NFL Combine Review: DB Ronald Darby

A national-best 12 Florida State Seminoles were invited to this year’s NFL Combine. While some guys — Jameis Winston, Mario Edwards, PJ Williams — should have no problem going in the first half of the draft. Others needed a good showing this past weekend in Indianapolis to help bolster their draft stock and ensure they would hear their name called in Chicago this Spring.

Let’s take a look at how all 12 Seminoles fared this weekend.

Name: Ronald Darby
Position: CB
Height: 5-11
Weight: 193
Arms: 31 3/8″
Hands: 8 5/8″

NFL.com Grade: 5.65 (Chance to Become NFL Starter)

ChopChat’s Notes: Ronald Darby never came close to reaching his potential at Florida State. That’s not to say that he wasn’t a great player in his time there, but no matter who you talk to, coaches and teammates alike, they’ll all tell you he has no idea how good he can be.

A lot of that stems from the fact he’s got blazing speed. He can be a bit stiff in the hips but overall he’s exceptionally athletic and when he’s healthy he has the ability to lock down an entire half of the field. He ended up taking over as FSU’S field corner by the end of his true freshman year and won ACC Defensive ROTY honors for it.

FSU switched defenses the next year when Mark Stoops headed to Kentucky and Jeremy Pruitt brought his pattern-matching scheme to Tallahassee. In the first season in that scheme Darby was so solid teams almost never even attempted to throw on him– he went entire games without a pass attempted against him.

Last year he took a bit of a step back, but that was partially due to FSU’s defense as a whole taking a step back.

The larger issue with Darby is that he’s almost never healthy. He’s battled some kind of ailment nearly his entire tenure at FSU. He missed Springs. He went entire weeks where he didn’t practice. If that continues at the next level, that’s going to be an issue.

Darby’s eye-popping Combine performance has his draft stock on the rise, originally a second-day player, he could sneak into the back half of round one if one team become infatuated enough with his upside.

Combine Results:

40 Time: 4.38
Bench Press: 12 reps
Vert Jump: 41.5″
Broad Jump: 129″
Three-Cone Drill: 6.94
Shuttle: 4.14

What They’re saying:

Strengths:

"Former high school track star with “world-class speed.” Can change directions suddenly with few false steps. Has requisite body control to handle the strain of press-man coverage. Easy swivel to his hips with ability to open, run and hit top speed quickly. Plays with instincts and awareness. Ready to come off his man to overlap and contest a catch or make a tackle. Digests combo routes and helps teammates lineup before snap. Recognizes route development and makes early break on throws. Ball-tracker with excellent timing to high-point and disrupt the catch. Lack of on-ball production tied to quarterbacks avoiding him. Technically proficient with hand usage in press and maintains feel for receiver. Constricts throwing windows in zone coverage. Steps downhill and attacks against the run."

Weaknesses:

"Susceptible to inside releases, with feet stuttering before transitioning to close distance on loose receiver. Like teammate P.J. Williams, he must learn to play without so much grabbing downfield. Needs improvement with back to ball. Anxious to stay on top of route from press and opens door for comebacks underneath. Will occasionally lose track of his man in scramble situations. Not a hitter. Scouts question his toughness. Will get muscled by bigger receivers. Ducks head as tackler and prefers to hit with helmet over wrapping up against running backs. Will lose interceptions to his below-average hands. Reportedly refused to testify during Jameis Winston’s FSU code-of-conduct hearing, which stemmed from a sexual assault accusation against Winston. Darby witnessed the encounter between Winston and the accuser. Darby was cleared of wrongdoing in the incident by an FSU hearing panel."

Sources Say:

"“I worry about his toughness against the run. He’s just fine in coverage, but he will have teams running at him every chance they get until he proves he’s willing to step up and be tough.” — ACC assistant coach"

NFL Comparison:

"Johnathan Joseph"

Bottom Line:

"Cover corner with average size and outstanding speed. Has shown the instincts to play off coverage and the athleticism to play press. It is a bit of a concern that scouts and even opposing coaches have commented on Darby’s toughness, but he doesn’t have very many missed or broken tackles on his docket and his cover skills should be prioritized over his run support regardless. He clearly has starter’s ability at the position."