Maybe downs is better. But the Delane stats are insane. Played for LSU and the SEC and no receiver caught more than one pass against him? Zero TD’s? More PBU’s than first downs surrendered. I almost can’t wrap my mind around those stats. And now with a 4.38? I do t understand how he isn’t being talked about more.
These stats are a little misleading in that there have been plenty of guys catching passes near him but aren't really his fault. The scheme asks him to do a bit of everything. Press coverage, press-bail, off, deep off, slide shuffle. Zone coverages, Man, etc.
Every now and then LSU's defense gets exposed a little because teams know they can High-Low the outside corners zone, or sometimes even just left side and right side of the zone.
Delane tries to stay near the middle of both guys so he can then tackle who catches it to limit the gain, but one of them will catch it. He's not selling out to read the QB's eyes there then jump a throw, he plays that conservatively.
So there are plenty of catches with him as the closest defender that aren't actually his fault or should be attributed to him. It's just the scheme shifts players elsewhere and asks him to bend but don't break if the QB sees it and gets the ball out in time.
I did watch Delane vs South Carolina today. 4.35 speed doesn't appear on tape unless that 225lb RB is stupidly fast (this is why people thought Delane wouldn't test well, his play speed isn't 4.35). LaNorris Sellers didn't do anything to test Delane. Just bad reads, happy feet in the pocket, bailing on plays quickly and poor accuracy. Delane got beat deep by half a step. Great throw would have been a catch without him interfering but it was a poor throw. A little behind...and out of bounds. Later on Delane's pass breakup was just textbook, he played the route really well...it didn't help that Sellers was also a little late on the throw. But Delane would have probably made the catch difficult regardless.
My point is...Delane is a good CB prospect, but he's not Champ Bailey, Patrick Surtain, or Christian Gonzalez. Although I do like Delane's moxie a little bit better than college version of Gonzalez.