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Cory Durden NFL Draft Profile
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Cory Durden Scouting ReportStanding at 6'5" weighing in 312 pounds Durden is versatile lining up across the defensive line. He possesses impressive size and above average length. His size ensures that he attracts double team blocks while his length allows him to be disruptive at the point of attack. He displays exceptional play strength. His bull rush is exceptional and he can be found routinely forcing his man backward, collapsing the pocket in the process. His initial punch is impressive.
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Areas for ImprovementHe demonstrates impressive pass-rush performance at times, there’s a feeling that his motor doesn’t always run as hot as you’d like. He routinely fails to wrap up as a tackler, allowing his man to escape. He’s proven that he can provide pressure, but he needs to translate that into production. He is impressive as a pass rusher, but there is work to do in run defense. He holds his own against single blocks but appears easily displaced when tasked with overcoming double teams.
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Cory Durden Career at CincinnatiDespite the productive performances for Newberry as a senior, Durden followed the often furrowed freshman route of redshirting. However, it wasn’t a completely lost season for the former high school standout. He got valuable work on the scout team, preparing him for his second year as a Seminole. The preparation paid off. In his college debut against Virginia Tech, Durden secured 2 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack. It was the first of 12 appearances in 2018 that included a start against Notre Dame. Against the Fighting Irish, he flashed his disruptive ability with a blocked PAT. Durden compiled a tasty stat sheet in his redshirt freshman season. The Florida State DT amassed 22 tackles (6 in one game against NC State), 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and the blocked kick.
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Cory Durden NFL Draft Player ProfileFor a 312-pound defensive tackle who had been lauded for his ability to eat up space, Durden flexed impressive pass-rush capability in his redshirt sophomore season. Although 5 sacks don’t sound that impressive, he tied for most on the team. Furthermore, the Florida product generated a sack in three consecutive games in the early part of the season. After registering 39 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and a first career forced fumble in 2019, there was a sense of expectation for the Florida State DT heading into 2020. Marvin Wilson may have drawn most of the attention from NFL Draft analysts, but Durden led all returning defensive tackles in pressures. Durden’s redshirt junior campaign was disrupted beyond the impact of the global situation that caused college football chaos. Having played through a shoulder injury in 2019, offseason surgery impeded him throughout the 2020 campaign. As a result, he registered just 7 tackles, 0.5 of which were for loss, and a forced fumble against Miami.
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