Kei'Trel Clark, CB Louisville: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Clark was a two-star recruit from Manchester High School in Midlothian, Va. in the class of 2019

Louisville cornerback Kei'Trel Clark is one of the best players at his position in the country. The two-time Second-Team All-ACC selection is returning from a torn ACL, but he played in Louisville’s 2022 season opener. Clark could be a top 100 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft if he continues improving on his high-level play.

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Kei'Trel Clark, CB Louisville: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior cornerback from Richmond, Va.

Background: Clark was a two-star recruit from Manchester High School in Midlothian, Va. in the class of 2019. He didn’t receive a star ranking or national ranking from 247Sports, On3.com, or ESPN. Clark was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. As a high school senior, he totaled 26 tackles, 575 punt return yards (28.6 yards per return), and 126 kick return yards. Clark helped Manchester High School capture a VHSL 6A state title as a senior. He earned Second-Team All-State honors as a defensive back and First-Team All-State honors as a punt returner. MaxPreps also credits Clark with 23 receptions for 429 yards and seven touchdowns during his senior year. The Virginia native ended his high school career with eight interceptions. Clark transferred from Liberty to Louisville before the 2020 season. He was born on March 19, 2001.

2021 Production: 8 games, 40 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 9 passes defensed

2020 Production: 10 games, 36 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, 10 passes defensed

2019 Production: 13 games, 40 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 5 passes defensed

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed five games after tearing his ACL in 2021

Awards: 2020 Second-Team All-ACC, 2021 Second-Team All-ACC

Pros: Has allowed a completion percentage just over 51% since joining the ACC, special teams experience on both coverage units and the field goal block unit, high school punt returner, plus ball skills, terrific at attacking the catch point, willing downfield tackler who contributes against the run and challenges blockers on wide receiver screens, blew up wide receiver screens against Eastern Kentucky (2021), N.C. State (2021), and Virginia (2021), remains low in his backpedal and shows no tightness in his hips, high-end agility and change of direction skills, can flip hips and carry receivers vertically, shows underrated play strength when challenging blocks, excellent at driving on short routes and making last-second deflections, baits quarterbacks and jumps routes, competes above his weight class, enjoys jawing with wide receivers, quick downhill trigger, high-end reaction time

Cons: Committed seven penalties in 2021, limited to no experience playing in the slot, lacks the size usually required of NFL outside corners, couldn’t match Emeka Emezie’s physicality (2021), sometimes gets sucked in by the threat of screens and vacates space downfield, too aggressive coming downhill at times, arm length might raise concerns, often dragged for yards after contact because of his small frame, dropped an easy interception against Boston College (2021), limited opportunities in press coverage, struggled to slow his opponent’s release in press, sometimes takes overaggressive angles to the football, doesn’t have the frame to support much more weight, lacks elite long speed, will fall for double moves, bites on play action

Overview: Clark is unofficially listed at 5'10", 177 lbs. He spends the majority of his time at Louisville in off-man and zone as an outside corner, which maximizes his ability to read and react to plays. Clark has an excellent reaction time, leading him to break up throws at the catch point that other defensive backs can’t. He has extensive experience on special teams at Louisville, which only adds to his value as a former high school All-State punt returner. Clark’s agility and loose frame allow him to change directions quickly. He has a low backpedal which he effortlessly flips his hips out of when transitioning to carry receivers vertically. Clark displays above-average ball skills, especially in contested catch situations. He aggressively drives on short throws, often breaking them up thanks to his reaction time and ball skills. The fourth-year junior showcased increased physicality in 2021, blowing up several wide receiver screens for big losses. He showed a quick downhill trigger on short throws and against the run. However, his aggressive nature sometimes backfired. Clark bit on double moves and play action several times, and he lacks the elite speed to recover when beaten in those situations. He sometimes pursued too far upfield and ran himself out of plays against the run. Clark has little to no experience playing in the slot or in press coverage at the college level. His small frame created issues against more physical receivers like Emeka Emezie. Despite being an aggressive downhill player, Clark’s tackles lack pop and allow for yards after contact. He’s guilty of dropping several potential interceptions. There are concerns about Clark’s arm length meeting NFL thresholds.

Overall, Clark is an undersized but aggressive corner who competes above his weight class thanks to his agility, ball skills, competitive toughness, and reaction time. He will likely play in the slot at the next level and has a chance to see playing time as a rookie because of his competitive nature and athletic profile.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot cornerback in a zone-heavy scheme

Round Projection: Mid Third to Early Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-31-22