Ajani Cornelius, OT Oregon: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Cornelius was a recruit from Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y. in the class of 2020
Ajani Cornelius transferred from Rhode Island to Oregon this offseason. The redshirt junior might stick around for the 2024 college season, but he’s an intriguing potential top 100 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more opinions on prospects, clips, and the latest football content.
Ajani Cornelius, OT Oregon: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior right tackle from Harlem, N.Y.
Background: Cornelius was a recruit from Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y. in the class of 2020. He didn’t receive a star rating from 247Sports or a grade out of 100 from ESPN. Cornelius originally committed to Howard before flipping to Rhode Island. He transferred from Rhode Island to Oregon ahead of the 2023 season. He led Archbishop Stepinac to back-to-back state and league championships in 2018 and 2019. Cornelius lettered three times while playing both tackle and guard. He was a team captain as a senior and was named the CHSFLAAA 2019 Offensive Lineman of the Year. Bryant, Delaware State, Hampton, Howard, and Morgan State recruited Cornelius.
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: 2022 First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association
Pros: Experience playing guard in high school, well-proportioned and thick frame, frame is filled out, defenders struggle to play through him, sturdy anchor, punishing hands, noticeable clamp strength, counters and tries to trap the defender’s hands, improved knee bend from 2021 to 2022, slide in pass pro is getting faster and more refined, improved footwork and nimbleness from 2021 to 2022, recognizes stunts, tracks defenders up the arc and shoves them past quarterback, generates vertical displacement in the run game, collapses the defensive line when he slants down, strength to wall off or seal defenders inside or out
Cons: Ten penalties committed in 2022, competition level, questionable arm length for a tackle, foot speed, footwork compromises his anchor, not quick to halt his momentum and redirect, plays with an elevated pad level, stiff upper body, occasionally allows his chest to extend over his feet, hand placement is low, needs to attack the defender with his hands more both in pass pro and the run game, shoulders are softer than ideal, stressed up the arc by speed rushers, lower body and upper body don’t work together to sustain blocks, susceptible to push-pull move, lunges or leans forward and slips off blocks in the run game
Overview: Cornelius has experience playing guard dating back to his time in high school, which might be his best long-term projection for the NFL. He plays with an elevated pad level and has questionable arm length for a tackle. However, Cornelius has a well-proportioned and thick frame that is filled out. Defenders struggle to break his anchor or play through him. Cornelius flashes noticeable clamp strength that could become even more prominent with refined hand placement. The New York native counters and tries to trap the defender’s hands. He significantly improved from 2021 to 2022 in several areas, including his knee bend, footwork, and nimbleness. His lateral movement and slide in pass protection are becoming faster and more refined. Cornelius recognizes stunts and reacts quickly. He tracks defenders up the arc and shoves them past or around the quarterback. He shines in the run game, generating vertical displacement. The Archbishop Stepinac product also has the strength to collapse the defensive line or wall off or seal defenders with ease. He committed ten penalties in 2022, including two games where he drew three flags apiece. Cornelius thrived against low level competition, only facing one Power Five team during his three seasons at Rhode Island. His foot speed isn’t ideal, and he’s stressed up the arc by speed rushers. Cornelius is slow to halt his momentum and redirect. He plays with an elevated pad level and a stiff upper body. The transfer occasionally allows his chest to extend over his feet, which makes him vulnerable to push-pull moves. His hand placement is low, and he needs to attack the defender’s central mass more aggressively. Cornelius’ shoulders are softer than expected for a powerful tackle. His lower body and upper body don’t work together to sustain blocks, which leads to defenders escaping his grasp. He lunges or leans forward and slips off blocks in the run game.
Overall, Cornelius built the foundation of a day three draft profile at Rhode Island with his improving pass sets and run blocking prowess, but his performance against Power Five competition at Oregon will largely decide his projection. Cornelius’ sole Power Five matchup in 2022 (against Pittsburgh) showcased his effectiveness in the run game, but he has some physical limitations and mechanical inconsistencies that need fixing. He might be a better long-term fit at guard.
Role & Scheme Fit: Left guard in an inside zone scheme in the 2025 NFL Draft
Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth
Size: 6'5", 310 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 04-07-23