NFL Draft: Could Asante Samuel Jr. sneak into the first round?

Former FSU cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. had an excellent career in Tallahassee and a strong pro day a couple of weeks ago.

Samuel Jr. has game film that shows his ability to play bigger than his size at 5’10” and 180 pounds.

However, I think some teams wanted to see what his raw numbers looked like regarding the 40 and change in direction.

Samuel Jr. posted excellent 40 times in the 4.4-4.5 range and 4.13 short shuttle time. His numbers are comparable to Clemson’s A.J. Terrell, who the Atlanta Falcons selected with the No. 16 overall pick last year.

Pro Football Focus considers Asante Samuel Jr. as the fourth-best cornerback in the draft, and there were four cornerbacks selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

I don’t expect Samuel Jr. to go top 20 in the draft because NFL executives place a premium on height and length at the cornerback position.

However, there are a few teams with picks late in the first round showing interest in the former Nole standout.

The Green Bay Packers have the No. 29 selection, and the Packers General Manager Brian Gutekuenst attended FSU’s Pro Day in person.

The New Orleans Saints need to address holes in their secondary and have the No. 28 selection. The Cleveland Browns have holes in their secondary as well.

Both the Packers and Browns have had meetings with Asante Samuel Jr., who believes he can play on the outside in the NFL.

Samuel Jr. has experience going up against larger receivers in the ACC, and those players had to make circus catches to find success. The Noles ran lots of man coverage, but he would excel in a zone scheme with his short-area burst and change in direction.

Asante Samuel Jr. is a certified dawg and worth a pick late in the first round.