3rd Round
Maurice Canady – CB – Virginia
Strengths: Great height and frame for the position. Ball hawk with ideal traits for going man up. Tracks the ball well, and has quality hand-eye coordination to make the play. Balance and athleticism are excellent.
Quick and fluid, able to mirror receivers all over the field. Can line up inside or outside. Decent speed to go downfield. Has experience as a punt returner and shows good burst.
Weaknesses: Despite having the size, doesn’t play physical enough at the line of scrimmage (though he did show improvement there at the Senior Bowl). Doesn’t get the full use of his athleticism because of very sloppy footwork. Not a strong tackler, often riding a player instead of delivering a blow. A lot of soft coverage on his film where receivers were almost given the underneath routes.
The Fit: With the Chiefs being unable to capitalize on some of the available corners in Free Agency, they’ll need more help through the Draft. Canady’s tape isn’t as good as his measurements/scores/stats would indicate it should be, but the framework is there to mold a decent player.
Al Harris is proving himself to be a good coach, and this is a quality project for him to turn his attention to. The big play ability of Canady should be enough to intrigue the front office, especially with the added caveat of his punt return experience.
Next: 4th Round