The Measurables

Martin Emerson

CB – #1 Mississippi State

HT: 6020
WT: 200
WING: N/A
ARM: N/A
HAND: N/A
DOB: 9/27/2000

Year: Redshirt Sophomore
High School: Pine Forest (Pensacola, FL)
HS Rating: 3 star (0.8614)
Phil Steele: PS#219

Martin Emerson Scouting Report

Very solid speed. Should be in the 4.41-4.47 range. Excellent acceleration. Very explosive and sudden athlete. For the position group, Emerson has great upper body strength. Strong arms and does a good job controlling the tackle. Average change of direction, especially when working against deeper route progressions.

Decent tackler. Delivers a tough hit but doesn’t show much of a wrap up ability while in run support. Works downhill quickly and efficiently. Solid space defender. Fairly consistent in open field opportunities. Inconsistent with his pursuit angles. Stays with the route when he needs to. Doesn’t give up the battle for the ball. Works well through the receiver even without positioning. Handled double moves well.

Contests the catch point extremely well. Really struggles with the comeback route, especially right after the 12-yard range. Overcommits to the deep ball and surrenders a lot of ground. Very physical in man coverage. Solid hand and stiff arm technique to help control the receiver through the route. Typically a smart zone coverage defender. Very promising in press coverage situations. Excellent jam technique.

Pre-Combine Projection

Martin Emerson appears to have the foundation and makings of a man-coverage cornerback on the boundary, but I have to wonder if Emerson wouldn’t be a better fit as a big slot coverage player. His length and speed could erase mismatches made by players like Chase Claypool and other potential tight-end size receivers working out of the slot. Emerson also has the physicality to stay there, and could start immediately. However, as a boundary cornerback, Emerson could be a suitable starter by 2023.

We like Emerson as a second-third round pick in the upcoming draft because of his length and speed. That being said, it’s a deep class at the cornerback position and Emerson will need a big combine performance to separate himself.