Another one of the projected late round draft picks who is getting a lot of attention lately is cornerback Daryl Worley of West Virginia, with the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals and the Jacksonville Jaguars showing interest.
Worley bounced back nicely from a troubled 2014 season which included a two game suspension, accused of assaulting a woman outside a nightclub in September. He pled no contest, and received a six-month suspended sentence for his actions, which he said were in defense of his girlfriend. In 2015 he did very well, making the All-Big 12 first team, finishing with six sacks and 52 tackles for the Mountaineers before moving on to the NFL following three seasons in Morgantown.
What’s to love? Worley has the kind of size and length that coaches love to have in their secondary, who has very good timing when contesting balls in the air, is very aggressive when fighting for position and trying to direct receivers into his comfort zone and has excellent hands and reaction quickness when undercutting passes to try and intercept them.
What’s less to like? Man to man coverage is a problem, as routes that aren’t straight tend to get him separated from his receiver. He’s not that effective in run support, but that has more to do with tendencies that can be worked on probably than something that is impossible to get rid of.
Where does he end up? Worley doesn’t seem like a day 1 starter for any team and more like someone who could become one in a year or two, which means he isn’t answering any immediate needs. Right now, it looks like the third round or later, but it’s highly unlikely he slips too far down the order. He has too many things scouts and defenses love to have to become that late of a pick. Being a Philadelphia native, he might not mind the Eagles picking him. He’s visited them and the Cardinals, while holding private workouts for Carolina, Detroit and Jacksonville.