"He's had a meteoric rise since the combine. He only played defense for two years since he was a converted wide receiver. He's a 6-foot-2 cornerback with 4.3 40 speed." -- Mike Mayock
6'2" Height
32" Arm Length
209LBS. Weight
9 5/8" Hands
Overview
Green was a lightly-regarded two-star recruit out of Alabama when Clemson made a scholarship offer -- one of only two major programs to do so. Even though the other was his favorite school growing up, Auburn, he took a chance on Clemson, and it paid off well. He worked at the receiver position as a true freshman, catching two passes and returning three kicks in 12 games. Coaches moved him to safety after the season, with the hopes he could make a bigger impact -- figuratively and literally. As a sophomore he started once and played as a reserve in 10 other contests, recording 24 tackles and one interception, in addition to returning kicks full-time (445 yards). His game took a big leap in 2015, as Green and his roommate, Jayron Kearse, formed one of the tallest and most feared safety duos in the country. He finished second on the team with 95 tackles, 5.5 for loss, broke up three passes and forced two fumbles as the Tigers run at an undefeated season went all the way to the final game of the year.
Pro Day Results
Short shuttle: 4.41 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.1 seconds
Analysis
Strengths
Former wide receiver turned safety. Speedster who had a few "walk down" tackles coming from way behind to make tackles on breakaways. Has exciting coverage range potential for defense that asks more of him. Flashes man cover ability with length, speed, and balls skills associated with being a former receiver. Asked to walk down into the box and handle run support duties from time to time. Lightning fast blitzer who can factor off the slot. Patterns his game after Chiefs safety Eric Berry. Returned kickoffs in 2014.
Weaknesses
Open-field tackling issues are problematic. Too much shoulder hits and not enough wrap ups. Positioning and balance when tackling is below average. Credited with 17 missed or broken tackles in 2015. One-year starter. Asked to play so much high safety that his coverage opportunities and experience is limited. Hesitates to fire downhill after the run or catch, giving away valuable yardage. Instincts a work in progress missing opportunities to take chances and make plays on the ball.
Draft Projection
Round 2
Sources Tell Us
"There is a buzz going around about him from some people I talk to on a regular basis but I'm not sure where it is coming from. He's fast, but what else?" -- NFC executive
NFL Comparison
Cedric Thompson
Bottom Line
Height/weight/speed prospect who appears to be heating up around draft circles. With just one year of full-time starting experience and so much dead tape due to deep coverage responsibilities, teams will have a limited sample size to operate from, but traits usually win out. If Green hits a fast 40 at the combine (as expected), his stock will get a bump. Greens coverage potential is evident, but he might need time on the bench to watch and learn early on.
