David

Long Jr.

A former third-round pick, Long spent four years in LA before leaving in free agency last offseason. He signed with the Raiders as a free agent but was released mid-season. Long then had brief stays with the Panthers and Packers. Long will need to carve out a role on special teams in New York to lock up a roster spot.

Long (5’11/196) turned pro as a true junior after making 26 starts in Jim Harbaugh’s secondary, logging 17 career pass breakups and three interceptions and earning first-team All-Big Ten in the coaches’ vote in 2018. Long yielded just nine completed passes on targets into his coverage all last year. Also a 92nd-percentile SPARQ athlete, Long blazed 4.45 with a 39 ½-inch vertical along with the quickest three-cone (6.45) and short shuttle (3.97) times of any player invited to Indy. Physical and fiercely competitive on tape, Long dominated in constant outside press-man position at Michigan and has the requisite skill set to dominate in the slot. He profiles as rich man’s Kareem Jackson. The Rams dealt with corner injuries last season, so expect Long to initially fill a depth role.

PFF lists Long (5'11/195) as the fourth best corner in this class, and 33rd overall. That’s borderline first-round territory for a player most believe goes late on Day 2. The analytical side has been high on Long for a long time, however, as you can see from these numbers. “Few cornerbacks have been stingier than Long since we started college charting in 2014,” Renner writes. “In 595 coverage snaps in his three seasons at Michigan, he was targeted 60 times and allowed all of 18 receptions -- the vast majority of which were throws underneath -- for 130 yards and a passer rating of 24.3.” He also tested very well at the combine, so if he does last late into Day 2, Long is a potential steal. That’s an understatement, really.

Long (5'11/196) posted the fourth best short shuttle time of any defensive player in the last 15 seasons, so NFL teams will look to fine tune that athleticism into a starting corner. Pro Football Focus credited Long with the fewest yards per coverage snap allowed among Big 10 defensive backs, but he isn’t viewed in the same tier as Greedy Williams, Deandre Baker, Byron Murphy or Justin Layne.

Very impressive. Long’s 3.97 second time in the short shuttle is obviously impressive, but it’s the cone time of 6.45 seconds that really stands out. As the Athletic’s Dane Brugler points out, that’s the fourth best time of any defender in the past 15 years, and well above the 6.94 second average of NFL draft picks. Add that in with his 4.45 second 40-yard dash time earlier, and it’s impossible to say that he didn’t improve his stock in Indianapolis.

A very solid number for Long, who was one of the best corners in the Big Ten and gets rave reviews in the analytical side. At 5-foot-11, 196-pounds, Long is viewed by many as a nickel corner at the next level, but assuming he puts up strong numbers in the quickness drills, someone could give him a shot as an outside player, and they might just do so in the second day of the draft.

Long allowed just 0.14 yards per cover snap, the best in the Big 10 by a wide margin. The next best was teammate Lavert Hill with 0.64 yards per cover snap allowed. Long declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season at Michigan and is currently viewed as a top-10 cover corner in this draft class.

Long (5'11/198) graded out fantastically by Pro Football Focus metrics this past season, allowing a passer rating of just 36.9 when targeted -- the top mark in the Big Ten. By traditional statistics, the junior registered 17 tackles with an interception and six passes defended for the 2018 campaign. We dig his physical approach to the game, though The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs notes that he can occasionally have a tendency to get a little too obvious with opposing receivers, which can run the risk of drawing penalties. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Long as the No. 8 draft-eligible corner prospect for the spring.

When asked about declaring for the draft, Long said, “I’m just worried about getting the game out of the way, and then (I’ll) delve into that stuff.” That confirms that Long will play in Michigan’s upcoming Peach Bowl. If he declares, Long will be in the mix as a top-10 corner in this draft class. Pro Football Focus notes that Long allowed a 36.9 passer rating when targeted which was the lowest in the Big Ten. Teammate Lavert Hill also remains undecided.

According to the report Long, who suffered an undisclosed injury during the quarter, has been lobbying coaches to re-insert him into the game when the Michigan defense gets back onto the field. Michigan’s defense has been banged up this quarter, as Rashan Gary and Devin Bush have both suffered injuries with the former receiving fluids on the sideline.