2019 NFL Draft: 11 Sleepers to watch from East-West Shrine Game
4. Montre Hartage, CB, Northwestern
Montre Hartage offers good height and build at 6-0 and just under 200 pounds. On the line of scrimmage, he has strong hands in press situations. While he’s not sticky in man coverage, he’s excellent playing zone. He does a great job clicking and closing on receivers, as evidenced by his 26 pass breakups over three seasons at Northwestern. As a run defender, he isn’t great, but is effective. There’s not a lot of twitchiness in Hartage’s movements, which limits him schematically.
For now, Hartage appears to best fit a zone scheme. His ability to press and drop into zone effectively will warrant some Day 3 consideration. Since the 2019 NFL Draft lacks ideal depth at corner, Hartage could go earlier than expected.
3. Cody Thompson, WR, Toledo
Who doesn’t love a guy who can run great routes? In that regard, Cody Thompson is second to none. Despite not having 4.3 speed, Thompson excels running deep routes. He does a great job off the line and selling his initial breaks, giving him the advantage downfield. Thompson is 6-2, 205 pounds, with great balance to play the boundary. However, thanks to his amazing burst and route running, he translates well into the slot.
Teams like the Buccaneers, Cardinals, Dolphins and Ravens would benefit from a guy with Thompson’s skill-set. Because of his route running ability, he could see early success, especially if he improves on his ball skills. Thompson may not hear his name called in the first 100 picks. However, when he does land on a team, those who passed on him will live to regret it.