Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: CB Ifeatu Melifonwu

Entering free agency, the Green Bay Packers’ biggest need to address was the cornerback position. Now about a week and a half later, that’s still the case–even with the re-signing of Kevin King. It is very unlikely that King is a long-term answer along the boundary, and truthfully, he may not even be an answer in 2021 in what will end up being a reduced role from years past.

This is why cornerback still remains at the top of the to-do list as we look ahead to the NFL Draft. Fortunately, this is a very deep class as the Green Bay Packers will have to address the position early on, and depending on how the board falls, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to double-dip either, much like they did in 2018 with Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson.

Enter Ifeatu Melifonwu out of Syracuse, who at 6’3″ – 213 pounds has the size that NFL teams covet at the cornerback position, and he has the athleticism to go along with it, posting a score of 9.57 out of 10 on the Relative Athletic Scoring table at his pro-day.

A two-year starter at Syracuse, Melifonwu was primarily a boundary corner and was targeted 101 times, allowing a completion rate of just 54.4 percent at 14.3 yards per catch–although in 2020, it was much lower at 11.9. He also hauled in three interceptions, recorded 15 pass breakups, and has a passer rating when targeted of 80.9, according to Pro Football Focus ($), along with two sacks.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1354878294051721216

Here is what Joe Marino of The Draft Network had to say about Melifonwu and his game in his pre-draft scouting report:

"“Syracuse cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu is long, rangy, athletic, and physical, making him a toolsy prospect that is an ascending talent. At the next level, his best fit is as a zone corner where his length, ball skills, ability to read the backfield, and leverage routes shine. He is also an above-average run defender and can be relied upon to make tackles should his 2020 campaign be the norm moving forward.He does have some appeal in press-man coverage where his physicality, quick feet, and length are assets. While his ball production in college was modest, he has the potential to be very disruptive at the catch point in the NFL. The most notable room for Melifonwu to grow is in terms of his route anticipation skills and becoming a touch more consistent with coverage spacing.”"

As Marino points out, he sees Melifonwu’s best fit as a zone corner in the NFL, which would make him a good fit for Joe Barry’s defense. Barry will be running a version of Vic Fangio’s defensive system that was used by Brandon Staley when he was the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator. Oftentimes, Jalen Ramsey would be in man coverage, and everyone else would be in zone. Barry could take a similar approach with Jaire Alexander, leaving Melifonwu in zone on his half of the field.

As it currently stands, PFF has Melifonwu as their 64th overall prospect and the 10th cornerback on their big board. Meanwhile, over at The Draft Network, they have Melifonwu as the 55th rated prospect and seventh cornerback. And the NFL Mock Draft Database, which has 28 big boards and over 700 mock drafts on their site, projects Melifonwu as a second-round selection.

Given Melifonwu’s size, athleticism, and potential fit in this new Green Bay Packers defense, it makes sense that Brian Gutekunst and Co. have already met with the former Syracuse cornerback. While players like Greg Newsome and Asante Samuel are drawing a lot of attention in Round 1, Melifonwu is a name to keep your eyes on in Round 2.