Broncos Pick 115 Damarri Mathis CB Pitt

[megalodon30]

 

[BHamita]

Extremely athletic dude with great explosiveness. Too many penalties though.

 

[SpringStein]

I’ll put this here:
Damarri Mathis, who has two brothers, grew up in central Florida and started playing football at the youth level where he was a standout on offense. He enrolled at Lakeland High and reluctantly moved to defensive back where he made the varsity team as a sophomore starting cornerback. As a junior, Mathis led the team with eight passes defended and one interception. He earned All-District and All-County honors as a senior and led Lakeland to an 8-3 record and spot in the Class 7A playoffs. Mathis finished his prep career with 73 tackles, 32 passes defended and five interceptions.
A three-star recruit out of high school, Mathis was the No. 64 cornerback in the 2017 recruiting class and the No. 88 recruit in the state of Florida. He started receiving scholarship offers after his junior season and originally committed to South Carolina. However, he decommitted from the Gamecocks after his senior season and flipped to Pittsburgh. Florida entered the picture shortly before signing day, but Mathis felt comfortable with his commitment and signed with the Panthers. He graduated with a degree in communications and is pursuing a second degree in administration of justice. Mathis hyperextended his knee and decided to skip the 2021 bowl game and accepted his invitation to the 2022 Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS: Quick-footed athlete able to turn and run with receivers from press ... eagerly reroutes receivers at the line ... has the long speed to match deep routes and stay in phase ... deftly balances his eyes between the backfield and his cover responsibilities ... maintains a spatial relationship between combinations in zone ... highly aggressive demeanor at the catch point ... functional length to play through the hands of receivers (21 passes defended in 26 games the last two seasons) ... takes it personally when a pass is completed on his watch ... physical striker and receivers feel it when he connects ... widens his stance as a tackler to corral the ball carrier ... his teammates say he was a “key part” of Pitt’s defensive backs room.
WEAKNESSES: Very average body type with tiny hands ... too easily manipulated by double-moves and multi-break patterns ... his cover awareness breaks down with his back to the ball ... needs to be more calculating with his risk-taking (more touchdowns allowed than interceptions in 2021) ... quick to crowd the catch point but often arrives too early ... was a flag magnet in college with nine penalties as a senior, including six pass-interference penalties ... perimeter corner with only 5 percent of his coverage snaps coming against the slot ... his durability needs to check out: missed the 2020 season with a non-football injury to his left shoulder (August 2020) that required surgery; sat out the 2021 bowl game after hyperextending his knee in the ACC championship game (December 2021).
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Pittsburgh, Mathis was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Randy Bates’ balanced scheme. Although he fell off the radar for some after missing the 2020 season with an injury, he played with more confidence as a senior and steadily improved his standing throughout the 2021 season and draft process. Mathis has the athletic profile needed for the NFL and shows play recognition and reactive twitch, both mentally and athletically. While physicality is an endearing part of his game, he isn’t shy going through receivers and must control his urgent play style. Overall, Mathis’ aggressive demeanor can be a double-edged sword and work against him, but he is smart, speedy and competitive, which is an easy sell in draft meetings. He can play man or zone and will push for early NFL playing time if he develops better discipline in coverage

 

[CEH]

Extremely athletic dude with great explosiveness. Too many penalties though.

should be correctable

i guess too aggressive is better than not aggressive enough

 

[SteelersPride]

Could be alot better than you think.

 

[Orange Crush77]

Could be alot better than you think.

Is he good? I don’t know anything about him

 

[SteelersPride]

Is he good? I don’t know anything about him

He needs some work. Hes a good guy and a leader. Pitt doesnt hesitate to put their cornerbacks on an island. They ask alot of them. Hes likely better than his numbers show, based on that fact alone.

Hes a guy i look at as a depth player with massive upside to develop into a quality starter.

