Packers: What do the Scouting Reports Say About Stanford Samuels?

One of the Green Bay Packers undrafted rookies to watch closely this summer is cornerback Stanford Samuels from Florida State.

Once the NFL Draft comes to an end there is an instant frenzy among all 32 teams to fill out their rosters with undrafted free agents. Now in most instances many of these players are bodies for training camp and the best-case scenario for them is making the practice squad.

But there are those few players who breakthrough, make an NFL roster, and even make an impact over their career. And when it comes to the Green Bay Packers, they’ve had a few of these players in recent years. This list includes Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, John Kuhn, Raven Greene, Cullen Jenkins, and others.

This year the Packers would end up signing 15 undrafted free agents and one name, in particular, to keep your eyes on this summer is Florida State cornerback, Stanford Samuels III.

Now, there are two main reasons that Samuels could make the Packers final 53-man roster. The first being the state of the cornerback position. After Jaire Alexander and Kevin King, there are several question marks surrounding players such as Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman.

And of course, the second reason is the most important reason, which is that Samuels can play.

Samuels would start in 23 games over his final two seasons at Florida State and appeared in 37 games over his career. During the most recent 2019 season, Samuels was honorable mention All-ACC after allowing a completion percentage of only 51 percent and giving up just two touchdowns.

On top of that, Samuels would also come away with two interceptions, force seven pass breakups, and opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of only 71.0 when targeting him in 2019.

However, despite his success last season and over his career, it was Samuels’ performance at the combine that sent him tumbling down draft boards. In the 40-yard dash he would post a time of 4.65. An absolutely devastating result for a cornerback and one that made many teams question what they saw on film.

Although he may come with his athletic limitations, as a physical corner with good ball skills, Samuels could fit quite well in defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s press-man coverage scheme. Now, he can’t be left on an island as there will need to be some help over the top just in case his man gets past him. But in the right situation and as a team’s fourth or fifth option at cornerback, Samuels can find success in this league.

For a closer look at Samuel’s game and what he brings to this Green Bay Packers team, here are what a few draft analysts had to say about him:

Kyle Crabbs – The Draft Network

"“Stanford Samuels is a developmental cornerback prospect who would be best served playing predominantly deep third coverages and keyed in zone coverage. Samuels isn’t a great asset near the LOS to play run support and his ball skills would be best accentuated in zone coverage to key the arm of the quarterback.If Samuels is to become more scheme diverse, his footwork and pattern matching skills will require upgrades throughout the early portions of his NFL career.”"

Lance Zierlein – NFL.com

"“Tall, slender, man-cover corner who is disruptive and physical from press but needs to rely on technique and footwork to avoid penalties at the next level. Stat services dinged him for catches and yards allowed that should have clearly gone on the safety’s tab.He plays with good instincts and athleticism to make plays on the football and is a challenging matchup on 50/50 balls. He possesses the necessary traits to fit into a variety of coverage schemes, but teams will want to see better effort and consistency in run support. Samuels might find starter’s work within the first couple of years in the league.”"

Tony Pauline – Pro Football Network

"“Samuels is a physical defensive back who needs a complete overhaul of his ball skills. He has upside and could surprise at the next level if properly coached.”"

As an undrafted rookie, it is always going to be an uphill battle to make the final 53 and in Samuels’ case, his lack of speed could be what does him in at the NFL level. But with that said, given his skill-set and the Green Bay Packers’ lack of depth at the cornerback position, he is certainly someone to watch closely this summer.