Ifeatu Melifonwu making some money at 2021 Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is always a great week for guys to impress and boost their NFL Draft stock, and one player who has done exactly that is Syracuse cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu.

Scouts and evaluators almost always perk up when there is a cornerback checking in at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, but even when “unicorn” types of players like that come along, rarely do they have the type of fluidity and foot quickness required to play the cornerback position at a high level consistently in the NFL.

Melifonwu has been using this week to prove that is not the case.

Combining that hip fluidity, length, reactive quickness, and all-around athleticism, it’s hard not to love this guy’s next level projection.

At this particular point in time, most projections have Melifonwu landing somewhere in the top 64 selections.

He only played 23 games at Syracuse but he has consistently shown off his ball skills, breaking up 19 passes in those 23 games, picking off three. He also showed off his ability to attack the line of scrimmage and make plays as a tackler with 88 total tackles and five tackles for loss in those three seasons at Syracuse.

Ifeatu is the younger brother of former second-round pick Obi Melifonwu (Raiders) but unlike his big brother, it doesn’t appear as though a transition to the safety position is going to be necessary for his NFL future.

This player’s overall size, production at the catch point, athletic traits, and ability to stick with receivers in a short area could all ultimately lead to a top 40 investment from some team.

Teams need guys like this who can not only shut down the bigger “X” receivers but guys like Travis Kelce and Darren Waller who have become such nightmares to try and cover. Melifonwu might not exactly be the tight end eraser, but he has the kind of ability to move around the defensive formation and really provide some team with a weapon.

This week at the Senior Bowl was huge for him getting exposure to NFL Draft fans after a really strong junior campaign. He might be a bit of an upside play having just 23 games under his belt but this is the kind of talent smart defensive coaches can turn into a star at the next level.