 

[Mingo]

Surtan is smooth as silk - the Broncos need a guy who can climb into the receiver's space and take away his comfort. He is a baller. Now he will be a professional - and he will realize his next contract depends upon how much you can do and get away with it in the NFL. Since Talib left - the Broncos really haven't had an enforcer in the DB.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Mathis will come in right away and contribute on special teams.... I may be in the minority here but I love players who like to mix it up, fesity, play with a chip and aren't afraid to talk smack to their opponent (as long as it doesn't go too far drawing a penalty) I love the way Mathis plays. I don't feel his ceiling is as a starter but I do see him a lot like Omar Bolden was for Denver...

This pick reminds me a lot of Omar Bolden who turned out pretty good here as a special teamer/depth guy.

 

[Mingo]

Mathis will come in right away and contribute on special teams.... I may be in the minority here but I love players who like to mix it up, fesity, play with a chip and aren't afraid to talk smack to their opponent (as long as it doesn't go too far drawing a penalty) I love the way Mathis plays. I don't feel his ceiling is as a starter but I do see him a lot like Omar Bolden was for Denver...

This pick reminds me a lot of Omar Bolden who turned out pretty good here as a special teamer/depth guy.

I agree with you on this take. Except - Mathis has every possibility of being a starter in say year 2. They can teach him technique, but hey can't teach toughness.

 

[Draft Crazy]

I agree with you on this take. Except - Mathis has every possibility of being a starter in say year 2. They can teach him technique, but hey can't teach toughness.

Fair enough. I am going to go with Mathis peak as a 3rd CB and good special teams guy and that is a good thing in Round 4. Which is why I liked him much better in Round 4 then round 3... I'm not saying he can never start... I just think he is a 3/4 CB guy while being one of our best special teams guys... Perfect value in Round 4. Much similar to Omar Bolden/Kayvon Webster.

 

[SteelersPride]

Fair enough. I am going to go with Mathis peak as a 3rd CB and good special teams guy and that is a good thing in Round 4. Which is why I liked him much better in Round 4 then round 3... I'm not saying he can never start... I just think he is a 3/4 CB guy while being one of our best special teams guys... Perfect value in Round 4. Much similar to Omar Bolden/Kayvon Webster.

Lies. Hes gonna develop into a physical, shut down corner. Maybe even pick of the future HoF’er and his ex teammate kenny two gloves pickett

 

[Draft Crazy]

Lies. Hes gonna develop into a physical, shut down corner. Maybe even pick of the future HoF’er and his ex teammate kenny two gloves pickett

haha!!!

Next Richard Sherman!

 

[SteelersPride]

haha!!!

Next Richard Sherman!

Exactly lol

 

[BHamita]

Fair enough. I am going to go with Mathis peak as a 3rd CB and good special teams guy and that is a good thing in Round 4. Which is why I liked him much better in Round 4 then round 3... I'm not saying he can never start... I just think he is a 3/4 CB guy while being one of our best special teams guys... Perfect value in Round 4. Much similar to Omar Bolden/Kayvon Webster.

I never thought I would see the day that I rated a defensive back higher than DC.

 

[Draft Crazy]

I never thought I would see the day that I rated a defensive back higher than DC.

I might have you guys fooled. Maybe I did this to not look so much like a DB whore...

Jk for the record I do give Mathis a good grade. Is it because my B's and C's for DB's are actually D's and F's in the DC world overrating DB's and all.

 

[BHamita]

I might have you guys fooled. Maybe I did this to not look so much like a DB whore...

Jk for the record I do give Mathis a good grade. Is it because my B's and C's for DB's are actually D's and F's in the DC world overrating DB's and all.

More like, you saying a guy is a nickle or dime guy is code for "I hate him".

 

[LGM]

I like him in sub packages as a 3 or 4, but not knowing how well this new staff develops guys I'll wait and see on him becoming a starter. I think he's got a legit shot though, if he really had no help at Pitt.

 

[PumpFake]

I might have you guys fooled. Maybe I did this to not look so much like a DB whore...

Jk for the record I do give Mathis a good grade. Is it because my B's and C's for DB's are actually D's and F's in the DC world overrating DB's and all.

The whore thing is more a smell than a look, DC.

 

[Speardog_Atlas]

It seems like all the "experts" like this selection.