Fort Worth police

Cowboys Draft Profile: FS Cody Prewitt

Cody Prewitt, FS, Mississippi
Ht. 6020, Wt. 208, Arm: 32 5/8”, Hand: 9 1/8”, Bench: 11
40 yd: 4.60, 10 yd.: 1.64, 3 Cone: 7.12, Vertical: 35”, Broad: 10’5”
Games Watched: at Vanderbilt (2013), Boise St., Auburn

If you think other games better reflect this player’s ability or you want to request a profile on a specific player, email me or hit me up on Twitter.

As mentioned before, the Cowboys picked a bad year to need an upgrade at free safety. Mississippi’s Cody Prewitt is the best college free safety in this draft, but that’s not saying much.

Prewitt notched 9 interceptions during his junior and senior seasons, twice earning All-SEC honors and being named to All-America team in 2013. He started his career at strong safety and switched to free early in his career, which sums him up as a prospect in a nutshell.

Strengths

The thing that jumps out about Prewitt on tape is his football intelligence. His reads offenses very well before the snap, knows his assignment on each play and is nearly always in the right position to execute. He sticks to reading his keys and he’s quick to diagnose offensive plays.

The Rebels use a fairly diverse scheme of coverages and Prewitt always looked comfortable. He has experience in deep looks, rolling coverage, short zones and more. Mentally, he’s ready to step into an NFL secondary from Day 1.

Sports Connection

Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.

Source: Blake Snell, Giants agree to two-year, $62M contract

Lionel Messi out of Argentina's March friendlies in the US due to injury

When Mississippi let Prewitt keep the field in front of him, he was a ballhawk. Playing him at deep safety allows him to play off his strengths. More importantly, he fits what the Cowboys have liked to do with their safeties during the last few seasons.

Weaknesses

Although he is a willing tackler, Prewitt definitely struggled against the run. He took poor angles, had trouble shedding blocks and just plain missed tackles at times. Putting up only 11 reps on the bench at the Combine reaffirmed that he might not be physical enough to be an impact player in the NFL.

Prewitt looks the part of an NFL safety, which is probably why he started as a strong safety, but he plays too slow. He’s slow to react at times and his recovery speed is less than ideal, confirmed by his 40 times at the combine.

Prewitt also struggled a bit in man coverage. His stiff hips lead to choppy transitions, allowing receivers to more easily separate. He’s best strictly as a deep safety, which could limit his time on the field.

Verdict: Second Rounder

Despite his relatively lower ceiling, Prewitt seems like one of the safer defensive backs available in the draft. He should be at least average physically and his route recognition, instincts and play-calling ability have considerable value.

Prewitt is a fringe second-round value to me, but positional need and low supply make him a good value for the Cowboys in the second round. He's often compared to the 49ers' Eric Reid, but he's more of a poor man's version of him.

Contact Us