CB Terrence Frederick – Steelers 7th Round Pick

With their 3rd pick in the seventh round, the Steelers selected CB Terrence Frederick of Texas A&M.

Overview

Frederick is an undersized corner who started for Texas A&M and played a variety of roles throughout his career. He is slow-footed, which can be his defining attribute as he struggles off the line playing close in man coverage; he is much more of a zone player. He often has played in the slot in nickel packages in his career, which will help him early on in his transition to the NFL. He gets the most out of his athletic ability by being a smart player who takes good angles on the ball.

Analysis

Strengths

Frederick is a very good zone defender who understands angles. He knows how to diagnose plays and watches his man’s hips and then turns his eyes to the quarterback to make breaks when playing zone. This can get him in trouble at times, but he wins more often than not when reacting to the quarterback and breaking on the ball. Frederick is a solid, good-base athlete who plays that way on the edge when supporting the run. Although he is slightly undersized, he likes to throw his body around and won’t just stick on blocks, which is the knock on some undersized corners.

Weaknesses

Frederick is not a man-cover corner and would struggle early if put in that situation in the NFL. He is slow-footed and can get blown by off the snap when in man coverage. He is a bit undersized and struggles on the line against bigger receivers. He is inconsistent and almost bashful when playing man coverage. He appears unsure of his speed when running with a receiver down field.

Overview

Frederick is an undersized corner who started for Texas A&M and played a variety of roles throughout his career. He is slow-footed, which can be his defining attribute as he struggles off the line playing close in man coverage; he is much more of a zone player. He often has played in the slot in nickel packages in his career, which will help him early on in his transition to the NFL. He gets the most out of his athletic ability by being a smart player who takes good angles on the ball.

Analysis

Strengths

Frederick is a very good zone defender who understands angles. He knows how to diagnose plays and watches his man’s hips and then turns his eyes to the quarterback to make breaks when playing zone. This can get him in trouble at times, but he wins more often than not when reacting to the quarterback and breaking on the ball. Frederick is a solid, good-base athlete who plays that way on the edge when supporting the run. Although he is slightly undersized, he likes to throw his body around and won’t just stick on blocks, which is the knock on some undersized corners.

Weaknesses

Frederick is not a man-cover corner and would struggle early if put in that situation in the NFL. He is slow-footed and can get blown by off the snap when in man coverage. He is a bit undersized and struggles on the line against bigger receivers. He is inconsistent and almost bashful when playing man coverage. He appears unsure of his speed when running with a receiver down field.