Tag: Kei’Trel Clark

49ers 2023 prospect watch: Louisville CB Kei’Trel Clark plays bigger than his size

The #49ers met with a CB prospect who plays bigger than his frame.

The extent of the 49ers’ need at cornerback can be debated. Every NFL team can use CB depth in an era where passing rules the league. However, San Francisco is in a spot where they could certainly use depth at the position, but they may also be in the market for a starter depending on how offseason workouts and training camp play out. A player like Louisville’s Kei’Trel Clark could make sense for the 49ers. They met virtually with Clark ahead of the draft per the Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

If the 49ers want to find a cornerback late on Day 3, it’s easy to see why they might covet Clark.

He’s a little different than other CBs tied to San Francisco in the pre-draft process. He doesn’t bring a ton of size at 5-10, 181 pounds. However, his playing style would fit well in an aggressive 49ers’ defense. He plays bigger than his frame and he’s regularly disrupting receivers at the catch point.

His long-term future in the NFL may be in the slot where his size would be less of a factor, his athleticism would be beneficial and his hard-nosed style would help around the line of scrimmage. It’s not impossible for Clark to play outside though if he can prove that he holds up against bigger NFL receivers.

Clark began his college career at Liberty where he started seven of his 13 games as a freshman. He notched six pass breakups that season. After transferring to Louisville, Clark played in 31 games and posted 127 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 28 pass breakups and five interceptions.

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Browns have met with versatile corner Kei’Trel Clark from Louisville

Will the team take a corner for the third straight draft?

Already, the Cleveland Browns have invested a lot in the cornerback position to try and combat the high-powered passing offenses in the AFC. They could look to add even more in the 2023 NFL Draft as reports say they have met virtually with versatile Louisville cornerback Kei’Trel Clark. With the draft just three weeks away, the Browns are doing their due diligence across the board.

Clark is a fun watch on tape, he played mostly as an outside corner but also had some impressive snaps in the slot. One thing that stands out immediately is his football IQ and instincts he is a player that understands what is happening in front of him and how to react to it. Clark is a player that is always around the ball with good athleticism and has good strength to play press-man coverage. Adding a player like this in the draft would be a major win for the Browns’ defense.

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Cardinals to host Louisville CB Kei’Trel Clark for top-30 visit

Clark is one of the Cardinals’ 30 official visits before the draft.

The Arizona Cardinals continue their work to evaluate player prospects for the 2023 NFL draft. One player they will get a close look at is Louisville cornerback Kei’Trel Clark.

According to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, he has an official top-30 visit with the Cardinals.

Clark is 5-foot-10 and 181 pounds. He has relatively short arms at 29 5/8 inches. He ran the 40 in 4.42 seconds.

However, he is a fierce competitor and can play both inside and outside.

He had an interception he returned for a touchdown and nine pass breakups in 2022. He added three picks and nine pass breakups in 2021, even when missing a few games coming back from an ACL tear.

The Cardinals need cornerbacks on the roster and Clark is a nice prospect to get later in the draft.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Browns add depth and upside all over roster in 2023 NFL Mock Draft

The Browns round out their roster in this mock draft.

So far, the Cleveland Browns have upgraded several position groups with a successful and productive free agency period. The defensive line outside of Myles Garrett was a mess and the team has improved that group with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Dalvin Tomlinson.

The team attacked the wide receiver room adding a dynamic playmaker in Elijah Moore and signing veteran speedster Marquise Goodwin. These moves have given the team tremendous flexibility in the draft allowing them to take the best player available for a majority of the rounds. The team could use some rotational pieces here and there but this year’s draft should be about the future.

Let’s take a look at what I think the team could do using this drafting philosophy at the end of the month.

Podcast: Who should the Browns target at slot cornerback in the draft?

Which slot options should the Browns target?

One question still looms over the defensive side of the football for the Cleveland Browns: who will play slot cornerback this year? Greg Newsome has already expressed that he no longer wants to play inside and the Browns may look to the 2023 NFL Draft to find a replacement. Even if Newsome does play some inside they lack depth at the position.

In this week’s podcast, I break down my top four options for slot defenders in April’s draft and how they fit with the Browns. You can watch this week’s episode here and comment on who you think the team should take at the position to help round out the roster.

