As a hybrid defensive back, Jalen Mills out of LSU is going to be intrigue a lot of teams in the 2016 NFL Draft because of his versatility and talent, but is his ability worthy of a Day 2 pick?

CB/FS Jalen Mills

College: LSU Tigers
Year: Senior
Birth Year: 1994
Height: 6’0
Weight: 191

Analysis

Mills is excellent in man coverage, whether that be at safety or cornerback. It really does look like he is running the route for the receiver at times with his ability to shadow with foot quickness and hip fluidity. In addition, his versatility to play outside, inside, and in the back end will make him a valuable chess piece to move around the field for a defensive coordinator.

He is also a disciplined player who puts himself in great position both at the cornerback and safety spot. When initially beat off of the LOS on either the outside or at the nickel spot, he trusts his feet and is disciplined enough to play with technique and recover rather than recover because of a holding penalty. With that being said, he is one of the most fundamentally sound cornerbacks in the draft with his technique and discipline in both off and press coverage. As a safety, his reactionary quickness gives him a major advantage in getting over the top and breaking on the ball underneath. The reactionary quickness he has can be mostly attributed to his excellent footwork and ability to change direction smoothly.

I thought Mills played better with his back to the ball as a cornerback and locating it over his shoulder rather than playing over the top as a playmaking safety. When he does locate the ball, he times his jumps really well to make a play on the ball and grab the interception with strong hands. Even though he struggles to read the eyes of the quarterback well over the top, he does have the necessary range to close quickly.

The only real concern I have with him in coverage at the cornerback position is his lack of true deep speed. That was confirmed with his 4.61 time in the 40-yard dash, but I must say that he is a quicker than fast athlete and he knows that. The difference between Mills and other cornerbacks at this stage of the game is that he knows his limitations and does whatever he can to mask those in any way possible. However, when he lines up against a speed burner at the next level, I would be worried about his ability to hold his own.

When in press coverage, he has the play strength and technique to jam the receiver and disrupt his route. He knows when and where to jab the receiver with his hands and has a great feel for the man when turning to look for the football. In off coverage, he does put himself in better position than other young cornerbacks, but I am not sure he has the recovery speed to consistently be sticky on the hip pocket of the receiver. He is much more comfortable when he gets his hands on the receiver and determines his own fate, but I do think he can play both at a high level in the peak of his career.

At both cornerback and safety, he takes questionable pursuit angles to the football. He makes the right read and reacts quickly, but his path to the football causes him to overrun the play on too many occasions. This is especially true when covering at the safety spot. Something that I jotted down in my notes on Mills often was that he overthought the play, or thought too much when trying to read the quarterback in the middle of the field. This leads me to believe that he is probably a better projection as a cornerback with his back to the football, but if a team wants to develop him as a centerfielder, they must teach him to be more disciplined with his eyes and take better angles over the top.

Another large issue that I saw on film was his inability to consistently bring down the ball carrier in the open field. For him to receive significant playing time at the safety position, it is an absolute must for him to be a reliable open field tackler, but the tape that I watched suggested that he needs work in this area before he can be asked to play the safety spot early in his career. He generally has no problem getting off blocks when pursuing the ball carrier, but again, his combination of poor angles and inconsistent open field tackling is going to have unenthusiastic results on the football field. I don’t question his physicality because he does have some tone-setting hits, but he lunges too early on too many occasions and it will bite him back in the NFL if he doesn’t learn to stay patient.

Some other concerns that I know NFL teams will have with Mills will be about his medical report and arrest in 2014. He was arrested for second-degree battery, but from everything I’ve heard, he has had a squeaky clean record ever since. The other question that teams will have will be with the fibula injury he suffered before the season, but he did eventually come back in the latter part of the year. Although he did come back to alleviate concerns with his leg, I know teams will take a thorough look at his medical report. The fact that he did come back shows the incredible competitive toughness and drive he has as both a teammate and player.

Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers safety Jalen Mills (28) reacts after making a defensive play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

In conclusion, Jalen Mills has the versatility, size, and athleticism to play both the cornerback and safety position at the next level, but as the tape suggests, his best fit at the next level to maximize his talent would be to play him in the nickel early in his career with the option of playing him on the outside if the team is willing. I just don’t believe he is proficient enough in run support to be a reliable player at the safety position as well as his lack of mental processing to read the quarterback in the middle of the field on a consistent basis. As a cornerback, he is much more comfortable when asked to play up tight with the receiver, but he has the reactionary quickness to play off man if asked to. There is not a perfect comparison for any prospect, but to paint a picture of what his skill set is like, I think he projects similarly to that of Damarious Randall. Randall was projected as a safety by many pundits, but was converted to cornerback to allow him to play to his strengths, and that is what I believe a team will do with Mills. I don’t think he is as talented as Randall was coming out, but in terms of his ability to play with his back to the football in man coverage with excellent fluidity and ball skills, I think I would be willing to spend a top 50 pick on him at the cornerback position when it is all said and done.

Grade: 2nd Round (Cornerback)