Athletic cornerback Julius Brents could see a move to safety after the 2023 NFL Draft

Kansas State cornerback Julius Brents enters the 2023 NFL Draft with some of the most impressive measurables in the class. A transfer from Iowa, Brents earned an abundance of accolades in 2022, being named to the All-Big 12 first team by his coaches, and All-Big 12 second team by the Associated Press. Brents’ efforts landed him on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list for the best defensive back in college football.

The Indianapolis Colts selected Julius Brents with the No. 44 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. For full coverage of the Julius Brents picks, head over to Stampede Blue.

Brents’ size and length immediately jump off the screen. A physically gifted 6’3, 198-pound cornerback, Brents understands how to utilize his natural abilities to his advantage. Brents uses his imposing frame to be disruptive at the line of scrimmage. Brents throws off a receiver’s timing in press-coverage situations by jamming them up and forcing them to alter their release.

Brents’ physical tools are evident at the catch point. Brents’ 34-inch arms (98th percentile) and 9.625-inch hands (83rd percentile) help him compete for the football when opposing quarterbacks test his coverage abilities. Ball skills were a question mark for Brents heading into the 2022 campaign, but he responded to those criticisms by recording a career-high four interceptions.

Brents is also a willing participant in the run game. He’s extremely physical and never shies away from contact. Brents willingly sheds from would-be blocking receivers on the boundary and pursues the ball-carrier. Brents closes downhill and doesn’t take run-game reps off. Collegiate cornerbacks don’t always love to tackle, but Brents is a rare breed in that department. It’s a trait that will endear itself to Brents’ position coaches.

Brents’ frame screams man-coverage cornerback, but his long-speed remains a question mark. Brents didn’t put forth many disappointing results at the NFL Scouting Combine (more on that shortly), but his 4.53 in the 40-yard dash was a 36th-percentile result. A deeper dive into the context doesn’t help Brents’ case. His 10-yard split of 1.57 was a 41st-percentile result.

There are instances on tape where receivers managed to separate from Brents vertically as a result. It led to Brents getting grabby on occasion, which could lead to defensive pass interference calls. A positional move to safety could be within the realm of possibility for Brents, although it’s largely a projection seeing that he lacks reps at safety.

Brents was a standout performer at the NFL Scouting Combine. Brents’ explosion was on display via a 41.5-inch vertical jump (96th percentile) and 11’6 broad jump (99th percentile). Brents’ aforementioned 4.53 result in the 40-yard dash left some to be desired, but a 6.63 3-cone (93rd percentile) showcased elite change-of-direction ability.

Brents’ results in Indianapolis led to a Relative Athletic Score of 9.99, placing him in truly elite territory. Brents’ MockDraftable athletic comparisons includes success stories like Jalen Ramsey, Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II. All three are considered elite cornerbacks in today’s NFL. Cornerbacks with similar athletic results that failed to develop are Gareon Conley, Derek Thomas and Justin Layne.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.Com had the following to say:

Brents is a classic zone cover corner with an outstanding blend of size, length and leaping ability. He has the disruptive traits to reroute the release and the dog in him to handle his business in run support. He can play some press-man on a vertical plane but lacks the top-end speed and pattern matching to play in that scheme full-time. Brents needs to maintain eye discipline from zone but has the ball skills to win a battle for the pass when he’s in position. While he’s likely to be targeted in the draft as a zone-based corner, he has the instincts and demeanor to make a move to safety if needed.

Brents is well-positioned to make an immediate impact for a zone-coverage based defense. You wish Brents’ skill-set leaned more favorably to man-coverage situations, but that’s just not his game. Overall, Brents’ rare measurables should place him in advantageous positions at the next level.