Damon Arnette | CB | Ohio State
Elevator Pitch
Arnette is a well-rounded cornerback who possesses physicality, length and awareness in his game. While his average athleticism could prevent him from being a first-round pick, those aforementioned traits – along with his ability to play on the outside or in the slot – should see him come off the board on Day 2.
Vitals
Height | 6-0
Weight | 195
Strengths
Ohio State has produced several talented, pro-ready defensive backs in recent years, and Arnette is no exception.
A two-year starter who also played a significant role in the Buckeyes’ secondary in 2017, Arnette tallied 22 pass breakups in the three seasons after his redshirt freshman year. He has good length at the cornerback position and has the frame to keep up with some of the taller wide receivers on the boundary. He is a willing engager in press coverage, as he does a good job of jamming receivers immediately at the line of scrimmage and being a nuisance through a receiver’s route stem. His jab at the point of attack is powerful and can knock receivers off their route pattern, eliminating them from the play.
Arnette plays with intelligence and does a good job of anticipating and mirroring routes while reading the eyes of the quarterback and diagnosing the play. He plays with the awareness to limit a receiver’s ability to attack his blindspot and knows how deceive his opponents with false leverage points. His footwork in his backpedal is polished, and he has overall solid fluidity in short-area situations. He’s also a versatile cornerback, having experience and positive tape as a boundary cornerback, a field cornerback, or in the slot.
Weaknesses
For all that Arnette brings to the table, a lack of high-end athleticism prevents him from being a true top-tier cornerback in this year’s class. He doesn’t have fantastic deep speed and can be tested by speedy wideouts on vertical routes. His burst coming out of his breaks could be improved, as it prevents him from consistently being able to jump routes downhill and make a play on the ball.
Arnette doesn’t offer too much value in run support, as he doesn’t take the best of angles to the ball-carrier, and his effort as a tackler in the open field could be improved. Due to his lack of impressive athleticism in coverage, he could be less of a fit in man-heavy schemes and might instead be limited to zone schemes.
