When you hear about Georgia cornerbacks, many point to the blazing 40 time of Eric Stokes, who ran a 4.29 at his pro day. Last night, Stokes was taken at No. 29 by the Green Bay Packers.
Now, the focus has to be on Tyson Campbell, who seems to be flying under the radar due to his teammate's speed.
However, don't get it twisted. In my opinion, Tyson Campbell is the better prospect, being ranked as my No. 5 corner in the class, and would be a phenomenal fit with the 49ers.
Traits
Campbell is one of the more electrifying man-defense cornerback prospects in this class. His agility, matched with his size and speed in the open field, bring together an athletic prospect who already has a knack for the cornerback position.
Playing at 6'2" and 185 pounds, Campbell clocked in at a 4.39 40-time, an impressive feat, and unlike Eric Stokes, Campbell actually plays with that speed on film.
Perhaps the most impressive part of Campbell's game comes at his hips, where similar to Jeffrey Okudah last year, Campbell possesses the ability to move his hips at an elite pace while keeping both his balance and speed when matching up with receivers along the outside.
Campbell's electric burst off short routes will be a key in the NFL to defending passes, which is important, especially off curl routes and slants. His closing ability is one of the most underrated parts of his game, as many look to his lack of interceptions at the collegiate level in 2020.
However, don't be fooled by the one interception. Campbell possesses all the traits to be a solid corner in the NFL and requires NFL coaching in order to succeed.
A mainly outside-package corner, Campbell is only average in zone coverage, but should get better with more maturity and consistency with his footwork as he progresses into an NFL player. Campbell needs to improve with his tackling ability, but similar to standout rookie C.J. Henderson last year, this should not be a decision-breaker due to Campbell's man coverage ability with both technique and traits.
49ers Fit
This offseason, the 49ers pulled off the miracle of retaining both Jason Verrett and K'Waun Williams on one-year deals.
However, with an increased cap and with both being quality players, the two cornerbacks are almost certain to get interest on the open market next year, leaving a hole at the position.
That's where Tyson Campbell fits in. As a corner who needs refinement with footwork, Campbell could take the year in San Fransisco to learn and improve with the elite 49er defense before taking over one of the outside spots next year. Similar to Trey Lance, Campbell is an electrifying prospect who provides tremendous upside if his flaws can be coached up.
Also, Campbell would be a valuable backup in year one, given that neither Verrett nor Williams have ever played in all sixteen games in a season. While Campbell would almost certainly play on the outside, with a longer season, Campbell could learn and also receive valuable playing time.
In 2017, the 49ers took a chance on athletic corner Ahkello Witherspoon to be that outside man-corner they desperately needed. Obviously, the pick did not go as planned as Witherspoon was benched on multiple occasions.
Four years later, Campbell provides what the 49ers were looking for in Witherspoon with that athletic frame, but also the man-ability to play corner at a high level in the NFL.
One of my favorite prospects, if Campbell falls to 43, he should most certainly be in consideration for the 49ers.