Prospect of the Day: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU

[Mr. Goosemahn]

CB Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu, LSU

#7 - 5'9 – 175 lbs. – 19 years old

So what do you guys think of him? Can he be a #1 CB next year? Personally, I don't think he's up there with the best CB's in recent years like Peterson and Claiborne, but he's still good.

Also, do you think his size will shy teams away from him?

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Previous Prospects of the Day

QB Matt Barkley, USC
CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

[Razor]

Overrated. Second round pick IMO.

[TheFinisher]

Unfortunately for Mathieu his height is going to be something that scares off a lot of NFL teams. He's listed at 5'9 which is already on the shorter side for CBs, but I'm willing to bet he's even shorter than that. With all of the big receivers that play on the outside now he may be limited to only playing in the slot, and even with his knack for making the big play a slot CB/Rover will never warrant a high pick.

[AntoinCD]

I think more and more teams are going to view guys who can play in the slot as being more valuable now than ever before.

A lot of guys who have the size to match of with perimeter guys like Calvin, AJ, Fitz etc don't have the necessary quick movements to match up with guys like Wes Welker or Victor Cruz in the slot.

Having someone who can play the slot limits a team's ability to move the chains.

Take the Patriots for example,

The fact that last year they had no outside WRs worth mentioning, if teams could slow Welker down then they could focus on Gronk and Hernandez which limited their effectiveness.

Yet teams who had very good perimeter CBs failed to slow the offense down because of the damage Brady could do underneath.

It's a completely different game these days. It's not two WRs, a TE, a FB and a RB. If you can't match up against 4 or 5 WR sets then you will struggle defensively.

I'm not sure Mathieu will be a high pick but he should carve out a niche for himself in the NFL thanks to his playmaking ability and competitiveness.

[bruschis4all]

Honey Badger don't give a damn what you guys think.


Someone had to say it. On a serious note, Antoincd made a good point. Teams play multiple receiver sets. It's just as important to cover the slot guy as the guy outside the numbers. They're the ones who move the chains. There are a lot of cb's who don't like to and aren't very good at covering slot guys. I'd love to get Honey Badger on the Pats. We'll take him at 32 if the rest of you guys don't want him

[descendency]

Nickel DB who might have to play FS in the NFL as well as special teams. I love his playmaking ability, but there is no way I trust him on the boundary against an elite WR.

[Jimmy]

I don't see how you can discout his height and weight when he plays bigger and stronger than every single corner in the country, bar none.

[jrdrylie]

I think as a college player, he is extremely overrated. I said it in another thread but much of his hype is from his nickname. If people called him the Platypus rather than the Honey Badger, he wouldn't have been invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony. As for the NFL, I think he needs to be ready for a long fall. His size is certainly not great. And when you are that small, your timed speed better make up for it. I don't think he is a 4.4 guy. I expect him to run in the mid 4.5s, similar to what Joe Haden did at the combine. Plus I expect his production to decrease this season. Add that together and I think he is at best a late-second round pick who would be foolish to come out early.

[K Train]

cortland finnegan a good comparison?

[jrdrylie]

Originally Posted by K Train

cortland finnegan a good comparison?

Not in my mind. Finnegan is a bit bigger and has better speed. It isn't a horrible comparison, but probably not the one I'd go with.

[bruschis4all]

Two things. Even if you don't think he can play cb.

1. A nickel back is a starter in today's NFL. The 4-2-5 is the base defense in the league. Not the 3-4 or 4-3. I'm pretty sure he can do that. And, do it well. Because it allows him to free lance a little.

2. He might be the best punt returner to come out of college since Devin Hester.

[K Train]

Originally Posted by bruschis4all

Two things. Even if you don't think he can play cb.

1. A nickel back is a starter in today's NFL. The 4-2-5 is the base defense in the league. Not the 3-4 or 4-3. I'm pretty sure he can do that. And, do it well. Because it allows him to free lance a little.

2. He might be the best punt returner to come out of college since Devin Hester.

patrick peterson says pssshhhhhh

[hagy34]

I like this kid. He just makes plays. There is something to be said for someone who is always around the ball and isn't afraid of the spotlight. I don't think he's quite the prospect some will make him out to be but he will have a nice career in the NFL.

[Master Exploder]

I think he's a 4.3-4.4 guy. He's super talented, but all of that doesn't come from his coverage ability. He'll be one of the top CB's in the draft most likely, but I would imagine teams that run out of the nickel a lot will value him more than others. I do think he can play outside though and he's got play-making ability. He's probably going to be a solid 2nd round prospect for sure, but I imagine he'll end up in the 1st.

[Big Bird]

I think he might be better off on offense to be honest. Let's not kid ourselves with what we are looking at. His long speed is average at best. I would expect 4.5's to a 4.6 forty. That's okay on offense because you don't have to worry about somebody running by you for 6.

His quickness and field vision is what makes him special with the ball in his hands. The guy is pint sized. Let's not confuse him with Troy Polamalu. Troy had 30 lbs. on the guy and at least an inch. Mathieu is tough, aggressive, and tackles well, but is he really going to be able to maintain that success at the next level with his size?

