The 2019 NFL Draft’s coverage defenders arrived for their measurements on Saturday. While the day was mostly headlined by impressive workouts from the wide receivers and tight ends, some cornerbacks and safeties finished with noteworthy length and weight measurements. Here’s who stood out from the final group of measured players:
Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
Murphy, while one of the most talented cover corners in the draft, was also billed as undersized. Luckily, he measured nearly 5’11” and 190 lbs, avoiding the sub-5’10” that leads to a nickel cornerback designation.
Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College
Cheevers was a ball magnet, nabbing seven interceptions in 2018, but his measuring day stood out for the wrong reasons. At 5’9 3⁄8”, 169 pounds, with 8 5⁄8” hands and 30 1⁄2” arms, Cheevers might end up too small for the NFL’s standards.
Derrek Thomas, CB, Baylor
One player who definitely isn’t too small for the NFL is Thomas, who led all cornerbacks with an 82” wingspan. Standing nearly 6’3” with 33” arms, Thomas could be a sleeper for a team looking to run a cover-3 defense like the Seattle Seahawks.
Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State
Layne may be on the verge of a first-round grade, and his measurements at the Combine certainly help his case. Layne stood nearly 6’2” and 192 lbs, with an 80 1⁄8” wingspan. That gives him enough length to fit any system.
D’Cota Dixon, S, Wisconsin
Also measuring underneath the dreaded 5’10” threshold was Dixon, at 5’9 5⁄8”. He also had the shortest arms of any safety at the Combine, with 29 1⁄4”. Given his small wingspan, Dixon will have a hard time squaring up ball carriers and tackling them to the ground.