LA Rams meet w UCF and SDSU CBs ahead of 2021 NFL Draft

UCF cornerback

And for the record, that is exactly what is happening. The Rams are meeting with several cornerbacks now. The first is an under-the-wire cornerback from UCF who had just one year of their football program after transferring from Miami of Ohio, Tay Gowan.

The draft profile for Tay Gowan suggests that he could fall to day three. But one part of The Draft Network profile that stands out was the scheme fit: Cover three scheme fit. That’s the defensive scheme that Raheem Morris likes to use as his ‘default’ coverage, so we’ll be certain to talk about that at length.

Gowan’s popularity is counter to the fact that there is not a lot of tape on his college performance. He is projected as a cornerback/safety hybrid in the NFL, a trend that fits with the Rams’ recent selections. At 6-foot-2 and 185-pounds, he certainly boasts the right dimensions for an NFL defensive back. But transferring from Miami of Ohio to UCF suspended his NCAAF eligibility for 2018, and 2020 was a wash year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Gowan fits that hybrid mold that is increasingly popular in the NFL. With both safety and cornerback characteristics, these ‘tweener’ players can rotate into coverages or run support depending upon the down and distance.