CB, Ohio State
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 194 lbs
Class: rs-Junior
Entering the season Wade was considered as one of, if not the, best cornerbacks in the 2021 class. He has several seasons of excellent production as a slot corner, with elite physical tools. The big question that remains is whether or not he can succeed on the boundary and this will be the deciding factor as to whether or not he makes the first round.
You can read more of my 2021 NFL Draft content here.
Strengths
Wade spent his first two years as the Buckeyes’ slot corner and was excellent during that period. He allowed a completion rate of just 52.5 per cent and his passer rating when targeted was just 68. In 2019 he actually had more forced incompletions than first downs allowed. His productivity has never been in doubt and he has five picks and 15 pass breakups in his 26 career games.
Wade has all of the tools you look for in a cornerback prospect. He showcases excellent acceleration and has good long speed to stick with receivers downfield. His hips are fluid and he has good change of direction ability. One of his biggest plus points has been his performance against different types of receivers. He has the size and strength to match up with more physical receivers, whilst he’s athletic enough to stick with smaller and more shifty players.
He plays the game with great physicality and has been excellent against the running game. He’s great against screens too, quickly breaking on the ball and showcasing great football intelligence. Wade has also shown that he can be used effectively as a blitzing weapon, albeit on limited reps. His tools are evidently translatable to the NFL and you don’t find many corners with Wade’s combination of size, physicality, and speed.
Weaknesses
The big thing holding Wade back is his experience, or lack of, at outside corner. He can match or better most corners when it comes to physical ability and traits, but he’s inexperienced on the boundary. The main reason that Wade returned to Ohio State for the 2020 season was to show that he could be successful as an outside corner. So far this transition has not gone well, and he has looked like a different player from the one we saw in 2018 and 2019.
The numbers really don’t look good at all. Through four games he has allowed 268 yards, seven more than he gave up in the entirety of last season. He has also given up four touchdowns so far, having only allowed three in his previous 22 games. Coming into the season, Wade had never given up a 100+ yard game, yet he has had two already this season.
It is also worth noting that he has struggled at times in press coverage. Once again, this does not come from a lack of tools, but rather an issue with his technique. There are multiple reps on tape where you see him left flat footed after being over-aggressive with his stab move.
Bottom Line
Wade has the physical tools to be a great NFL corner but until he shows that he can perform on the boundary his ceiling will be limited. There is no questioning his performance as a slot corner, but that has limited value in the NFL. If he doesn’t show improvement by the end of this season he’ll likely end up falling into the second round.
Big Board Rank: #33
Positional Rank: #5
