Mississippi State's Will Redmond was rated as a four-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com and called the seventh-best prospect in the state of Tennessee by 247Sports. He first saw the field in his sophomore season of 2013. He played in eight games and recorded 23 tackles with 2.5 for loss. He played as a backup and Mississippi State's nickel corner, tallying 51 tackles, three for loss, five pass break ups and three interceptions. Redmond then went to start seven games before tearing his ACL his senior campaign. He logged 25 tackles and two interceptions.
I have watched almost every game Redmond played his senior campaign and I was everything but disappointed. He had help up front, but there is no denying his talent. Before his season was cut short, he had allowed just one touchdown and a passer rating of only 41.0 when targeted by opposing quarterbacks. Through seven games he had allowed only 11 catches, and had three games where he didn't allow a single reception.
The Basics:
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 182 lbs
Arm Length: 30 3/8"
Hand: 9 1/8"
How He Compares To Other Cornerbacks:
Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State: 4.40 40 yard dash, 13 BPR
James Bradberry, CB, Samford, 4.40 40 yard dash, 16 BPR
Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida: 4.50 40 yard dash, 15 BPR
Kevin Peterson, CB, Oklahoma State: 4.66 40 yard dash, 14 BPR
Maurice Canady, CB, Virginia: 4.49 40 yard dash, 16 BPR
The Rundown:
Positives:
- Impressive burst to close the gap and disrupt the catch
- Displays electric feet and extremely loose, fluid hips with the ability to matchup inside or outside
- Showcases exceptional ball skills and strong hands to bring the ball down
- A heat-seeking missile in the run game. Determined and aggressive when coming down hill
- Has experience and the feet to serve as a nickel corner - does a good job of staying in receiver's hip pockets
- Plays like a natural cornerback and retains exceptional route anticipation
Negatives:
- Usually too aggressive often leading to a huge amount of missed tackles - he was on track to miss nearly 20 tackles on the season
- Redmond frequently gambles leaving him vulnerable to give up big plays
- Only has seven career starts under his belt
- Suffered season-ending ACL injury in 2015
- Fights to get off blocks but often gets caught in the wash - his size and strength are not ideal
Conclusion:
While Redmond's ball skills and feet are up to par, he needs improvement on many aspects of his game. First off, at the next level, he must learn to wrap-up and secure the tackle rather than aiming for the rendering hit. Moreover, considering he has had very little time to mature at cornerback, Redmond is still a very raw product who needs grooming in the NFL. He has all the tools you look for in a lockdown cornerback. Depending on his health, I wouldn't be surprised if he was off the board by the fourth round.