Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.50 seconds (48%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.3 DOB: 03/14/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.50 seconds (48%*) | |
| Age: 23.3 DOB: 03/14/2002 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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| Overall Rating: | 83.3 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 50.6 | |
| Tackling: |
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74% |
| Run Defense: |
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67% |
| Coverage: |
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79% |
| Zone: |
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75% |
| Man/Press: |
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77% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#123
Position rank:
#22
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| College Games: 50 College Snaps: 2725 | ||
ESPN RATING: 73/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 84/100
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Ovr Rank:
#1471
College Combine Results
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RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coby Bryant - Cincinnati |
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95% |
| Greg Newsome II - Northwestern |
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83% |
| Cam Smith - South Carolina |
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83% |
Drafted: ROUND: 6 - Pick Number: 177 (BUF)
Draft Profile: Bio
Born March 14, 2002, Dorian Strong emerged from Dr. Henry Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland as a versatile two-way player who flashed playmaking ability on both sides of the ball. The 6'0", 179-pound cornerback arrived at Virginia Tech as a three-star recruit across all major recruiting services, but quickly outplayed those modest rankings. Strong wasted no time making an impact in Blacksburg, seeing action in all 11 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season while earning five starts as a true freshman - a testament to his natural instincts and technical foundation.Strong's trajectory continued upward as he developed into a cornerstone of Virginia Tech's secondary over the next three seasons. His sophomore campaign saw him start 10 games and register his first career interception against Boston College, while also showcasing his big-play ability by returning a blocked extra point 95 yards for two points against Syracuse. Despite missing seven games due to injury in 2022, Strong bounced back with a stellar 2023 season that established him as one of the ACC's premier cover corners, earning Third Team All-ACC and Second Team All-American honors from Action Network.
What separates Strong from other cornerback prospects is his remarkable efficiency in coverage during his final season. As just the second FBS cornerback since 2014 with 300+ coverage snaps who surrendered fewer than 10 receptions and less than 100 yards receiving in a season, Strong's statistical dominance speaks volumes about his blanket coverage ability. He capped his collegiate career with another solid season in 2024, recording 32 tackles, 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, and a forced fumble across 12 games - finishing with 44 career starts and establishing himself as a legitimate NFL prospect.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exceptional coverage skills, particularly excelling in press-man situations where he utilizes quick, heavy hands to establish leverage off the ball
- Fluid hip flexibility and smooth transitions, executing man turns with no wasted motion while staying in phase with receivers
- Strong ball judgment and reactions, consistently making plays at the catch point and forcing incompletions on contested catches
- Impressive ball production throughout his college career, demonstrating reliable hands and playmaking ability in the secondary
- Proficient play speed allows him to effectively trail receivers on short and intermediate routes across the field
- Quality change of direction skills help maintain leverage and cushion at the top of routes in man coverage
- Displays heady awareness and instincts when dropping into zone coverage, effectively eliminating throwing windows
- Competitive length allows him to play larger than his frame, compensating for average height and weight measurements
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Plays with inconsistent pad level that creates stiffness in transitions - when he stands too tall, receiver separation becomes inevitable on sharper breaking routes.
- Despite good timed speed can struggle to apply that athleticism when trailing deep routes, often getting grabby when caught out of position instead of relying on his recovery ability.
- Has a gambling mentality that can burn him badly - will attempt to undercut routes and make the spectacular play rather than maintaining proper positioning.
- Plays with concerning hip tightness when forced to decelerate quickly and flip back toward quarterback on comeback routes, creating consistent separation windows.
- Tends to resort to face-guarding deep down the field rather than getting his head around, making him vulnerable to both big plays and pass interference penalties.
Scouting Report: Summary
Dorian Strong has the makings of a fifth to sixth-round selection who could carve out a role as a contributing backup with eventual spot-starting potential. His length and disruptive press technique will intrigue defensive coordinators looking for boundary depth, particularly against bigger receivers where his physicality can neutralize size advantages. What jumps off the tape is how much better Strong plays in zone coverage than man-to-man - he shows natural instincts reading quarterbacks and route combinations rather than just mirroring receivers in isolation.Teams with heavy Cover-3 and press-zone concepts should target Strong in the later rounds. The Patriots, Cardinals, and Bills could maximize his skill set by allowing him to use his length in press alignment while giving him zone responsibilities that capitalize on his ball-hawking instincts. His clear weakness against the run won't be a deal-breaker for teams who can hide that limitation with strong safety support or scheme adjustments. While he won't be a shutdown man corner at the next level, his ball production and zone coverage acumen create value as a developmental prospect.
I see Strong developing into a reliable depth piece with special teams value immediately, with the potential to compete for rotational snaps by year two or three. His ceiling is capped by his athletic limitations and struggles against the run, but his technical refinement and football intelligence will help him stick on an NFL roster. Strong represents solid value for a Day 3 pick, especially if he lands with a defensive staff that understands how to leverage his strengths in coverage while minimizing his exposure in run support situations.
Written By:
Felix Green (ACC)
Dorian Strong percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Dorian Strong (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
96.8
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
26.0
*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.