2021 NFL Draft: LA Chargers got a steal with Asante Samuel Jr.

Asante Samuel Jr. becomes the first FSU cornerback drafted since Marquez White in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The former Nole slid to the LA Chargers in the second round with the No. 47 overall pick. Asante Samuel Jr. joins former Nole Derwin James in the secondary.

Asante Samuel Jr. was the No. 4 cornerback in most pre-draft rankings, and I thought he had a good shot of going before the second round when two cornerbacks came off the board early in the draft.

However, several cornerbacks came off the board before him, with most teams probably shying away because of his lack of size.

That’s was a huge mistake, and the LA Chargers got an absolute steal in the second round.

Asante Samuel Jr. checks every box one could want in an immediate starter at the NFL level. His father played 11 seasons in the league, and Asante Samuel Jr. understands many of the intricacies lost on most larger defensive backs.

He has excellent instincts and short-area bursts while playing larger than his size in the run game and has a dawg mentality.

Asante Samuel Jr. can play man-to-man or zone coverage. He’ll likely play the nickel position, but I believe he can play outside at times as well.

The only time he struggles is when facing huge wide receivers, but still had a great deal of success in those situations.

The good news is he joins a Charger’s defense that’s already in the top half of passing defenses in the NFL. One negative about their passing defense is they allowed 29 passing touchdowns in 2020.

Asante Samuel Jr. is a player that could help in the red zone with his ability to cover in tight quarters. If he can avoid getting boxed out against larger receivers, he should be a factor as a rookie for the Chargers.