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Vikings land talented class in Jordan Reid’s seven-round mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings land a star wide receiver and QB of the future in Jordan Reid’s seven-round mock draft for ESPN.

The Minnesota Vikings could go a myriad of directions in the NFL draft. There are talks about moving up for a quarterback or moving down to collect more draft capital.

In his seven round mock draft, ESPN’s Jordan Reid had the Vikings staying put and taking USC WR Jordan Addison at 23rd overall.

With only five total picks, I would be surprised if the Vikings actually remained here and made a selection. They are a prime trade-back candidate. Still, after the release of Adam Thielen, there’s a gaping hole at the WR2 spot opposite Justin Jefferson. Addison would give the offense another versatile player who can line up inside and outside. A detailed route runner, Addison has physical traits that are similar to those of Calvin Ridley, who was a first-round pick in 2018. Addison’s success in multiple offensive schemes (Pitt and USC) will help his NFL value. Addison could thrive off the attention given to Jefferson by defensive coordinators.

The idea of getting Addison is a great one for the Vikings. He is a dynamic receiver that can get open with both technique and quickness. His size will be a concern

The Vikings also get a developmental quarterback in UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fourth round and Reid called it his favorite fit in round one.

Kirk Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and it’s clear the Vikings want to keep their quarterback options open. Thompson-Robinson would provide them with a cheap backup who could be groomed as an eventual successor for Cousins. Thompson-Robinson is viewed as a notch below the top five quarterbacks in this class, but his stock has risen after an impressive pre-draft process.

Here is the full outcome of picks that Reid had the Vikings taking.

  • 23. Jordan Addison, WR, USC
  • 87. Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn
  • 119. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA
  • 158. Jalen Redmond, IDL, Oklahoma
  • 211. Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville

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Patriots’ full 7-round 2023 mock draft 6.0

A full seven-round 2023 NFL mock draft for the Patriots after free agency.

The first wave of the NFL free agency period has come and gone, and the New England Patriots have seemingly dialed down the activity of moves. So it’s a perfect time for another mock draft.

As with the previous mock drafts, we have shifted to a what the Patriots will do, rather than what we would do approach. For anyone that has followed the team over the years, they typically have some surprises in store when the draft board goes live.

It’ll be fun to see how the real thing goes down in April. Until then, here is our latest seven-round 2023 NFL mock draft for the Patriots.

4 nickel cornerback options for the Browns in the 2023 NFL Draft

Could the Browns find a slot cornerback in the draft?

Last season former first-round pick Greg Newsome II was the primary slot player for the Cleveland Browns with mixed results. He has, however, expressed that he no longer wishes to play inside so if the team is looking for a new starter or just slot depth the draft has some intriguing options.

General manager Andrew Berry loves players with versatility, and this class has a lot of slot players that also play deep safety as well as an outside corner. Though the team has invested a lot in the position, in the modern NFL you can never have enough cornerbacks. Especially when Newsome and Denzel Ward are likely to miss time with an injury.

5 late-round prospects who deserve more love in the 2023 NFL draft

Our Jeff Risdon offers up 5 Day 3 prospects who deserve more love in the 2023 NFL draft

It can be hard to remember that the NFL draft extends out to seven rounds. Much of the focus goes to the first couple of rounds, the realm where teams are selecting mostly players that fans watched excel in college and all-star games. The later rounds don’t get as much recognition, often featuring prospects that are more under the national radar.

Here are five players who generally project in the final rounds of the draft, or perhaps even as a priority free agent, who should be ranked higher or shown more pre-draft love.

Post-Combine Mock Draft: Browns add explosive WR, reshape defense

The Browns add Josh Downs and a ton of defensive talent in this post-combine mock draft

The NFL Scouting Combine has come to a close as the 2023 NFL Draft process progresses one step closer to the main event. And for the Cleveland Browns, that means taking strides toward getting back into the playoffs by infusing their roster with young talent. While the Browns do not have a first round pick for two more seasons, they do have eight picks to attack the draft with this year. Could a name like North Carolina’s Josh Downs join the squad this upcoming April as they look to mold a more explosive passing attack in 2023?

As the combine has concluded, here is a mock draft adjusting to board movement based on risers and fallers in Indianapolis, Indiana.