2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Benjamin Morrison, Cornerback, Notre Dame
| Critical Factors | |||||
| Reactive Athleticism | Play Speed | Ball Skills | |||
| 7 | 8 | 8 | |||
| Positional Factors | |||||
| Off-Man | Press Man | Zone Coverage | Slot Coverage | Transition | Closing Speed |
| 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| FBI | Mental Tough | Open-Field Tack | Play Strength | Run Support | ST Value |
| 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Ability to read plays | Over aggressive |
| Closing Speed | Bigger receivers in man coverage |
| Zone Coverage | Open field Taclking |
Overall
Benjamin Morrison is a highly instinctive and athletic cornerback with a natural feel for the game. His ability to excel in zone coverage, coupled with his strong ball skills and closing speed, makes him a valuable playmaker in the secondary. Morrison’s awareness allows him to disrupt passing lanes effectively, often positioning himself to make impactful plays. While his man coverage skills are solid, he struggles against more physical receivers and needs to improve his technique to handle one-on-one matchups at the next level. His willingness to engage in run support is commendable, but he must refine his tackling to become more consistent. Morrison’s combination of awareness, ball skills, and effort projects him as a starting cornerback in a zone-heavy defensive scheme with potential for further growth.
Pass Game
In the passing game, Morrison showcases his playmaking ability through excellent instincts and strong ball skills. His ability to read quarterbacks and anticipate routes enables him to break on the ball with precision, often disrupting passes or creating turnover opportunities. Morrison is especially effective in zone coverage, where his timing and awareness allow him to excel in reading the quarterback’s intentions. While his off-man skills are solid, his press-man technique requires development to handle physical matchups better. Morrison’s occasional overaggressiveness can lead to penalties or missed chances, but his recovery speed and intelligence allow him to minimize these issues. His overall athleticism and awareness make him a consistent presence in coverage.
Run Game
Against the run, Morrison displays effort and awareness, often taking smart angles to the ball carrier. However, his tackling technique needs improvement, particularly in open-field situations, where he struggles to consistently wrap up and bring down runners. His physicality is adequate but not a strength, which can limit his effectiveness against more powerful runners. Despite these challenges, Morrison’s willingness to engage in run support and contribute on the perimeter highlights his team-first mentality. With refinement in tackling form and physicality, he can develop into a reliable defender against the run.
Last Word
Morrison projects as a starting cornerback in a zone-heavy scheme that values awareness, instincts, and ball skills. He has the versatility to play on the outside or as a rotational slot defender, depending on the team’s needs. His ability to disrupt passing lanes and create turnovers makes him a valuable asset on third downs and in sub-packages. Morrison’s athleticism and effort suggest he could contribute immediately on special teams while continuing to refine his overall game.
One-Liner:
Benjamin Morrison is an instinctive, ball-hawking cornerback with strong zone skills and room to grow in man coverage.
Grade: 6.3 – Ceiling: 6.7 (20%) Floor: 6.0 (30%) Round: 4
Best Fit Teams:
1. Buffalo Bills
The Bills run a zone-heavy defensive scheme that emphasizes awareness, ball skills, and closing speed — all strengths in Morrison’s game. Buffalo’s defense relies on corners who can read the quarterback’s eyes and anticipate throws, which fits Morrison’s natural instincts and play recognition. His closing speed and ball-tracking ability would allow him to thrive in Cover-2 and Cover-3 looks, giving the team a potential long-term starter at outside cornerback.
2. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s zone-heavy scheme emphasizes quick reactions and strong positioning in the secondary — traits Morrison consistently displayed at Notre Dame. His ability to read the field and break on passes would make him a valuable asset in the coverage scheme. His closing speed and ball skills would give the team a reliable presence in passing situations, and his versatility to play inside or outside would give the team additional lineup flexibility.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s defensive philosophy is built around physical corners with strong instincts and ball-tracking ability, which aligns well with Morrison’s profile. His closing speed and play recognition would allow him to succeed in a zone-heavy system. While his man coverage skills need refinement, his ability to disrupt passing lanes and create turnovers would make him a valuable addition to the secondary.
Hunter Kirkhope is an experienced sports data analyst with a strong background in scouting and live data collection. He currently works as a Live Data Analyst at Sports Info Solutions (SIS), where he scouts collegiate football athletes and writes detailed scouting reports based on performance analysis. His expertise includes collecting and analyzing real-time data from USFL games and Division I college football programs, including the University of Akron, Ohio State University, and the University of Pittsburgh.
Hunter’s work at SIS includes providing valuable insights to optimize team performance and inform strategic decisions using industry-standard tools such as Banjo and Connect Teams. He has demonstrated his analytical skills by tracking live statistics for March Madness 2024 and 2025 games and completing a sports analytics certification course through a mock college football game evaluation.
In addition to his professional experience, Hunter has a strong educational foundation in sports analytics and data science. He is pursuing a degree in Sports Data Analytics and Statistics at the University of Akron, where he has excelled in courses like Programming for Data Science, Survival Analytics, Statistical Data Management, and Advanced Statistical Computing. He has also competed in the 2023 and 2024 Cleveland Cavaliers Hackathons, applying his data analysis skills in a competitive environment.
Hunter’s background includes managing game-day operations and logistics as part of the Akron Facilities Staff, as well as serving as the Head Field Crew Manager for the Twinsburg Baseball League. His experience in coordinating events, managing personnel, and maintaining professional environments reflects his strong leadership and operational skills.
Hunter’s technical proficiency includes working with tools like SAS, SPSS, R, Python, C++, and Matlab, along with a deep understanding of sports data collection and performance analysis. His analytical approach and hands-on experience make him a valuable asset in the field of sports analytics and scouting.