Kendall

Sheffield

Sheffield returned from one evaluation only to require another. He has been an every-down player when not battling an ankle injury this season. Vaguely infamous veteran Blidi Wreh-Wilson is the next man up on the depth chart.

Sheffield finished his rookie season as PFF’s No. 121 overall CB among 132 qualified players. NBC Sports’ Peter King said the worst-kept secret of the draft is the reality that the Falcons want to trade up for one of Jeff Okudah or C.J. Henderson. Either way, this Falcons secondary will again be one for fantasy managers to target in 2020.

The ball-hawking 29-year-old will go under the knife later this week. Trufant flashed big play-making ability when healthy this year (team-high four interceptions), though injuries limited the 2013 first-rounder to just nine appearances. Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield will play out the stretch as Atlanta’s top corners. Neither have shown much this year.

Atlanta also got first-round OT Kaleb McGary under contract on Thursday. A JUCO transfer, Sheffield made 17 starts in two seasons at Ohio State, notching two interceptions and forcing two fumbles. A former track star, Sheffield brings impressive measurables to the table, but he needs a bit of polish to become a quality starter.

Sheffield (5’11/190) made 17 starts across two seasons in Columbus after transferring from JUCO, tallying two picks and two forced fumbles to go with 19 pass breakups. Also a member of Ohio State’s track team, Sheffield broke a 23-year school record in the 60-meter dash (6.663) in February of 2018. Sheffield’s pre-draft workouts were limited by a torn pectoral, but neither his speed nor size is in question. His biggest knocks are underdeveloped technique and a distinct lack of ball skills on tape. Sheffield will need plus coaching to reach his ceiling as a speed-based matchup corner in the Donte Jackson mold.

Sheffield (5’11/190) made 17 starts across two seasons in Columbus after transferring from JUCO, tallying two picks and two forced fumbles to go with 19 pass breakups. Also a member of Ohio State’s track team, Sheffield broke a 23-year school record in the 60-meter dash (6.663) in February of 2018. Sheffield’s pre-draft workouts were limited by a torn pectoral, but neither his speed nor size is in question. His biggest knocks are underdeveloped technique and a distinct lack of ball skills on tape. Sheffield will need plus coaching to reach his ceiling as a speed-based matchup corner in the Donte Jackson mold.

“He might be the worst with his back to the ball that I studied this year,” the scout told Zierlein. “That Michigan game was a bad look because those touchdowns should have been defended but he just never finds it.” Zierlein compares Sheffield (5'11/193) to Minnesota Vikings corner Jalen Myrick. He notes that he’s a tremendous athlete with blazing speed, and that his loose hips make it easy for him to rotate. He also calls his technique a “work in progress,” and that he he has below-average ball skills. “Relative to his fluctuating career, his ceiling is fairly high thanks to his speed and explosiveness,” writes Zierlein, “but he needs to prove he’s more than just a fast guy.”

Sheffield suffered the injury during the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine, which, of course, is largely meaningless for a corner, especially one that plays with speed like Sheffield. Before going down with the injury, Sheffield was one of the favorites to have the fastest 40-yard dash times, so it was really unfortunate timing. The injury will probably keep him out of the first two rounds, but he should be back at some point during his rookie season and possibly even before the preseason depending on the severity of the tear.

We’ve earlier heard predictions of Ohio State Parris Campbell winning the fastest 40-yard time, so it sounds like betting on a Buckeye to win would be pretty good action, if you can get it. The 6-foot, 193-pound corner is one of Rang’s favorites -- he named him a Day 2 starter in a previous article -- and while a fast time here doesn’t guarantee success, it would certainly help his case to be one of the first corners selected.

Rang calls Sheffield one of the most underrated players to come out of Ohio State in years; a school that has produced its fair share of talented NFL players. Rang does note that he needs to show improved ball-skills, as the defender turned just two of his 15 passes defensed into interceptions. “While raw in many ways and just a one-year starter at the FBS level, Sheffield’s rare tools will generate plenty of excitement, earning him early Day Two consideration – if that, is, he makes it out of the top 32,” Rang summarizes. We’re certainly excited to see how he tests.