X Midseason Film Room: Four great Senior DBs (and one DL)

A little more than midway through the season, we're starting to get a ton of great tape. Midseason tapes are out, and we're only a few weeks away from full-season highlights. This time around, I'm focusing on Seniors, and more specifically, Senior DBs with one bonus DL/LB.    I had first mentioned [player_tooltip player_id='1247215' first='DesMond' last='Murphy'] in Hudl Discoveries #14   Below is what I had to say about him in March   "DesMond has some great instincts as a defensive back. The highlights below strictly show his defensive plays, and considering these highlights are pinned to his profile, it's safe to say he's a DB, first and foremost. He has several PBUs on poorly thrown balls where he's already in good coverage. Even on plays where he's not particularly close to the ball, he has decent closing speed. His 9 PBUs speak for themselves. Offensively, he put up 602 yards and 12TDs on offense. A great, productive player, I'd love to see DesMond at an offseason camp."   This time around, his tape is quite different. It starts with much of the same- a good intervention on a poorly thrown ball. The next play (0:30) shows what is probably DesMond's best interception to date. He stays with the receiver through his post route, then goes up and high points the ball for the pick. The plays from 0:45 - 1:30 shows quite a bit of offense from DesMond- showing quite a bit of explosiveness and athleticism.   I see some improvement from weeks 1-3. Very promising, and I'm looking forward to seeing what DesMond is able to accomplish moving forward!      Rainey is a very, very versatile player. Right off the back, you'll see him lurk backward, follow the QB's eyes, and secure a great pick-six. The very next play, he jumps on a route and picks off the pass. Throughout the rest of Rainey's defensive tape, he makes several very good run stops. It's a simple thing, really, but SO many DBs struggle mightily in the run game.   He also has a few highlights on offense, showing solid elusiveness and even some contact balance in the open field (3:09).   Good tape and a key piece for what should be a playoff team!      Although a bit short, Jayden has solid DB tape.   All of his tape is run defense, except for one play at the very end. On those run defense plays, Jayden does a solid job attacking the ballcarrier and shedding blocks. He isn't the biggest player, so it's a bit difficult for him to shed some blocks, but he makes it work. On pass defense, there isn't much go too off of but it looks like he's OK at the very least.   Jayden seems like a great role player for John Glenn. When needed, he can make a play against the outside run, make a big hit, or defend a deep ball. I look forward to watching Jayden's end-of-season highlights.      Alex's tape starts out strong with an amazing 100-yard pick 6. On that play, he reacts incredibly quickly to the thrown ball, covers a ton of space in a short time, then in the blink of an eye, he's sprinting the other way.   I always look for how well a safety can defend the run, and most of the rest of his tape shows a lot of great run defense. Like a lot of great run defenders, Alex reacts quickly and is not afraid to get his nose dirty against an RB barreling toward him. For instance, look at the play at 0:59. Alex takes a solid angl, and hits the runner (who is a highly-touted prospect) very hard, stopping a would-be TD.   I am very happy to see Alex with two great offers from Lawrence Tech and Alma. Both programs play good ball, and he'd be an incredible fit on either team. With elite testing statistics, he'd definitely be a D2 prospect.      Corbin has had a few good games lately.   The majority of the tape below is against Hudsonville and Grandville. In both of those games, Corbin racked up a few tackles and was utilized on some well-designed stunts. The highlight at 0:22 shows a great run stop against Muskegon. The line didn't seem to expect Corbin to pinch inside, and he made them pay. At 0:45, Corbin works through a block and into the backfield for a great TFL. At 1:02, Corbin runs an extremely well-designed stunt, sidesteps a block, and makes a great tackle.   Right now, Corbin seems like a great role player for the Rams. You can put him on the D-Line, Linebacker, or Running Back and be confident. I'll probably catch a Rockford game in the postseason, and I'll keep an eye on Corbin if/when I attend a game!

A little more than midway through the season, we're starting to get a ton of great tape. Midseason tapes are out, and we're only a few weeks away from full-season highlights. This time around, I'm focusing on Seniors, and more specifically, Senior DBs with one bonus DL/LB.