Decobie Durant to help fill a need in the secondary. Last season with the Bulldogs, Durant had just five total tackles, but tallied three interceptions and two passes defended.
Two of those picks came in a blowout loss to No. 6 Clemson on Sept. 11, as Durant was one of the team’s lone bright spots with a terrific defensive performance.
In total, Durant had an impressive 12 career interceptions during his time at South Carolina State. He’s also just the second HBCU player selected in this year’s draft after the selection of Joshua Williams from Fayetteville State at No. 135 by Kansas City.
Durant will now get to learn under the wing of Star All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Here’s NFL Draft Bible’s profile of LA’s new rookie:
Pros: Durant plays extremely quick and with fluidity at all times. He can sit back and break on the ball in an instant to make a play. He prefers to play with outside leverage so he can keep everything to the inside of the field because he trusts his footwork and hips to be able to flip when needed. Because he mirrors the receiver so closely, Durant can affect plays at the catch point and disrupt the process of the catch for the receiver. Tracks the ball extremely well when it’s in the air and can haul in interceptions like an offensive player. He can also jam at the line of scrimmage in press coverage and stay in the hip pocket down the field. He plays with such an aggressive style of play and is not afraid to be physical. For his defense, he has played all over the secondary, mainly playing as an outside corner with flexing inside to slot corner as well. Contributed on special teams.
Cons: Durant’s frame is severely undersized in terms of height, weight and length. He lacks the functional strength to affect the game as a run defender. Although he is quick, he doesn’t have great long speed because his strides are so short. He can get looked off by quarterbacks with ease. Needs to stay more disciplined in coverage to play his matchup and not get baited by what the opposing quarterback wants him to see. His size will ultimately be his demise to most, if not all, teams looking to draft him.
Summary: Decobie Durant is an undersized cornerback from South Carolina State who plays with extreme quickness and fluidity. His quick-twitch fibers and footwork will make evaluators love the skillset that he brings to the table, combined with his aggressiveness and physicality. Ultimately though, his severe lack of size could potentially wipe him off boards completely. He will have to fight for a roster spot and be a main staple of the special teams core.
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