The East Carolina Pirates haven’t had a first-round pick in the NFL Draft since Chris Johnson in 2008. That could change in 2025 with cornerback Shavon Revel Jr.
A gifted defensive back with all the physical tools needed to be a star, Revel made a name for himself, despite not playing at a Power Four school. Now, he figures to be one of the top cornerbacks off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Shavon Revel Jr.’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 188 pounds
- Position: Cornerback
- School: East Carolina
- Current Year: Senior
Revel’s Scouting Report
A North Carolina native born in Winston-Salem, Revel started high school in the city but eventually moved out to the suburbs. As a senior at Ronald W. Reagan High School, he was a standout wide receiver and cornerback on the football team. He was also a varsity letterman in track and field.
Due to academic ineligibility, Revel ended up starting off at the junior college level, committing to Louisburg College in Louisburg, North Carolina. His 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, and he played in just six games in 2021.
However, East Carolina had its eyes on him coming out of high school, and after Revel improved his grades, he transferred to play for the Pirates after the 2021 season.
Revel didn’t play too much to start, logging just 25 defensive snaps and being targeted once in coverage in 2022. He carved out a niche for himself on special teams, though, participating on most of East Carolina’s kick-coverage and punt-return units.
The 2023 season was where Revel really got to let his potential shine. He stepped into the starting lineup for the Pirates, playing in 12 games and allowing a completion percentage of just 44.2% in coverage.
He logged an interception and broke up 13 total passes, and he finished the season allowing a passer rating of 61.2 when targeted. For his efforts, he was named a Second-Team All-AAC defender.
Coming into the 2024 season, Revel had generated significant NFL buzz for his freakish athleticism, ball production, and long arms. His senior year was cut short due to a torn ACL, but he dominated in the three games he played. He ended the year with two interceptions in that time, returning one of them for a touchdown.
Revel’s play in coverage improved from what was already an impressive 2023 season. He allowed a minuscule 38.1% completion percentage while conceding a modest passer rating of 48.8.
Strengths
- Lengthy boundary cornerback with a large catch radius.
- Tall defensive back along the boundary with the raw size needed to stack up against bigger wide receivers at the next level.
- Competitive press cornerback who maintains ideal hand activity near the line of scrimmage, as well as through a receiver’s stems.
- Uses his length well to break up passes and jam receivers early on in the route.
- Wide receiver experience from high school shows up in his impressive ball skills.
- Smart in man coverage with sound route-recognition skills, and he can use down and distance with formations to identify route concepts.
- Plays with a high motor, both in tight coverage and as a tackler.
- Willing in run support with the raw size needed to wrap up and bring ball carriers down.
- Has the athleticism needed to consistently stay in a receiver’s hip pocket.
- Deep speed is great for any cornerback, not just one who’s tall and lengthy like he is.
- Explosive in his backpedal and has the upfield burst needed to stick with receivers stride for stride.
- Effective processor in zone coverage who has a good understanding of which man to pick up against certain route combinations.
Weaknesses
- Suffered a torn ACL that forced him to miss most of the 2024 season, as well as the East-West Shrine Bowl.
- Doesn’t play at the Power Four level, so he could face a bit of a learning curve at the next level.
- Being a taller cornerback, sometimes struggles with keeping his center of gravity low.
- High pad level can affect his balance and how well he changes direction coming out of his breaks.
- Doesn’t have a massive sample size of FBS tape to go off of compared to other top cornerbacks in the class.
- Limitations in terms of lateral quickness can show against speedy receivers.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
If Revel didn’t tear his ACL during the 2024 season, he’d likely profile as a top-20 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He has an impressive combination of height, length, and speed that you just can’t teach at the cornerback position. His physical tools alone would get him on the radar of NFL teams, but he maximizes well with a high football IQ.
Revel can read offenses well and mirror the route concepts of opposing wide receivers pretty consistently. His ball-tracking skills and long arms render him capable of making plays on the ball that most other cornerbacks are incapable of, too.
There are concerns with Revel, mostly due to the fact he’s a small-school cornerback coming off a serious injury. On the field, he could stand to get a little more crisp shooting laterally out of his transitions.
Due to those fators, Revel could slip to the second round. With how high his ceiling is, though, it doesn’t seem likely he’d slip that far into Day 2. Don’t rule out a team taking a shot on his upside late in the first round, either.