#22 Asante Samuel – CB – Philadelphia Eagles

5’10”, 185
School: Central Florida

Career Transactions:
-Asante Samuel was drafted in the 4th round (#120 overall) by the New England Patriots in the 2003 NFL Draft
-Signed a 6 year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008

Career Statistics
INT: 24 / PDEF: 68 / TCK: 240 / FF: 4 / TD: 3

General Traits:
One could certainly make the case that Asante Samuel has been the game’s top cornerback in the NFL since the start of 2006. Every cornerback in this league has tremendous physical ability, but what separates Samuel from the pack is his combination of on field intelligence and off the field work ethic. He is an incredibly smart player that can set his opponent up into making a game-altering mistake. Once known for being a product of Bill Belichick’s cornerback-friendly defensive system, Samuel has progressed into a legitimate shutdown cover man that can lock down the best of receivers. He can fit into any scheme because the balance of tools he has on his belt. He Is very durable and very consistent, two things that a lot of corners struggle to maintain.

Position Traits:
Speed: Samuel can run with the fastest of receivers downfield and that is why he is such an asset to a man coverage scheme. He has the capability of catching up to a receiver that may have faked him on a double move. Players like Samuel are often as fast as they need to be, no matter who they are covering.

Agility: The ability to change direction is absolutely vital for a cornerback. Samuel is among the best in the league when it comes to this as he seems to constantly be in the hip pocket of a receiver that is running short, crisp routes. He is extremely light on his feet and always has an effortless look about him when changing direction.

Body control: Samuel is a very balanced player no matter what he is trying to do on the field. When jumping with a receiver, he gathers himself and makes sure he gets to the highest possible point while maintaining the balance to come down and run should he catch the ball. Very rarely will you find him losing his feet in the open field.

Instincts/Recognition: This is exactly what elevates Samuel’s game into the top tier. He baits a quarterback into throwing the ball to a spot where he can easily make a play. He is often a step ahead of the passer in terms of reading the play and making a final decision. Samuel is able to stay with receivers in man coverage all over the field because of his ability to read and diagnose routes. With that said, Samuel will at times try to hard to bait a quarterback and beat himself and if he can be beat if he is up against a smart, savvy passer.

Pursuit: Samuel has outstanding catch up speed and knows how to track down the ball carrier from the other side of the field. He consistently puts himself into proper position to make a play on the ball and/or ball carrier. When coming into the box to make a tackle, Samuel is sometimes a step behind but it appears like it has more to do with him trying to avoid heavy contact. However when he plays aggressively, he can get himself where he needs to be to make a tackle.

Tackling: Samuel was not a physical player when he came into the league. While he is now fully capable of delivering a pop, he still needs work on technique. Like most cornerbacks, he fails to wrap up and instead lunges for a ball carriers ankles with his head down. His attempts can be easily broken by a powerful back.

Ball Skills: Samuel is a better pass catcher than a lot of receivers. He looks the ball into his hands and in one motion tucks the ball securely to his body. He is very aggressive in jump ball situations and at the very least, knocks the ball out of contention. He has impeccable timing when he needs to stick his hand out for a deflection so that a receiver cannot adjust his approach to making the catch.

Man coverage/turning ability: When it comes to the fluidity in his hips, Samuel is efficient and consistent. Receivers often have a difficult time shaking Samuel no matter the route, no matter the depth. He has the quickness to stick with receivers on short slants and the speed to stick with receivers on go routes. He is not effective however when it comes to jamming receivers at the line which allows an easy release that keeps the timing on for the quarterback. Rarely does Samuel receive safety help.

Zone Coverage: Samuel was consistently in zone coverage while playing with the Patriots. When he is in that kind of scheme, he really knows how to use his instincts and attack the area where a quarterback will throw to. The rarity here is that he can lock onto a quarterback while still being aware of who is entering and exiting his zone which makes it near impossible to outthink him. He is very aware of his zone and seems to feel a sense of pride that no receiver will catch a ball inside of it.