NFL Draft Prospects 2019: Cornerback - Trayvon Mullen, Clemson

The first cousin of former Heisman trophy and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Mullen arrived at Clemson as a top 100 national recruit as a receiver, but saw limited action in six games as a freshman and had to earn playing time through special teams primarily. He started all but one game in 2017 and intercepted three passes on his way to an All-ACC honorable mention. Last season he was a second-team all-conference performer, who ended the year with a National Championship MVP trophy.

Mullen has elite length at 6’2”. He actually didn’t play that much true press with disruptive hands, but he likes reducing the cushion to a minimum and mirroring the guys lined up across from him. Mullen stays attached to his receiver down the field and forces him into the boundary, not allowing himself to be stacked. His long arms enable him to reach around pass-catchers and put his paws on the ball. He takes away some completions, where the receiver already has the ball in his hands, but Mullen jumps on that guy and strips down on it. You see him jump up after breaking up passes and get really fired up. The former Clemson CB1 lined up in the slot on occasion as well for certain matchups.

This young man has experience in a very diverse defensive scheme under Brent Venables, which will make it easy for him to fit into several pro systems. He has experience playing on and off. Mullen uses a light pedal when playing off-coverage, but pretty much sits on routes and attacks them aggressively when he can play flat-footed. He shows a fluid turn of the hips for a rather lanky guy and allowed the fewest yards per coverage snap among all ACC corners last season, limiting opponents to 0.65 yards a snap.

Mullen is a reliable contain defender in the run game, who forces plays back inside and cuts down ball-carriers by their ankles. He was used as a blitzer from the boundary side quite a bit and got a sack that way in the National Championship game versus Bama last year. You see him mix up looks and shows pressure on some occasions as well.

Mullen is not very interested in getting involved when the ball is caught somewhere across the middle or the run goes the other way. At times he lets his man slip because he is too focused on knocking the ball down with his inside arm and doesn’t secure the tackle with the other.

Mullen surrenders some easy underneath completions with too much cushion in zone coverage and won’t really jump on curl or hitch routes either. Overall I think he is not the most instinctive player when it comes to anticipating route patterns. He loses track a little on downfield throws, especially when put to the back-shoulder of the receiver, and gets turned around by some guys nodding outside before coming back inside for slip or tunnel screens.

While you love the length and speed with Mullen, the lack of instincts and consequent ball production is discouraging. You like the competitiveness and experience in a pro-style defense however. I think Mullen might not have number one corner written all over him, but he would fit well as the second guy in a press-man heavy scheme.

Grade: Early third