The Chargers officially begin their offseason preparations on Monday after losing in stunning overtime fashion to the Raiders on Sunday night. As the College Football National Championship gets underway in Indianapolis tonight, all eyes in Los Angeles should undoubtedly turn to the play of the Georgia Bulldogs, the No. 1 ranked defense in college football, and the potential help that could be acquired from the roster in the 2022 NFL Draft.
One of those pieces is cornerback Derion Kendrick, a former five-star recruit at wide receiver who converted to the ball’s defensive side in his sophomore season at Clemson. Kendrick transferred to Georgia ahead of his senior season and fit like a glove in the secondary, excelling in both man and zone coverage. Given his background, it comes as no surprise that Kendrick’s headlining traits are his impressive ball skills, production in coverage, and effortlessly fluid hips that mirror receivers throughout their routes.
Kendrick has good length and sure hands, making him a worthy challenger to receivers when the ball is in the air. He attacks 50-50 balls and contested-catch opportunities with unabashed confidence, showcasing an instinctive knack for high-pointing the ball at the perfect time. But it is his quick-twitch lower body and oily hips that allow him to stay silky-smooth in coverage and read the eyes of the quarterback, yielding him great play awareness and a natural feel for the nuance of his assignment in space.
Kendrick’s best qualities as a cover cornerback were on display in the College Football Playoff semifinal as Georgia suffocated Michigan’s aerial attack. No Wolverine had more than four catches in the outing and all but one receiver was held under 50 receiving yards. Kendrick’s prowess on the boundary certainly was a big factor in the unit’s dominating performance. He represented well in his two interceptions on back-to-back drives that netted him the Orange Bowl Defensive Player of the Game Award.
Derion Kendrick playing the QB's eyes perfectly for his 2nd INT of the nightpic.twitter.com/dd3tbbWyTi
— PFN Draft (@PFNDraft) January 1, 2022
Kendrick ran bail technique out of press alignment from the snap on the second interception. Kendrick honored the receiver’s cut inside on the Sluggo (slant and go) but mechanically slid back into position when his opponent changed course. Kendrick’s eyes coolly flicked from quarterback to receiver throughout this progression before he finally located the ball. He mirrored the Sluggo perfectly from start to finish, essentially running the receiver’s route for him while he backpedaled in the opposite direction. Kendrick finished by snagging the ball in the end zone, taking care to get both feet in bounds.
Although there are questions about his pure speed and effectiveness as a tackler in run support, Kendrick projects to be capable of holding his own outside in the NFL. His ability to multitask and hawkeye quarterbacks while in coverage, along with his clean movement skills and ballhawk, is an enticing combination that should pique the Chargers’ interest in the second round of the draft.