Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Kone was a recruit from Apple Valley High School in Apple Valley, Minn. in the class of 2020
Western Michigan’s Bilhal Kone is one of the top non-Power 4 cornerbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Pre-draft testing and a potential All-Star game performance will be important for his draft stock. He currently projects as an early Day 3 selection who could slide into the middle rounds.
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Bilhal Kone, CB Western Michigan: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt senior boundary cornerback from Apple Valley, Minn.
Background: Kone was a recruit from Apple Valley High School in Apple Valley, Minn. in the class of 2020. He didn’t receive a star rating or grade out of 100 from major recruiting services. Kone played two seasons at Iowa Central Community College, earning Second Team All-Conference selections both years before attending Indiana State. He transferred to Western Michigan for the 2023 season. Kone was the Defensive MVP of The Graphic Edge Bowl in 2021 for ICCC.
Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a season-ending injury after eight games in 2022
Awards: N/A
Pros: Special teams snaps on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, arm length checks the box, height and length combo, quick backpedal, patient in his backpedal in soft shoe press, drives outside releases into the sideline, matches route tempo well, quick deceleration at the stem’s peak on intermediate routes to mirror receivers, good top speed with long strides, good recovery speed, doesn’t give up downfield throws, quick to click and close on short throws from off-man, reads the quarterback’s eyes to attack other routes, covers good ground in zone, vision in zone to jump other routes, great understanding of assignments and help in zone, length helps undercut and contest throwing lanes, long arms show up at the catch point, times his contest well, high points the ball, motor in downfield pursuit, often comes to balance and stays square as a tackler
Cons: Lean throughout frame, some tightness in hips limit flip speed, hand placement in jams, hands lack pop, lacks elite top speed, inconsistent comfort working with back to quarterback, eyes in the backfield lead to some loose coverage reps, average closing burst downhill, limited play strength to stack and shed, easily displaced by blocking tight ends, not a physical tackler in the run game, limited contributions in run defense
Overview: Kone is a tall, lean cornerback with good arm length. He primarily aligns as a boundary cornerback operating in Cover 2 and Cover 3 zone but also has experience in off-man and soft shoe press. Kone patiently sits in his backpedal in press and drives outside releases into the sideline. He matches the receiver’s tempo to prevent downfield separation and deter routes that work back down the stem. Kone decelerates quickly at the stem’s peak on intermediate routes to mirror comebacks and curls. He reaches a nice top speed with his long strides but lacks the elite speed to carry burners vertically out of press. Despite that physical limitation, Kone rarely allows downfield throws because his recovery speed helps him get back in phase late in the route. The redshirt senior suffers from some hip tightness that limits his ability to flip his hips mid-route. His hands lack pop and limit the effectiveness of his jams. Kone’s comfort working with his back to the quarterback in man coverage is inconsistent. He prefers to keep his eyes on the passer, but his emphasis on the backfield sometimes leads to him playing loose on receivers and losing track of his assignment. Kone quickly recognizes and drives on short throws out of off-man to limit yards after the catch. He reads the quarterback’s eyes and uses his long strides to transition between zones, break off his assignment, and surprise the quarterback by jumping other routes. Kone has an excellent understanding of and a natural feel for zone assignments. His length helps him undercut throwing lanes and high point the ball to contest catches. The Minnesota native’s downhill burst in run defense is average. He doesn’t have the play strength to stack and shed blocks consistently and is easily displaced by tight ends. Kone’s motor runs hot in pursuit, and he’s at his best hawking down a ball carrier in space instead of fitting the run in tight quarters.
Overall, Kone possesses an intriguing combination of height and length but lacks the comfort level, fluidity, and elite speed to play heavy doses of press-man coverage. Instead, his quick processing and football IQ make him a more natural fit for a zone-heavy scheme. Kone could slip into mid-Day 3 range depending on testing.
Role & Scheme Fit: Outside corner in a Cover 2 heavy scheme
Round Grade: Fifth Round
Size: 6'2", 190 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 11-07-24
Updated: 12-04-24