Dixie Flatline
Moderator
- Jun 3, 2005
- 35,851
- 36,508
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
- Other Teams
- Cartagena C.F., NYJ, A's
- Moderator
- #51
With pick 48, the Bears select Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State (Emerson is wearing '1' in the picture below)
It's unsurprising, but the Bears' secondary was pretty rubbish in 2021, giving up big plays at inopportune moments. To help shore up the defence, the Bears take Martin Emerson. He's on the taller side for a cornerback, coming in at 6'2", 200lb, so he will be able to match up with some of the bigger wide receivers on the Bears' slate in 2022. Emerson displays quick burst off the snap, and he has the acceleration to match it with the twitchy wide receivers. Emerson quickly recovers ground after breaks, and he has good long speed for his size. His athletic traits will give him plenty of upside when he reaches the NFL. But he has some football intelligence, and his tape suggests that he can anticipate wide receiver routes with a fair degree of success, and he has the physicality to bump receivers off their routes. However, there are times when he can be caught out if the receiver gets a step on him, and in the flag-happy NFL, grabbing a receiver who has beat him off the snap will result in penalties piling up. Something to watch out for. While he is adequate in man-coverage, he's more of a zone-coverage cornerback first while he's adjusting to the requirements of an NFL press defence.
Emerson came out of high school fairly lightly recruited as a three star recruit. He was recruited by Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss and Louisville, but ended up committing to Mississippi State. In 2019, he started five games as a true freshman, collecting 31 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a pick, a pass deflection and a forced fumble. In 2020, Emerson took a step forward as the Bulldogs' best defensive player, collecting 72 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 11 pass breakups. His stats took a step back last season, with only 49 tackles, 3 TFLs, and three pass breakups.
Monocle and the Saints are on the clock
It's unsurprising, but the Bears' secondary was pretty rubbish in 2021, giving up big plays at inopportune moments. To help shore up the defence, the Bears take Martin Emerson. He's on the taller side for a cornerback, coming in at 6'2", 200lb, so he will be able to match up with some of the bigger wide receivers on the Bears' slate in 2022. Emerson displays quick burst off the snap, and he has the acceleration to match it with the twitchy wide receivers. Emerson quickly recovers ground after breaks, and he has good long speed for his size. His athletic traits will give him plenty of upside when he reaches the NFL. But he has some football intelligence, and his tape suggests that he can anticipate wide receiver routes with a fair degree of success, and he has the physicality to bump receivers off their routes. However, there are times when he can be caught out if the receiver gets a step on him, and in the flag-happy NFL, grabbing a receiver who has beat him off the snap will result in penalties piling up. Something to watch out for. While he is adequate in man-coverage, he's more of a zone-coverage cornerback first while he's adjusting to the requirements of an NFL press defence.
Emerson came out of high school fairly lightly recruited as a three star recruit. He was recruited by Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss and Louisville, but ended up committing to Mississippi State. In 2019, he started five games as a true freshman, collecting 31 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a pick, a pass deflection and a forced fumble. In 2020, Emerson took a step forward as the Bulldogs' best defensive player, collecting 72 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 11 pass breakups. His stats took a step back last season, with only 49 tackles, 3 TFLs, and three pass breakups.
Monocle and the Saints are on the clock