Oakland Raiders superlatives for the 2019 NFL Draft class
By Justin Fried
Highest Ceiling: Trayvon Mullen, CB (Clemson)
The Raiders managed to snag a good amount of players with high ceilings, but perhaps none higher than cornerback Trayvon Mullen.
Mullen has the prototypical size that scouts crave at the cornerback position and projects as a very favorable fit in defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s system. The Clemson product is an ideal man-to-man corner who excels with the physical aspects of the game.
His press coverage is up there with some of the best in this class and he isn’t one to shy away from tackling. On top of that, Mullen certainly isn’t slow for his size having run an impressive 4.46 40-yard dash at the combine.
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However, the 21-year-old is still a work in progress when it comes to his technique. Mullen isn’t particularly efficient with his footwork and he frequently gets caught flat-footed at the break of routes. Moreover, Mullen doesn’t have the hip flexibility that you usually look for in a cornerback at this stage.
That said, those are all technical flaws that could be ironed out. From a pure potential standpoint, Mullen checks all the boxes.
He has incredible size standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 190 pounds and combines that will above-average speed. If Mullen is able to put it all together and improve upon the technical aspects of his game, there’s no reason why he can’t be an annual Pro Bowler before long.
Fortunately, he’s in the right system to play to his strengths and help him reach his full potential.