Chidobe Awuzie is a CB who will think like a LB for Cowboys

Chidobe Awuzie has mostly been under the radar during the draft process, but the Colorado cornerback is one of the most interesting defensive backs in this year’s NFL draft. The Cowboys hope he can become an early contributor after selecting him with the 60th overall pick in the second round.

Awuzie was a four-year starter at Colorado, winning the job immediately as a freshman. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in consecutive seasons, closing out his college career with three interceptions, 28 passes deflected, six forced fumbles, and 266 tackles. He also had 25 tackles for losses, including nine sacks — both figures are school records for defensive backs.

Physically, he looks the part. Standing in at 6’0, 202 pounds, Awuzie ran a blazing 4.43 40 time at the combine. He also had an impressive 11-foot broad jump, second-best among all prospects this year.

“I’m a cornerback that thinks like a Mike linebacker,” he told SB Nation’s Alex Kirshner in an interview.

Awuzie is a versatile player, capable of lining up both outside and in the slot. He played all four positions in the secondary in Boulder. He’s proficient at man coverage, using his speed and first step to stick to opposing receivers. Awuzie is also good at roaming the field and snuffing out the play, often being one of the first defensive backs to stop a runner.

Here’s just one example of Awuzie’s strong instincts and closing speed, sensing the screen pass setup and immediately blowing up the play:

Due to his ability to close on the quarterback on slot blitzes, coupled with a willingness to play special teams (gunner at CU), Awuzie should have little trouble carving out a role early in his NFL career.

Awuzie prides himself on his physicality and cited Brian Dawkins as a major influence in his interview with SB Nation:

“I see myself as my own player. I try to take pieces from a lot of people. Growing up, the first player and the first exposure I had to football was seeing Brian Dawkins flying all over the field. Before the game even started, he’s jumping around in the pregame warm-up. His faith in God, his off-the-field was outstanding as well.”

Here’s a fun trivia fact: Awuzie’s godmother is the aunt of Asomugha, who was a top-level cornerback with the Oakland Raiders for several years. He also had Christian Okoye as a mentor (both men have roots in Nigeria), giving Awuzie some strong pedigree to learn from.

Awuzie is an aggressive player, but he’ll need to ease up on being so handsy. Despite being good at breaking up passes, he’s not much of a ballhawk, nabbing just three interceptions in four years at Colorado. His tackling ability is less than optimal — tight ends would provide a challenge.

Ultimately, Awuzie has more positives than negatives. Even if he doesn’t have the upside of other cornerbacks drafted ahead of him, he has one of the safest floors, profiling as a top-tier nickelback who can play outside when needed.

The Cowboys had two major defensive needs — pass rush and secondary. They addressed the pass rush in the first round with Taco Charlton, and Awuzie is a solid addition to the pass defense. Following the departures of Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne in free agency, Awuzie fills an urgent need for Dallas.