2020 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Darnay Holmes

2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2020 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Trey Adams, OT, Washington Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Bradley Anae, DE, Utah Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn Joe Burrow, QB, LSU K'Lavon Chaisson, DE, LSU Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame Nick Coe, DE, Auburn Lloyd Cushenberry, C, LSU Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State Marlon Davidson, DE, Auburn Ashtyn Davis, S, California Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama Grant Delpit, S, LSU Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne Troy Dye, LB, Oregon J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Jacob Eason, QB, Washington Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU Jon Greenard, DE, Florida Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA Robert Hunt, G, La.-Lafayette Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn Austin Jackson, OT, USC Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah Josh Jones, OT, Houston Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Walker Little, OT, Stanford Jordan Love, QB, Utah State Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Zack Moss, RB, Utah Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri Patrick Queen, LB, LSU Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson Trey Smith, OT, Tennessee D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

Darnay Holmes, 5-10/192 Cornerback UCLA

Darnay Holmes Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Above-average athlete

Agility

Balanced in coverage

Above-average short-area change of direction

Mirror ability

Plus instincts

Good route recognition

Weaknesses:

Undersized

Short and light

Not fast; lacks speed

Tight in the hips

Gets beat at the line; jumps initial movement

Lacks long speed, struggling to to run with speed receivers

Not able to recover

Can gets bumped around, out-physical-ed

Too handsy with receivers downfield in coverage

Struggles to shed blocks

Misses tackles

Leaves his feet

Struggles to shed blocks

Summary: Holmes was a solid defensive back for UCLA oer the past three seasons. As a redshirt freshman in 2017, he notched 39 tackles with three picks and three breakups. Holmes then collected 49 tackles with three interceptions and eight passes defended in 2018. In 2019, he totaled 33 tackles with two interceptions and six passes defended on the year.

Holmes could have transferred or returned to UCLA, but decided to make the move to the next level, and as a redshirt junior, he was allowed to play in the Senior Bowl. In Mobile, Holmes had an impressive week of practice and was very competitive. Team sources called his Senior Bowl performance was better than his college tape.

On the positive side, Holmes is an above-average athlete with good quickness, agility and balance. He displays above-average short-area change of direction and mirror ability to effectively cover in man. Holmes also has above-average instincts and route recognition.

On the negative side, Holmes is undersized and a little tight in the hips. He was often beaten at the line from jumping initial movement and has issues in transition. He lacks ideal long speed and is challenged to run with receivers vertically downfield. Holmes struggles to recover once he falls behind. His size hurts him in that he can get bumped and out-physical-ed by bigger receivers. He can get handsy in downfield coverage at times. As a run defender, Holmes struggles to shed blocks and misses quite a few tackles, leaving his feet and failing to wrap up.

For the NFL, Holmes looks like a backup slot corner. He might get cross-trained at safety because of his instincts, but his lack of size, speed, and tackling ability could make it tough for him to play safety as a pro. Some team sources have him graded as a mid-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Jourdan Lewis. I think Holmes could be similar to Lewis in the NFL with the exception of Lewis being faster than Holmes. Lewis (5-10, 195) and Holmes are almost identical in size with similar limitations as nickel corners.

2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2020 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Trey Adams, OT, Washington Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Bradley Anae, DE, Utah Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn Joe Burrow, QB, LSU K'Lavon Chaisson, DE, LSU Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame Nick Coe, DE, Auburn Lloyd Cushenberry, C, LSU Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State Marlon Davidson, DE, Auburn Ashtyn Davis, S, California Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama Grant Delpit, S, LSU Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne Troy Dye, LB, Oregon J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Jacob Eason, QB, Washington Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU Jon Greenard, DE, Florida Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA Robert Hunt, G, La.-Lafayette Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn Austin Jackson, OT, USC Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah Josh Jones, OT, Houston Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Walker Little, OT, Stanford Jordan Love, QB, Utah State Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Zack Moss, RB, Utah Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri Patrick Queen, LB, LSU Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson Trey Smith, OT, Tennessee D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

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