CB, Appalachian State

Update: Shemar Jean-Charles Packers. The Green Bay Packers took Shemar Jean-Charles with their 5th round pick.

Small schools rule and don’t you forget it, that’s where you find the real gems. Shemar Jean-Charles is a gem and I’m excited. He’s a shutdown corner who plays strong against the run. He’s a killer defensive back, so why is he a projected late round pick?

Strengths

Jean-Charles can flat out cover. He had 17 pass breakups this past season, first in the entire nation. Add in a catch rate of 32.7% completion percentage and a 34.6% incompletion rate. When people throw at Jean-Charles, they don’t do well. He’s also versatile, he can play both cornerback and safety. Jean-Charles ran a 4.47 40, so he’s got NFL speed. He also put up 19 reps of 225 lbs., so even though he’s a little undersized he’s got plenty of strength. 

Jean-Charles was also solid in his run defense as well. He graded out as an 80.8 against the run according to PFF. He had a total of three missed tackles last season, so he doesn’t miss very often. Really, he’s just a strong all-around defensive back. You can’t throw against him, you can’t run against him, Shemar Jean-Charles is everywhere. Appalachian State was a winning program with Jean-Charles and I like winners. They put together a 42-10 record with four bowl wins and three Sun Belt Championships. Jean-Charles was a big part of that success, making quarterbacks and receivers look bad for his four years. 

Weaknesses

There are very few weaknesses with Jean-Charles, and only one is related to his play. He’s only 5’10”, which I don’t view as a weakness, but I know some scouts do. Always remember, 5’10” is tall enough for Mike Zimmer so it’s tall enough for me. I also mentioned that Charles is a little on the light side at 184 lbs., but those 19 bench reps really put those fears to rest. He showed he’s strong enough to deal with bigger receivers. The other concern is with his level of competition. Now I respect the Sun Belt, but other scouts may be worried. Skill is skill, talent is talent, don’t worry about where someone ended up going to school. Like I mentioned, while Jean-Charles was at Appalachian State they were winners, a dominant program.

My only real concern with his game is his lack of interceptions. He’s clearly in the right spot constantly, but he only had one interception a year these past two years. His hands are suspect, but if you break up that many passes I guess it’s ok if you can’t hang on. 

Projection

Jean-Charles had a good pro day, but he’s still a likely day three pick, a late day three pick. It’s insane to me, but that’s what’s likely to happen. He can play corner or safety and his tackling talent makes me believe he’d contribute on coverage for special teams. It’s hard to pick a team who couldn’t use him. Maybe the Patriots take him, they need secondary help and play zone coverage. His height makes him a better fit for zone, even though I think he could play man as well. Whatever happens, Jean-Charles will almost surely be more valuable than his draft position.