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2014 Stats: 2 INT, 6 PBUs, 28 tackles
Career Stats (3 seasons): 6 INT, 18 PBUs, 3 TFL, 111 tackles
Made 30 career starts in 3 seasons at UM. But the 'Canes rotated a lot of players at CB so that is a bit misleading.
Was still one of the better cover corners on the team though.
Also showed pretty good ball skills.
Gunter also displayed the ability/technique to play both press and zone during his time in Coral Gables.
Had an excellent week of practice in Mobile, Al leading up to the Senior Bowl, but ran a sub par 4.69 40 at the combine, likely hurting his draft status.
Is he too slow to transition to the next level though? Can he be a special teams ace (he did okay at Miami)?
Is he more S than CB at the next level?
Ladarius Gunter had a good Senior Bowl week. 4.69u in the 40 may heat up safety talks for his 6'1" frame.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 23, 2015
Let's break it down and look at where he might end up come draft time.
Strengths:
#1 Size - At 6'2 205, Gunter is a tall and rangy corner who can match up with bigger receivers, and also hold his own in the red zone.
#2 Versatility - His size and ball skills make him ideal as zone corner. But he has strong hands as well, and is fluid (if not fast) enough to play man. As mentioned above, he may flip to safety at the next level. I'm not sure his range is ideal for that, but he will attack the ball if given the opportunity. He also covered the slot some in college.
#3 Physicality - LD may not make anyone forget Dick "Night Train" Lane as a tackler anytime soon. But given the frequency of bubble screens in the NFL these days, the way he comes up and sticks his nose in plays has to be a plus for NFL scouts. He's not afraid to whack a WR or two either before or after the reception.
Weaknesses:
#1 Speed - Gunter has a knack to close on the ball, and he often needs it, as he isn't a burner by any stretch of the imagination. This may be his ultimate downfall in the NFL.
#2 Angles - He's a good tackler when he gets to the ball, but there were many missed opportunities during his career, because a poor angle was taken. Due to the fact he is not the fastest player, this is something of a critical flaw at times.
NFL Players he most resembles: Otis Smith (retired), Ike Taylor (best case).
Draft Projection: 7th Round, New York Jets. The Jets have all kinds of issues at CB and need some warm bodies. If you can get Gunter this late in the draft, he is a low risk/high reward gamble. He's not exactly a front end, super talented player but he has some skills and if he can stick as a ST player, he may also work his way into an NFL rotation as a physical option at CB.
Stay tuned for many more updates as Miami's 2015 NFL Draft eligible players prepare to hear their names called at Radio City.