Carlton Davis pieced together one of the best statistical seasons ever for an Auburn defensive back last season.
He worked almost exclusively against No. 1 receivers — and still thrived. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers liked what they saw and drafted Davis in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
With Davis now gone from the college scene, rising junior Jamel Dean must become the Tigers' top cover man this fall. Will he be up to the task? If 2017 is a true indication of Dean's talent and career trajectory, he's already one of the SEC's best cornerbacks. Still, there is one major hurdle to overcome: A jump in assignment complexity.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele prefers to mix and match his cornerbacks against particular receivers, which means the idea of left or right or field or boundary roles are moot. Davis and Dean split assignments last season at the discretion of Steele and defensive backs coach Greg Brown; Davis almost always drew the more challenging assignment. With that said, Davis' reputation tempted opponents to throw away from him. Dean was tested frequently and performed quite well considering 2017 was his first full season of college ball.
He graduated from high school in December 2014.
Dean has missed two full seasons due to knee injuries, but didn't seem the slightest bit hindered last fall. He moved into the starting rotation in October and remained there through the Peach Bowl — quickly emerging as a trusted member of the Tigers' strong defensive unit. He's excellent at coming down on back-shoulder throws, which have become so trendy among offensive coordinators during the past few seasons. Dean's long arms give him a fighting chance in phase against tall receivers and he wins those encounters most of the time. He's also good at jamming receivers near the line of scrimmage. Dean isn't the most agile guy around, but he's clearly found ways to mitigate that limitation.
There are two knocks against Dean. One is that, at least to this point, he's been just so-so in run support. It's not that he's scared; he just lacks the seek-and-destroy mentality that we've seen from Carlton Davis and Javaris Davis. Those two are elite in terms of their ability (and willingness) to supplement run defense, however, so perhaps Dean is being judged too harshly on that point.
Also, he worked almost exclusively against No. 2 receivers last fall. The SEC is loaded with talent, yes, and some No. 2 receivers are excellent in their own right. With that said, there is a gap between No. 1 and No. 2 receivers. Dean now must step up and defend a higher caliber of wideout who is considered a go-to player for his team. The task will be tougher, but Dean also is much more experienced now. And considering the way Ohio State deemed him irreparably damaged two years ago — essentially withdrawing scholarship support after his first knee injury — Dean forever will have a chip on his shoulder.
There's a lot to like about Dean and the progress he's made at Auburn. Now it's a matter of rising to a more difficult challenge and turning some of his pass break-ups into interceptions.
ON THE UP SIDE: Length, height, discipline, mental focus
ON THE DOWN SIDE: Strength against run, converting interceptions
VOTING RESULTS: No. 12 (Bryan Matthews), No. 13 (Jay G. Tate), No. 15 (The Bunker), No. 17 (Jeffrey Lee)
PREVIOUS RANKINGS: This is Dean's first year in the AuburnSports.com Top 20.
THE AUBURNSPORTS.COM TOP 20 FOR 2018:
14. CB Jamel Dean
