With the 151st pick in the draft, Devon Auriemma selects:
“After selecting offensive players in the first four rounds of this mock draft, we finally take our first defensive player here in the fifth round. Even though the Chargers have a ton of depth in the secondary, they could still be looking to add another outside corner to pair with Casey Hayward.
Harrison Hand is a physical cornerback who brings good size to the position. However, he tends to struggle in man coverage. His tight hips limit his speed and ability to keep up with opposing receivers down the field. Where Hand plays his best is in zone coverage, where his awareness and football IQ shine. Gus Bradley could make good use of that, considering he likes to run zone schemes with more than a few cornerbacks on the field at times.
Hand had a decent performance at the combine. While he only ran a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, he excelled in the vertical and broad jump, where he finished in the top four for all defensive backs. In his final season at Temple, he racked up 59 tackles, including four for a loss, with three interceptions. His tackling ability in particular is underrated.
The 5’11, 197 lb. junior from Temple has second cornerback upside but will have to work his way up from special teams. With the departure of Derek Watt, Hand can step in and make an immediate impact. He will also have the opportunity to learn from some of the best corners in the league in Hayward and Chris Harris Jr., which could greatly benefit his development.”