Daylen Everette NFL Draft Scouting Report

Daylen Everette has the adequate length and athletic profile to be utilized in a primarily zone scheme.

Draft Grade: Round 5 - Scheme Specific Contributor

Strengths:

Size and Length: Everette has the ideal size and length to be a disruptive corner in press situations. His length is also disruptive at the catch point, where he can interfere with the pass for a PBU.

Zone Instincts: Everette does a good job of reading the quarterback and the route concept in front of him to put himself in position to make a play on the ball.

Ball Skills: Everette does a good job of locating the football and breaking up passes for deflections or interceptions.

Concerns:

Man-to-Man Coverage: While Everette thrives in zone coverage, his man-to-man technique needs improvement. Everett often shoots the wrong hand and will end up giving easy releases to receivers, which puts him in a trail position for the entire rep.  

Long Speed: Everett’s speed appears to fade after about 30 yards. Receivers who are running deep routes and have speed can start to separate from Everette

Daylen Everette Summary/Projection:

Daylen Everette, a former five-star recruit, entered the Georgia program as one of their most highly touted prospects. Everette got his first action as a starter in 2023. He plays within a multiple defense that asks him to play both man and zone coverage. He profiles as an athletic corner who plays best when he can get in the face of receivers and disrupt them using his length at the line of scrimmage.

As a zone defender, Everette uses his length in press coverage to be disruptive at the line of scrimmage, throwing timely punches and disrupting the receiver in their releases. Everette has strong punches and adequate length to force receivers off their path and adjust their route stem. This directly affects the timing that receivers have with the quarterback and reduces the opportunity for a completion. Into the route, Everette does a good job of staying in phase and uses his length to allow himself to break up a pass or even get the interception. Everette has an above-average understanding of timing and knows when to punch through the receiver's hands to make a play on the ball and break up a potential completion. Everette has above-average ball skills and can make a play on the football to force a turnover for the defense. Everette’s best play appears to be as a zone corner where he can play Cover 2 or Cover 3. In Cover 2, he can fully commit to being disruptive at the line of scrimmage, and in Cover 3, he can mix up different looks, either pressing or showing press-bail at the snap. Everette is best utilized when he can keep the receiver in front of him, dropping in coverage while also keeping his eyes on the quarterback and staying in position to plant, drive, and make a play on the football.

In the run game, Everette has a presence and will step up to shed the blocks of receivers who are attempting to block him. Everette can quickly disengage from receivers, which proves to be beneficial on plays such as quick screens and bubble screens, where offenses are trying to utilize the perimeter of the defense to pick up yardage.

The concerns about Everette as a cornerback are multifaceted and relate to his overall athletic ability. First, it appears that Everette has some hip tightness, which leads to him struggling to transition with receivers in and out of breaks and stay in phase with them. This shows up in man-to-man coverage, where receivers can create separation, catch the ball, and continue to create distance from Everette. Also, it appears that Everette lacks explosive ability. His ability to carry receivers vertically up the field after the 30-yard mark appears to be susceptible. Everette’s athletic ability lends itself more toward him being a zone corner, where he can have a safety over the top or the potential for help from other defenders.

Overall, Everette’s best opportunity to contribute early in the NFL would be in a primarily zone defense, where he can use his natural instincts to make plays on the football in the passing game.