Redskins 7-round February mock draft: Defense early, offense late

School saps away a lot of my time, so I don’t always have top to watch all the prospects in a mock in depth. But I also picked Noah Igbinoghene for a mock draft on another website, and folks, he is exciting.

I’ll probably have Igbinoghene ranked higher on my board than most evaluators. He’s quite raw at the moment, but he has literally all the traits you’d want in a top-tier cornerback, and he’s still relatively new to the position, having made a switch from wide receiver after his freshman season. Now a true junior and declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft, Igbinoghene’s upside is well on display.

Igbinoghene is an insane athlete, with exceptional explosion gearing up and top-end speed to carry himself in the pocket of even the fastest receivers. He can flip his hips with supremely abrupt fluidity, and he has excellent length for his 6-foot-0 frame, leading to immense playmaking potential. He also has exciting versatility, as on tape, he was seen taking snaps on the boundary, in the slot, and at safety. He has the size and speed to warrant that movement.

Igbinoghene is still very clearly learning the cornerback position; despite having traits that are conducive to heightened ball production, his ball production was only modest in his time with the Tigers. He has considerable room for polish with his hands, both at the line and in coverage. He’s comfortable playing close in press, as he has the athleticism to easily recover after an initial loss. But he isn’t nearly active enough as a press cornerback, given the length he possesses.

If anything, however, Igbinoghene’s lack of polish speaks more to the tantalizing upside that he possesses at the next level. Igbinoghene’s athletic traits as a former wide receiver stand out, and he plays with an aggressive attitude. Much like Redskins cornerback Quinton Dunbar, Igbinoghene could do great things at the next level with the right coaching. He’s one of #MyGuys early on.