Saints scouts eye Stephen F. Austin's Charles Demmings. His elite athleticism and ball skills could make him an under-the-radar draft steal.
The Saints could strike gold with this under-the-radar prospect. In the world of the NFL Draft, there is a certain romanticism attached to the "diamond in the rough". The small-school prospect who dominates the FCS and then walks into a professional facility to prove the Power Five schools made a massive mistake. According to recent reports from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris, the New Orleans Saints are officially doing their due diligence on one of this year’s most intriguing sleepers, Stephen F. Austin cornerback Charles Demmings.
Saints cornerbacks coach Grady Brown has reportedly confirmed a private workout for Demmings, and while the "FCS" tag might lead some casual fans to scroll past the headline, the scouting community is sounding a very different alarm.
More Than Just a "Lumberjack"
Charles Demmings isn't your average developmental project. Standing 6'1" and weighing in at 193 lbs, he possesses the prototypical frame that modern NFL defensive coordinators crave. But it's his athletic profile that has sent his draft stock into a vertical climb:
- 4.41-second 40-yard dash: Elite recovery speed.
- 42-inch vertical jump: Top-tier explosiveness.
- 9.97 Relative Athletic Score (RAS): This ranks him in the top 10 of over 2,700 cornerbacks measured since 1987.
When you see those numbers, you stop caring about the name on the jersey and start looking at the ceiling. For a New Orleans secondary that has historically valued length and aggressive press-man capability, Demmings is a "lab-grown" fit for their system according to some analysts.
"While Demmings lacks ideal play strength and is not a firm tackler, his ball skills and man-cover consistency could land him a roster spot as a future CB4 with gunner potential," NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote.
The Grady Brown Factor
The fact that Grady Brown is personally overseeing this evaluation is significant. Brown has earned a reputation as a teacher who can refine raw physical traits into disciplined technique. Demmings, despite his record-breaking 35 career passes defended at SFA, is still considered a "late bloomer" who didn't even play football until his senior year of high school.
That "greenness" is actually an asset. He hasn't reached his plateau yet. If the Saints can land him in the middle rounds, they aren't just getting a depth piece, they’re getting a high-character player who held his own at the Senior Bowl against some of the best wideouts in the country.
A New Era of Saints Secondary?
The Saints' current cornerback room, led by the likes of Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley, is young and talented. However, in a division that now features explosive passing attacks, you can never have enough "long and fast" athletes on the perimeter.
Demmings has openly stated he wants to prove he’s no different than the guys wearing SEC helmets.
If Demmings can translate his "dry-erase memory" and elite athleticism to the fast-paced turf of the Caesars Superdome, the rest of the league might soon regret letting this Lumberjack prospect slip through the cracks.