Jordan Poyer : CB : Oregon State

[Matthew Jones]

Some of my notes on Poyer:

Jordan Poyer, Oregon St. (5’11”, 190)

2009: 11 tackles

2010: 34 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 INT (1 TD), 4 PD

2011: 57 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 4 INT (1 TD), 12 PD

2012 (YTD): 15 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 5 INT (1 TD), 4 PD

• Has made extensive contributions on special teams: gunner, kick returner, punt returner

• Almost always lines up at left cornerback for the Beavers; converted from safety in 2010

• Looks a little bit shorter than his listed 6’0”, but has a muscular, compact build

• Aggressive in coverage, gets physical with his man and will try to undercut routes

• Reacts, breaks on the ball quickly and reads opposing routes well, especially in off coverage

• Excellent ball skills to make plays on the ball in the air; soft hands, remembers to look back

• Experienced in both press coverage and zone coverage; looks a little bit better in man coverage

• Has yet to miss any time due to injury; will enter the draft having played in over 40 games

• Misses far too many tackles; active but not powerful, more of a dive-and-swipe tackler

• Struggles to shed blocks in the running game; active hand use but can be controlled

• Not afraid to mix it up but may have some difficulty covering taller receivers in the NFL

• Confidence borders on cockiness and personality may turn off some NFL teams

Grade: Second or third round

Notes: Poyer should be selected in the second or third round: he is a versatile, experienced player with outstanding competitiveness and impressive measurables. His burst, ball skills, and agility all stand out on tape and could earn him a starting job in the NFL. As a rookie, his special teams value as a gunner and return specialist could help him work his way onto the field. Only two factors may negatively impact his draft stock: his tackling and his personality. Poyer is active but ineffective in run support and pre-draft interviews may negatively impact his draft stock.