From now till the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as attainable, inspecting their strengths, weaknesses, and what they’ll deliver to an NFL franchise. These gamers could possibly be potential top-10 picks, Day 3 picks, or precedence undrafted free brokers. Right now, a scouting report on Oregon OT Ajani Cornelius.
No. 65 Ajani Cornelius/OT Oregon – 6045, 310 kilos (Redshirt Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Participant | Ht/Wt | Hand Dimension | Arm Size | Wingspan |
| Ajani Cornelius | 6045/310 | 9 1/2 | 33 1/8 | 82 |
| 40-Yard Sprint | 10-Yard Sprint | Quick Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Soar | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
– Respectable athletic potential
– Places himself in positions to win as a zone blocker
– Wins persistently in huge zone
– Respectable grip power however inconsistent
– Respectable play power
– Doesn’t drive defenders downhill however controls them on the level of assault
– Good hand positioning, all the time matches inside
– Used successfully as a puller
– Assaults the second degree with good approach
The Unhealthy
– Must be sooner getting out in house and finding project
– Inconsistent anchor
– Can get bull-rushed by robust move rushers
– Loses to fast swim strikes by lunging as a run blocker
– Weaker arms that may get chopped
– Can overset and quit inside strikes in move safety
– Must decide to attacking first in move safety
– Fast spin strikes in move safety give him hassle
– Restoration potential wants work
– Small body for an NFL deal with
– Exhibits low effort within the display screen recreation
Bio
– Began 28 video games at Oregon throughout two years after transferring from Rhode Island, the place he began 22 video games throughout two years
– 2024: allowed 3 sacks, 4 QB hits, and 22 hurries in 526 move block snaps
– Named Second-Staff All-Massive Ten
– Obtained AFCA All-American Honors
– 2023: allowed 0 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 10 hurries in 541 move block snaps
– Named Honorable Point out All-Pac 12
– Named Preseason All-Pac 12
– 2022: allowed 1 sack, 2 QB hits, and three hurries in 399 move block snaps
– Named CAA All-Convention First Staff
– Zero-star prospect out of Archbishop Stepinac
– Led his group to back-to-back state championships in New York Metropolis Excessive Faculty Soccer League 3A in 2017 and 2018
– Chosen because the Catholic Excessive Faculty Soccer League AAA Offensive Lineman of the Yr
– In July 2024, Cornelius held a “Back2School Jamboree,” which gave underprivileged college students bookbags and different college provides
Tape Breakdown
The phrase I might use to explain Ajani Cornelius’ recreation is inconsistent, which is sensible when taking a look at his background. He’s a low-recruited prospect who began taking part in FBS soccer 2 years in the past. He reveals good flashes that may translate to the NFL however wants to enhance these abilities down-to-down.
As a run blocker, he impresses me as a zone blocker, particularly in huge zone performs requiring him to dam a defender to forestall them from attending to the ball service. He has the athleticism to cross gaps and use his good physique positioning to offer the ball service a window to run via. He makes use of his spectacular reach-blocking abilities persistently and can be finest used as a large zone deal with or guard who can wall off huge defenders. On this play as the suitable deal with, he reach-blocks the 3-technique that leads to a win.
In hole scheme, he’s serviceable however not a optimistic participant. What worries me about Cornelius’ recreation is his play power, and he won’t ever drive a defender down the sphere. He’s all the time holding them up and utilizing his physique positioning to win. It is a good and unhealthy factor, because it reveals he is aware of what he has to do and what leverage will work in his favor, but it surely reveals that he doesn’t have that uncooked energy to be a recreation wrecker on hole runs. There are some performs the place Cornelius will get his head down, lunges, and is overwhelmed by a fast swim transfer.
He doesn’t react effectively to fast strikes from a defensive lineman, and he can get misplaced within the shuffle with out blocking anybody. He shows good approach when attending to the second degree, however his aggressiveness is worrisome. Most offensive linemen get joyous when getting to dam a smaller linebacker or defensive again, however his low sense of urgency offers me the sensation he’s not a cranium crusher. Within the display screen recreation, he shows gradual lateral and vertical pace, paired with effort that wants work.
This drawback reveals up repeatedly on movie, as proven within the play beneath.
In move safety, Cornelius reveals his inconsistency with good flashes. One of the best factor he can do is get hands-on early, as he has the grip power to manage the defender all through the snap. Pairing that along with his good hand placement, he wins most of these reps when his fingers get on early. Nonetheless, his play power reveals up negatively as a move protector, as his arms can get chopped by a handsy rusher. When he can not get his fingers on rapidly, the defender swipes his fingers away and may get to the quarterback. His weak arms have to get stronger to carry up when he doesn’t get fingers on early.
Fast swim strikes or jab steps from an edge rusher can provide him hassle, and he can overset versus a speedy rusher, resulting in him giving up inside strikes. His restoration potential and hand combating must develop into extra constant to outlive in 1v1 move safety.
Once more, his anchor could be very inconsistent in opposition to a bull rush. On some performs, he does job of sinking in his stance and holding up effectively, however there are others the place he will get blown again into the quarterback. Bettering decrease physique power and gaining a extra constant anchor will assist him in opposition to highly effective rushers.
Conclusion
Whereas Ajani Cornelius has quite a lot of flaws in his recreation, the flashes he reveals can be sufficient for a group to draft him. Solely taking part in FBS soccer for two years, there’s quite a lot of potential to be tapped into. Each flaw that I listed above, he additionally reveals good flashes in these areas, and if they are often maximized with good teaching, he generally is a stable starter within the NFL. Due to his smaller dimension, he may also be kicked inside and play guard, the place he will be coated up extra in move safety whereas additionally maximizing his zone run-blocking potential. My comp for him is Dan Moore Jr.
Projection: Late Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 7.6 – Third Spherical (Potential Starter/Good Backup)
Video games Watched: vs Ohio State (common season – 2024), at Michigan (2024), vs Penn State (2024), vs Ohio State (playoff – 2024)