There is a reason why LSU uses him as a slot guy and safety only. You won't see him on an island because his coverage skills aren't good enough. Generally when he plays the slot, he isn't even in true man-to-man coverage. He is playing either inside or outside, and relying on a safety to take care of the other side.

Basically the Tim Tebow of defensive prospects in my opinion. Awesome college player, one of the best ever. But logically, nothing points to this guy being successful in the NFL, no matter how much you root for him...

[StickSkills]

If I'm the Jets, I'm looking at him as a good match up for Wes Welker.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by StickSkills

If I'm the Jets, I'm looking at him as a good match up for Wes Welker.

I hope they do. Welker would kill him. Mathieu isn't as good in good in coverage as people think he is.

[FUNBUNCHER]

Pure playmaker, but I need an official height/weight/speed on Mathieu to slot him.


If he's really 5'9, that's on the short side for a corner. If he's barely 5'8, he's a nickle corner for most teams.

If Mathieu can get his weight up to 185-190# before the combine, that's great. Hopefully he's at least a 4.5 flat 40 guy.

THere's a role on most defenses for a guy with Mathieu's skills, but I think he might be best suited to play FS.
He could be a Bob Sanders type player in the NFL.

[K Train]

hes feisty though, i cant get finnegan out of my head. Whos another small aggressive CB? Grimes maybe?

he CAN play CB, i think he could just be best suited for a dominant slot role which is just no joke of a position

[Big Bird]

Originally Posted by K Train

hes feisty though, i cant get finnegan out of my head. Whos another small aggressive CB? Grimes maybe?

he CAN play CB, i think he could just be best suited for a dominant slot role which is just no joke of a position

What is so "aggressive" about him as a corner? That he tackles? Mathieu rarely plays press coverage.

Cortland Finnegan is an athletic freak who punches wide receivers in the mouth off the snap. There is no comparison whatsoever.

[Saints-Tigers]

Originally Posted by jrdrylie

I think as a college player, he is extremely overrated. I said it in another thread but much of his hype is from his nickname. If people called him the Platypus rather than the Honey Badger, he wouldn't have been invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony. As for the NFL, I think he needs to be ready for a long fall. His size is certainly not great. And when you are that small, your timed speed better make up for it. I don't think he is a 4.4 guy. I expect him to run in the mid 4.5s, similar to what Joe Haden did at the combine. Plus I expect his production to decrease this season. Add that together and I think he is at best a late-second round pick who would be foolish to come out early.

Are you kidding? The dude was a dominant playmaker.

I think he'll be great in a slot/safety role, where he can blitz, roam, and play the football. You're wasting his talents if you line him up man to man on the outside every play.

His hands and return ability is nice, he's dangerous with the football, but he has 11 forced fumbles and 6 sacks in 2 years ( 26 games, 14 starts)

[ShutDwn]

It doesn't bother me at all that he is going to be a nickel corner. Teams are in nickel or dime more than their base packages. He's a playmaker with the feistiness I love.

I'm not saying he could get drafted in the first, but I could see him as high as the second if he does well at the combine and third if he doesn't. Drafting a potential playmaker like him in the second or third is great value. I think he has to fit the team's system though, he has to be allowed to be a playmaker.

[bigbuc]

I think when it's all said and done he's in the first round anywhere after 20... A perfect fit would be on a Tampa 2 team..

[D-Unit]

This is silly. It's becoming more and more popular for people to call him overrated these days, which will end up making him underrated. 2nd rounder??? LOL. He's a 1st round lock. I agree with those saying that even if he is limited to being a nickel corner, he will still have a lot of value. It's obvious to anyone paying attention that teams are forced to adjust for multiple WR sets by playing much more nickel and dime defensive formations. Base defenses might only be played 30-50% of the game.

The Honey Badger is such a big time playmaker, that he breaks the mold of contemporary thinking when it comes to grading measurables. He's 19 years old. His career NFL playing weight will be much different.

[D-Unit]

Originally Posted by Big Bird

I think he might be better off on offense to be honest. Let's not kid ourselves with what we are looking at. His long speed is average at best. I would expect 4.5's to a 4.6 forty. That's okay on offense because you don't have to worry about somebody running by you for 6.

His quickness and field vision is what makes him special with the ball in his hands. The guy is pint sized. Let's not confuse him with Troy Polamalu. Troy had 30 lbs. on the guy and at least an inch. Mathieu is tough, aggressive, and tackles well, but is he really going to be able to maintain that success at the next level with his size?

There is a reason why LSU uses him as a slot guy and safety only. You won't see him on an island because his coverage skills aren't good enough. Generally when he plays the slot, he isn't even in true man-to-man coverage. He is playing either inside or outside, and relying on a safety to take care of the other side.

Basically the Tim Tebow of defensive prospects in my opinion. Awesome college player, one of the best ever. But logically, nothing points to this guy being successful in the NFL, no matter how much you root for him...

I never really gave that any thought, but playing him on offense actually makes a lot of sense. Not to say he would strictly be an offensive player, but he could be a unique 2 way player.

...and yes, he's not a guy you want to leave on an island.