The Baltimore Ravens have to add to their secondary in the 2023 NFL draft. One name that they must be looking into is Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. What does he bring to the NFL and what is the best NFL comparison for Tyrqiue Stevenson?
Baltimore Ravens NFL Draft Profile: Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson
Tyrique Stevenson was one of the top recruits in the nation and started his journey to the NFL at Georgia. Stevenson was on the field as a freshman in 2019 and then moved to the slot in 2020. However, from there he transferred to Miami, where he played outside for two seasons.
His yards allowed went up in 2022, but he had a really bad game against UNC, and otherwise showed improvement. He finished his career with 1,775 snaps played, and 1,068 in coverage. He also had 610 snaps as a slot cornerback.
Stevenson was invited to the Senior Bowl, and was a noted winner, and then also improved his draft stock at the NFL combine.
He is above average in height, weight and speed. He also has great arm legnth. However, his agility drills were slow, and it shows a poor change of direction.
How Tyrqiue Stevenson translates to the NFL
Tyrqiue Stevennson will be best in a man heavy scheme. He is a physical press cornerback who always looks to land the first punch. Stevenson loves to redirect players and plays his best within the first five yards. The fact that he can move in and out of the slot at his size will be valued in the NFL because bigger bodies are moving in there. He has the quick feet, physical presence, and steady understanding to play man in the slot, which is tough to find.
It is not a surprise that he was a winner at the Senior Bowl because he was more comfortable jamming wide outs and playing out in that open space than others.
This clip perfectly sums up #Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson. He’s an outstanding technician. Slips a bit here, but flips his hips and recovers to break up the pass. pic.twitter.com/1794VXmzhT
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) February 9, 2023
His issues mainly come in zone coverage. He can bite on things and gets antsy when he is off of the football. He is not the best at passing off players and tends to follow anyone who comes into his zone. There are times when he struggles to find the ball in the air, which ends up with him getting burnt deep. UNC was able to take advantage of him multiple times down the field where he had zone busts.
Stevenson can be aggressive in the run game, but he does not take the best angles, either.
NFL Comparison for Tyrqiue Stevenson
The best NFL comparison is Sean Murphy-Bunting. They have a similar athletic and physical profile. SMB also was mostly an outside cornerback, but he had slot experience, and the Buccaneers valued his ability to man up with big slots and tight ends. This limited his coverage busts, although he still had those all well. Still, they both have the same steady feet and can be used in the same role in the NFL.
Should Baltimore Ravens draft Tyrique Stevenson?
Tyrique Stevenson is projected to go in the second round. The Ravens would have to trade down, or hope that he drops at this current point. However, if he dropped it would be a huge win for the Ravens. They need someone to play the slot and had Kyle Hamilton in the big slot role last year. Beyond that, they used Marlon Humphrey similarly early in his career. Being able to man up and attack teams with press inside and outside is exactly what the Ravens want, and it would be a great fit.