Renardo Green, CB Florida State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Green was a three-star recruit from Wekiva High School in Apopka, Fla. in the class of 2019

Renardo Green had the best year of his career in 2023. He and Jarrian Jones gave the Florida State Seminoles one of the most talented secondaries in the ACC. Green also had a strong showing at the Shrine Bowl and is in line for a potential top 100 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Renardo Green, CB Florida State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior outside cornerback from Orlando, Fla.

Background: Green was a three-star recruit from Wekiva High School in Apopka, Fla. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 476 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 423 for On3.com. Green was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. He amassed 25 tackles, four interceptions, 23 total passes defensed, and a fumble recovery as a senior while Wekiva went 11-2 and appeared in the FHSAA 8A Regional Final.

Injuries & Off-Field: A small break in his ankle as a high school junior caused him to miss the season’s final month, missed four games in 2020, battled injuries to end the 2021 season, left with a sling on his shoulder in the second half of the North Alabama game (2023)

Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-ACC, 2022 FSU Defense Most Improved Player, 2023 Second Team All-ACC, 2023 Honorable Mention All-American (Phil Steele)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, some previous experience playing in the slot and safety, quick feet, impressive job being patient and mirroring near LOS, battered Clemson’s receivers early in routes with physicality in press (2023), drives inside releases on vertical routes into help coverage, compresses outside releases along the sideline, sticks with stutter-go routes well, strong red zone reps vs. Malik Nabers for LSU (2023), careful not to be stacked, play speed on deep coverages looks faster than his 40-time suggests, stuck with Brian Thomas Jr. on vertical routes (2023), good vision in zone, processes and sifts through multiple threats in zone, strong awareness of threats working behind him in his zone, feisty and competitive at the catch point, active and accurate hands at the catch point, quick to trigger on WR screens, willing to fire downhill and challenge the run, fun mentality when it’s time to hit people

Cons: Injury history, committed 11 penalties over the past two years, wingspan (74.75 inches) and arm length (31.25 inches) are below average for a cornerback, arm length limits radius of impact on contested catches, not a twitchy athlete, sometimes caught flat footed at times near the LOS, punches in press sometimes come up short, some hip tightness in his sudden changes of direction, allows separation at the top of comeback routes as he tries to get his hips around, grabby at the top of comeback routes, slipped a couple times vs. LSU (2023) during sudden redirections, occasionally gets too loose in coverage on shallow crossers, boxed out by larger receivers, outmuscled on contested catches vs. Miami (2023), doesn’t get head around to locate the ball, acceleration is tested by angles in run defense, pulls up and jogs in long pursuit, strength to defeat blocks is inconsistent, poor stack and shed technique

Overview: Green has special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. He aligned primarily on the outside for Florida State but also has some minor experience operating in the slot and was training as a safety for an extended time early in his college career. Green played to both the field and boundary for the Seminoles with a heavy emphasis on press man coverage in both true and soft-shoe press. He also played cloud coverage and operated at different depths in zones. Green’s 74.75-inch wingspan and 31.25-inch arm length rank in the 37th percentile and 42nd percentile among cornerbacks since 1999 per MockDraftable. That limited arm length shows up at the catch point. Green is not a twitchy athlete, but he does have quick feet. Green is patient near the line of scrimmage to mirror releases. Once receivers have entered their release, he batters them with physicality, driving inside releases toward help coverage and outside releases toward the sideline. The redshirt senior isn’t shaken by stutter-go routes and is careful not to be stacked on vertical routes. He didn’t run the fastest 40-yard dash, but his play speed covering receivers like Brian Thomas Jr. deep seems to outperform his testing. Green also had several impressive red zone reps against LSU’s Malik Nabers in 2023. The Florida native’s punches in press don’t consistently land because of his lackluster arm length. He suffers from some hip tightness that impacts his ability to gear down and change directions suddenly. This leads to him allowing separation at the top of comeback routes or getting grabby and committing a penalty. He has been flagged 11 times over the past two years, including six times in 2023. Green’s tightness might have also contributed to several slips against LSU and Clemson. Green becomes too loose in man coverage on shallow crossers, giving the receiver plenty of separation instead of closing ground. He is boxed out and outmuscled by larger receivers at the catch point. When covering vertical routes, Green frequently fails to get his head around and locate the football. This leads to missed ball production and potential penalties. The Second Team All-ACC selection has good vision and processing skills in zone to sort through and pass off multiple threats. He also showcases awareness of routes developing behind him. Despite his build, Green is feisty and competitive at the catch point with active hands that target the football. He is quick to trigger on wide receiver screens and is willing to come downhill against the run. There are plenty of splash plays where he displays a desire to bury the ball carry and be an enforcer. However, his stack and shed technique is poor, and his play strength limits his ability to beat blocks consistently. Outside run plays where he gets too close to the line of scrimmage test his acceleration and burst as he tries to redirect and cut off the running back.

Overall, Green lacks ideal measurements for an outside cornerback, but his aggression in press coverage and performance against quality opponents in 2023 suggests he could be a top 100 pick for a team running the right scheme. Green has also shown upside in zone coverage. He’ll likely kick inside to the slot, but he has the mentality to play outside for stretches if needed.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside or slot press man corner with zone versatility

Round Projection: Mid Third to Mid Fourth

Size: 5'11 7/8", 186 lbs. (NFL Combine)

Submitted: 03-15-24