2nd Round Pick #60 Chidobe Awuzie

NoDak

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[video]http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2017/04/28/chidobe-awuzie-shows-skills-path-draft[/video]

[video]http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2017/04/28/chidobe-awuzie-i-breathe-football[/video]

Didn't know how to imbed the last two vids.
 

NoDak

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6'0"
HEIGHT

30 5/8"
ARM LENGTH

202LBS.
WEIGHT

8 1/2"
HANDS

OVERVIEW
Pro corner Nnamdi Asomugha is a family friend of Awuzie (ah-wooz-yeh), but his style of play would make you think he's a relation. He made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting seven games, making 59 tackles, five for loss, and breaking up four passes. Awuzie was leading the team in tackles with 64 through nine games in 2014 (along with two interceptions, eight pass breakups), but missed the end of the year with a lacerated kidney suffered in practice. Healthy again in 2015, he was a second-team All-Pac 12 pick starting mostly at the nickel spot (90 tackles, nine for loss, four sacks, two INT, 10 pass breakups). Awuzie was second-team all-conference again as a senior (65 tackles, six for loss, one INT, 12 PBU), joining two other members of the Buffaloes' secondary on that squad.

ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Fluid, controlled steps with easy change of direction allows for extended mirroring from press. Decent jam to disrupt. Carries smooth backpedal downfield with excellent mirror-and-match footwork in man coverage. Digests route combinations from zone and makes wise choices. Athletic with suddenness in his movements. Springy feet allow for abrupt click and close to the throw. Opens and swivels hips for desired transition in all directions. Experienced outside and from slot. Able to maintain coverage on shifty slot receivers. Instinctive with feel for route development. Possesses short-area closing burst. Confident on an island. Finds receiver on deep balls and gets head turned around. Dangerous slot blitzer with seven sacks over final two seasons at Colorado.
WEAKNESSES Short strider. Appears to lack long, recovery speed if beaten over top. Feels smaller than his listed size. Can be handsy down the field with pulls and tugs that turn into flags as a pro. Managed just three interceptions in college. Run support is lacking. Could use more aggressiveness and commitment when stepping downhill to tackle. Passes on the big hit and allows tight ends and big receivers to power through tackle attempts.

DRAFT PROJECTION Rounds 1-2

NFL COMPARISON Prince Amukamara

BOTTOM LINE Sticky man-cover corner who possesses the reactive athleticism and foot quickness to maintain coverage responsibilities around the field. Awuzie's combination of size and speed pairs well with his instincts providing him what he needs to compete downfield. His inconsistencies as a tackler could turn off some teams, but his abilities as a gunner on special teams may counter that. He can play outside or in the slot and has traits and talent to compete for early playing time.
 
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midswat

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I like this pick better than our first rounder. Like an aggressive, physical corner.
 

Cowboysrock55

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[video]http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2017/04/28/chidobe-awuzie-shows-skills-path-draft[/video]

[video]http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2017/04/28/chidobe-awuzie-i-breathe-football[/video]

Didn't know how to imbed the last two vids.
I love how he plays. You don't usually see a corner with his type of speed and athletic ability who also hits and plays the run like a safety. What I love about the guys we have draft for this defense though is the passion level and attitude. These aren't "soft" players. These are guys who will be tone setters. I love what we have done.
 

VA Cowboy

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Official roster has Awuzie wearing #33. Odd seeing Dorsett's number in the secondary.
 

GForce78NJ

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shocked this thread only has 8 replies. This is the guy who will make the biggest impact on our defense next season. Pretty much take over for what Scandrick has done the past few years. We will use him as a guy who can cover big receivers, use him in mutliple blitz packages and can move him all over the field. I'm really excited to get this guy, even over Taco

Next year Defensive end will presumably still be an area of need for us, especially with Randy Gregory being Randy Gregory. I don't see us putting much more into our secondary for the next few years.
 

Cowboysrock55

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shocked this thread only has 8 replies. This is the guy who will make the biggest impact on our defense next season. Pretty much take over for what Scandrick has done the past few years. We will use him as a guy who can cover big receivers, use him in mutliple blitz packages and can move him all over the field. I'm really excited to get this guy, even over Taco

Next year Defensive end will presumably still be an area of need for us, especially with Randy Gregory being Randy Gregory. I don't see us putting much more into our secondary for the next few years.
It's an excellent pick and I'm really excited to see him play for us. I'm seeing corners that were drafted in the first round that I think Chidobe is better than. I actually like him better than Humphrey and Tre'Davious White. Kevin King went first in the second round and I like Chidobe better than him too.

The bust factor is super low for Awuzie. The way he hits and tackles means that if for some reason he can't make it as a corner on the outside he definitely could make it as a nickle corner or a safety. He is just such a sound player that there is no way that he doesn't make it somewhere in the NFL. Plus I don't think he really has any injury concerns at all.

Basically he is going to be one of our starting corners on the outside next year and I have absolutely no worry about him being able to handle that.
 

boozeman

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Tre'Davious White
I still can't believe this kid was a first round pick.

I think that was Doug Whaley's parting gift to the Bills for keeping him for three months and then firing him.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I still can't believe this kid was a first round pick.

I think that was Doug Whaley's parting gift to the Bills for keeping him for three months and then firing him.
I don't hate White but to me he is a second/third round corner. Average in basically every way possible. And frankly he is soft.
 

Simpleton

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I think Awuzie is the best 2nd round pick this organization has made in at least a decade when you take into account the value, need, and that he brings no injury or character risks.

Obviously Lee has turned out to be a very good pick now that he's stayed on the field the last two years but that pick still came with plenty of injury risk.
 

VA Cowboy

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I think Awuzie is the best 2nd round pick this organization has made in at least a decade when you take into account the value, need, and that he brings no injury or character risks.

Obviously Lee has turned out to be a very good pick now that he's stayed on the field the last two years but that pick still came with plenty of injury risk.

And it was very simple to do. Follow your draft board and not jump on the guys that fell due to injury or character concerns just so you can say you got a 1st rounder in the 2nd. No telling how good this team would be now if we'd just drafted smart in the 2nd round the past decade.
 

Joe Fan

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And it was very simple to do. Follow your draft board and not jump on the guys that fell due to injury or character concerns just so you can say you got a 1st rounder in the 2nd. No telling how good this team would be now if we'd just drafted smart in the 2nd round the past decade.
Imagine that. Why it took our front office so long to figure out is quite frustrating to think about.

I'm really curious where this team might be today had we actually not taking some of these past few years worth of questionable 2nd round picks.

The only one that might possibly turn out for us is Jaylon and even then I'm still quite cautious about it.
 

p1_

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Imagine that. Why it took our front office so long to figure out is quite frustrating to think about.
Cause Jerry's hard headed stupidity in the draft process. If they had jerked the wheel away from his ass sooner, our era of fail might have been much shorter.
 
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