:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46159064/usa-today-7589988.0.jpg)
Former BYU Cornerback Robertson Daniel has had a number of workouts with NFL teams in his pursuit of reaching the next level. This past week as Daniel visited the 49ers, the Raiders, and the Eagles. Each of these teams are looking for that diamond in the rough player that will make their team better. Whichever team drafts or signs Daniel as a priority free agent may just hit the jackpot going into camp.
Daniel is a 6'1 cornerback that thrives in man coverage. In two years with the Cougars, he tallied 110 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. With 23 career pass breakups, he shares the all-time record for the Cougars with Daniel Sorensen. Not only did he play in 25 games for the Cougars, but he started 22 of them.
Daniel is a speedy back that can press the receivers and make plays on the ball giving the defense numerous chances at turnovers and breakups. The ideal situation would be for a team that employs man defense to draft him and let Daniel show off his skills. Although Daniel can play zone, he would shine in a man defense. There are a number of people that have fallen in love with Daniel as shown by the tweet below:
Give me BYU CB Robertson Daniel > MSU CB Trae Waynes tbh ☕️ #HOTtaek
— TD (@TDGawd) March 28, 2015
Daniel participated in the NFL Pro Day and may have helped his stock. After seeing him run the 40 in 4.46, putting out 24 reps on the 225 lb bench press, displaying a 35 1/2 vertical and a 10'06" broad jump, the teams began to see some positives. Daniel also put up a 4.21 in the 20 yard shuttle and a 6.87 on the 3-cone drill. These stats may not stand out alone, but together they make for a good combination.
After pro day, he is now ranked by nfldraftscout.com as the 41st cornerback out of 215 and the 383 player overall. With this in mind there is the possibility that teams will wait to sign Daniel as an undrafted free agent, but that could turn into a positive for Daniel as he could pick his destination. Don't be surprised if a team does take a chance on Daniel in the later rounds. If he can find the right fit, either through the draft or free agency, he may find himself looking at a long and successful career in the NFL.