Experts react to Damarri Mathis pick for Denver Broncos
Here are what the experts have said about one of the newest members of the Denver Broncos, CB Damarri Mathis from Pitt, taken at 115.
The Denver Broncos opened their Saturday draft action by adding more depth to the secondary via Pitt CB Damarri Mathis with their 115th overall pick in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Just from a surface level, Damarri Mathis seems to be a solid pickup for the Broncos, especially now that we are into the later rounds of the draft.
Some of his biggest qualities are his superb athleticism, explosiveness, and agility in covering routes and keeping up with receivers. Another quality about Mathis that stands out is his competitive nature. Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy remarked:
"The biggest thing that stands out to me about Damarri is his competitiveness. It stands out on tape. For a corner, he’s physical. He likes to mix it up. He plays with confidence. That’s apparent. (via The Post Gazette)."
So, what are the experts saying about Damarri Mathis?
Coming into the draft weekend, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com had Mathis ranked as the 13th overall cornerback available and within the top 100 players, as the 99th best overall.
Mel Kiper had Mathis just slightly lower on his cornerback board at 17th. However, across the board, the experts had Mathis ranked pretty consistently, and had predicted where his name would be called pretty precisely.
However, Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings had placed Damarri Mathis as an arguable day two selection:
"Since the Pitt CB is 23 years old, has an injury history, and still has things to clean up on tape, Round 1 is likely too high. But on Day 2, Mathis could provide great value with with his tenacity and playmaking ability. He has great explosiveness and fluidity, the corrective twitch to stick to receivers all through the rep, and the ball skills to convert.(via Pro Football Network)."
Both Dane Brugler and Nick Kosmider noted that Mathis tends to lack discipline in coverage which leads him to get into trouble at times:
Brugler:
"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."
All of the above described may give flashbacks to Michael Ojemudia’s rookie season.
Kosmider:
"Depth at cornerback was a big need for the Broncos heading into the draft. Mathis can be overly physical at times, but he plays with good toughness. He had two interceptions in 2021, including one returned for a touchdown(both quotes via The Athletic)"
Though Damarri Mathis certainly is a player that is considered a work in progress, it seems as if the experts agree that his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.
It’s certainly too early to call anything, but it really feels as if the Denver Broncos could have found a diamond in the rough with this selection.
What makes this selection even better is the secondary room he is joining. With an opportunity to learn from guys like Patrick Surtain II and even safeties such as Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons, Mathis will be in good hands once he joins the team.
This is certainly a pick to watch for in 2022 that could be a budding star for the Denver Broncos.