Deshawn Pace S UCF | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Deshawn Pace S UCF
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Man-Zone Box/Strong Safety | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.55 seconds (56%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.3 DOB: 03/21/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Man-Zone Box/Strong Safety | |
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.55 seconds (56%*) | |
| Age: 23.3 DOB: 03/21/2002 | |
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| Overall Rating: | 65.0 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 89.1 | |
| Tackling: |
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57% |
| Run Defense: |
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65% |
| Coverage: |
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65% |
| Zone: |
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63% |
| Man/Press: |
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62% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#431
Position rank:
#74
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| College Games: 53 College Snaps: 2435 | ||
ESPN RATING: 72/100
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247 RATING: 83/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ja'von Hicks - Cincinnati |
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93% |
| Devin Taylor - Bowling Green |
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85% |
| Scott Nelson - Wisconsin |
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82% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Deshawn Pace from Colerain High School was rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 3-star grade by 247 Sports. Following high school, Pace opted to join Cincinnati.In 2020 as a freshman Pace saw action in 4 games and played a total of 24 snaps at linebacker for the Bearcats. He recorded just 4 tackles, 3 assists, while adding 2 stops. In coverage Pace notched up no pass breakups, no interceptions, and an elite QB rating when targetted of .0.
As a sophomore in 2021 he played in 14 games and logged 569 snaps for the Bearcats. He made solid 67 tackles, 23 assists, and had 37 stops. In coverage he totaled no pass breakups, 4 interceptions, and QB rating when targetted of 74.1. In addition he forced 11 total pressures, and one sack during the year.
In 2022 as a junior Pace played in 12 games and contributed on 558 snaps. He chalked up 38 tackles, 17 assists, and added 19 stops. In the secondary Pace forced one pass breakup, one interception, and gave up QB rating when targetted of 88.3. He also logged 7 total pressures, and one sack on the year
In 2023 as a senior Pace saw action in 11 games while playing 609 snaps. He logged solid 58 tackles, 16 assists, and made 24 stops. In coverage Pace had 3 pass breakups, one interception, and surrendered QB rating when targetted of 96.8. He also chalked up 7 total pressures, and no sacks on the season
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Elite athletic skills -- Made Bruce Feldman's 'Freaks List' at number 93. He wrote: "The 6-2, 212-pound senior has very good speed, clocking 21.21 MPH with a speedy 1.51 10-yard split. He also bench-presses 340 pounds and can do 25 pull-ups. "
- The younger brother of Cincinnati star Ivan Pace
- He’s at his best in coverage. He’s a fluid mover capable of turning and running with tight ends or mirroring backs coming out of the backfield.
- He can move laterally and chase in pursuit. A tough, violent tackler with a non-stop motor, Pace also shows good awareness when dropping into coverage.
- The talent is there as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker.
- Pace can be used as a rangy run defender inside, instinctive when it comes to locating the ball with the quickness to get to it before blockers can react at the second level.
- Closes quickly on relatively immobile quarterbacks. A consistently heavy hitter who flashes explosiveness and the ability to separate the ball.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- While Pace moves well laterally, he doesn’t always get there in pursuit.
- Pace is on the small side and struggles to slip blocks; he’ll need to be covered up in order to make plays.
- Pace doesn’t play with the functional strength and physicality to fight through blocks; he’ll need to be covered up in order to maximize his playmaking.
Deshawn Pace percentiles vs other Safetys (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Deshawn Pace (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
471.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
92.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.