The Buffalo Bills selected Virginia Tech CB Dorian Strong with the No. 177 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. <\/p>\n
Strong is a long-limbed cornerback who leverages his size and athleticism to disrupt routes and make plays on the ball. His press-man coverage skills and ball-hawking tendencies make him a highly competitive defender, but he has areas to clean up in his technique and consistency.<\/p>\n
Strong excels in press-man coverage, utilizing his length and footwork to disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage. His smooth athleticism allows him to swivel his hips and transition well on shorter routes, showcasing good ball skills in intermediate zones. However, he struggles with maintaining proper pad level, often leading to separation on deeper routes. His gambling nature and reliance on undercutting routes can sometimes pull him out of phase, and his lack of elite recovery speed is a concern downfield.<\/p>\n
Strong is willing to engage in the run game, with secure wrap tackling being one of his strengths. His ability to close on ball-carriers in space helps his overall run defense, though his size and physicality are still developing. He takes sound angles and demonstrates a strong understanding of leverage, making him reliable in run support.<\/p>\n
Dorian Strong projects as a mid-round pick, offering potential as a starting outside cornerback with the right coaching. His length, ball skills, and press coverage ability make him valuable in man-heavy schemes. However, he must improve his technique, especially in downfield coverage, to avoid giving up big plays.<\/p>\n
MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS<\/p>\n
\u2014 Long-limbed athlete with good overall size. Does a great job of using his length to his advantage.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Smooth athlete who shows to have loose hips to flip and swivel.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Strong press man defender who slides his feet well to keep leverage and uses his hands well to disrupt routes.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Very good ball skills. Does a good job of getting his head around to find the ball and ability to play the ball, more so with short and intermediate routes.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Wrap tackler who shows to be secure in open field tackling.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Inconsistent with pad level which inhibits his transitions.<\/p>\n
\u2014Can get too handsy when working downfield, especially when caught out of position. Lacks recovery speed downfield.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Gambler who consistently looks to undercut routes, taking poor angles and losing positioning. He often falls out of phase with receivers.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Reverts to face guarding downfield, as he is slow to get his head around to find them ball.<\/p>\n
\u2014 3-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 2023: Third Team All-ACC<\/p>\n GRADE: 7.0 (High-Level Backup\/ Potential Starter \u2014 3rd Round)<\/p>\n PRO COMPARISON: Levi Wallace<\/p>\n