Brandon Boykin- 2012 Scouting Report

This is our Brandon Boykin Scouting report. For all of our other scouting reports go to our scouting report page.

Measurables

5’9″ 182, 31 1/2″ arm length, 9 3/8″ hands

Positives:

+ Loose man coverage- as long as he isn’t asked to jam a receiver off the line, he can cover anyone
+ Athleticism- sub 4.4 40, loose hips, phenomenal athlete that won dunk contest in high school (and he’s 5’10)
+ Production- rarely allows catches
+ Ball skills- above average hands
+ Character- plays with on field intensity, clearly has worked hard to gain a knowledge of the game
+ Pretty good kick returner

Negatives:

– Size- 5’10 180lbs, and I love corners with size
– Strength- can’t jam the release of a wide receiver, not a great tackler
– Poor run stopper- don’t get me wrong, he’s a willing run stopper, and he has solid instincts, but his lack of size and strength makes him awful at tackling a running back, and he can’t shed blocks either
– Has to play in the right scheme- if he isn’t playing loose man, he will fail

Georgia senior cornerback Brandon Boykin is one of the most productive corners in the FBS. He always dominates in coverage, but his lack of strength could really hurt him in the NFL.

Boykin has good speed, but poor size. He is incredibly fast, but at 5’10 180lbs, he is about as small as any corner I have ever scouted. He has good recovery speed and he accelerates quickly, but his lack of size really hurts him in coverage.

Boykin is a phenomenal athlete. He’s a fluid athlete with loose hips, quick feet, and unbelievable leaping ability. He has the speed and athleticism to cover any player, and he uses those gifts to also be one of the best kick and punt returners in the FBS. Boykin’s athleticism is the main reason he’s a draft prospect.

Boykin seems to have good character. He has no off the field issues to my knowledge, and he plays the game with excellent on field intensity. He also has worked hard to learn about the game. His intangibles don’t seem to be anything to worry about.

Boykin has mediocre stats, but they are misleading. He has awful tackle numbers, but that’s largely because he never allows catches and doesn’t have many receivers to tackle. However, he has not been a productive run stopper. He has been a starter since sophomore year, and he has always been getting a fair amount of interceptions since he has been a starter, but his lack of tackles are a reason for concern.

Boykin has solid ball skills. He has good hands, and he accelerates quickly enough to get a great break on the ball. He is also always in position to make a play on the ball. However, his short arms make it difficult for his to deflect some passes. His ball skills aren’t a reason for concern.

Boykin’s biggest issue is his lack of strength. Even for a guy as small as he is, his strength is awful. He can’t be trusted in press man coverage, and he has always struggled to jam the routes of wide receivers and get into position in zone coverage. He plays hard, but his lack of strength hurts so many aspects of his game.

Boykin is an awful run stopper. He plays hard, and he has good instincts, but he lacks strength, and his short arms makes it almost impossible for him to even wrap his arms around bigger running backs. He is a poor tackler, and he is very poor at shedding off blocks.

Ultimately, in the right scheme, Boykin is a pro bowler. He is truly unbeatable in loose man coverage, but unless he goes to a team that will use his limited skill set, his talent will be a waste (well, he’ll still return kicks). If a coach is willing to use him exclusively in loose man coverage, he’ll be a great player. I’m not huge on him, because I still love corners with size, but he can still be a good player (who is destined to play for the Falcons).

NFL Comparison: Pacman Jones without character issues.

Grade: 81 (deserves to be a late second round pick)

Projection: 78 (will be an early third round pick)

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