The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers had another good year but fell short of a bowl victory thanks to a 53-29 beatdown by the East Carolina Pirates during the Birmingham Bowl. Looking ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft, there are a number of Chanticleers who could hear their names called come the end of April.
Coastal Carolina 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
Adrian Hope, LB
Strengths: Hard-working, instinctive college defender who began his career at Furman. Primarily stands over tackle, breaks down well, and is rarely off his feet. Uses his hands well, bends off the edge, and sells out up the field. Instinctive, displays a good head for the ball, and gets the most from his ability.
Weaknesses: Not a rangy linebacker who will cover much area on the field. Lacks pursuit speed. Out-positioned by blockers.
Overall: Hope was a smart, tough college defender who lacks the computer numbers and measurables for Sunday football. He’ll have to work his way through camp and perform well on special teams to have any chance of making a roster.
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Jerrod Clark, DT
Strengths: Massive interior defensive lineman who projects to nose tackle. Fires off the snap, immediately gets his hands up, and knocks blockers off the line. Flashes a tremendous first step off the snap that makes him impossible to stop. Plays with proper pad level, consistently gets leverage on opponents, and keeps his feet moving.
Possesses outstanding lower-body power and bullrushes double-team blocks to collapse the pocket. Holds his ground against triple-team blocks and is impossible to move off the point. Displays good change-of-direction ability and short-area quickness and works to get down the line of scrimmage in pursuit.
Weaknesses: Must develop more moves and be quicker disengaging from blocks. Marginal pass rusher. Didn’t perform all that well during Senior Bowl practices.
Overall: Clark is a massive lineman who plays big football and does an outstanding job occupying blockers and clogging the middle of the field. Though he’s not much of a playmaker, Clark has enough ability and upside to be used as a zero-technique lineman on Sundays.
D’Jordan Strong, CB
Strengths: Talented cornerback who displays good recognition, gives effort, and shows solid ball skills. Fluid pedaling in reverse, smooth flipping his hips, and works to get his head back around to locate the pass in the air. Nicely positions himself to make plays on the ball. Fires upfield to defend the run and willingly takes on larger ball handlers.
Weaknesses: Get outmatched by bigger receivers and loses out battling to defend passes. Has watched his play and production diminish over the past three seasons.
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Overall: Strong displayed next-level ability as a fourth-year junior in 2020, intercepting five passes and breaking up 12 more. He never progressed from that point, but he still offers the size and skill to line up in dime packages on Sundays.
Want more information on Clark? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Jerrod Clark, DT, Coastal Carolina | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Lance Boykin, CB
Strengths: Nice-sized cornerback who watched his game take off last season. Aggressive, shows ability backed off the line of scrimmage, and has a burst of closing speed. Effectively diagnoses plays, fires upfield to defend screen passes, and gives effort against the run. Uses his size as an advantage. Possesses long arms and big hands.
Weaknesses: A little too aggressive and is often flagged for pass interference. Late reacting to receivers’ moves and stiff in his hips, which puts him a half-step behind opponents transitioning off the line. Off balance, which hurts his ability to break to the throw.
Overall: Boykin displayed plenty of progress in his game last season and offers next-level size, but he’s a prospect who must polish his ball skills to have an NFL future.
Want more information on Boykin? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Lance Boykin, CB, Coastal Carolina | NFL Draft Scouting Report