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NFL Draft Diamonds Scouting Report: Mike Hughes, DB, University of Central Florida

Mike Hughes is a corner/defensive back that has pretty good size. But is able to play multiple positions as well. You could label Hughes as a playmaker as he is also a good return man. Standing at 5’11 and 191 pounds Hughes isn’t small but isn’t a big corner as well.

Mike Hughes has very good quickness and burst in and out of breaks. One part of his game that I like is how physical he is, He will attack the ball in the air and the tackler as well as not allowing the bigger wide receiver to gain position against him. He could be a better wrap up tackler as he tends to throw his body around and try and bang the ball carrier rather than trying to make the secure safe tackle.

He plays with a good pad level which allows him to change direction while in coverage. But my favorite part of his coverage skills is that he is able to locate the ball while it’s in the air. Hughes holds a quick twitch and loose hips allowing him to break on routes like slants and dig routes.

His return ability makes him a threat to score when the ball touches his hands as he has 3 returns for touchdowns this past season on a total of 34 returns including both kick and punt returns. He holds good ball skills, And once the ball is in his hands he becomes very dangerous.

At the moment I think Hughes will be a very good Slot corner that could develop into a number 2 corner. I see some Chris Harris when I watch Mike Hughes play. I would like to see him gain a little bit of weight. But with Hughes being only 5’11 he may not be able to handle gaining much weight while keeping his speed, quickness, and burst while in coverage.

I have a late 1st to middle 2nd round grade on Mike Hughes. Depending on how well he tests leading up to the draft will determine where he will be drafted.

This report was written by Cody Ladue. Follow him on Twitter!

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