Boise State rookie Kamalei Correa has been one of the most talked-about players at camp. Between starting at inside linebacker (a position he played in spots in college) to making spectacular plays in coverage (yesterday’s one-handed interception against Joe Flacco comes to mind) to being a disruptive force in the backfield, the second-round backer has made his presence known on the field.
Today, I wanted to see how he’s progressing in his coverage duties and how often he switches between ILB and rush end positions.
On early downs, Correa was mostly stationed as the weak-side ILB in the Ravens’ base package. He handled all coverage duties in 7-on-7 drills and only played at the strong-side OLB spot in sub packages (nickel, dime).
Here are the situations that stood out:
Coverage: Correa got caught in a coverage wash as two receivers ran a double crossing route combination in front of him. Meanwhile, Justin Forsett, the guy Correa was responsible for covering on any potential leakouts, was able to run wide open down the left sideline. To Correa’s credit, he hustled to catch Forsett but the damage was already done. This is a good example of the rookie losing his eye discipline in coverage.
After that play, the former Bronco did a good job tracking pass catchers (mostly tight ends) in the flats. Overall, his ability to break down and square up is impressive considering that he runs 100 miles an hour to the football. And he will run to the ball on every play.
Correa was matched up a couple of times with receivers in the middle of the field and he held up just fine. He played his zone technique without much of a hitch. Although it’s hard to know for sure that he was at the right depth on his drops, it seemed that he was in the right position.
There was only one instance I remember when he appeared to take a false step overreacting to a play-fake, but as was the case all morning, when he does take a couple of false steps, he has the speed to recover and still get to the ball.
Run plays: When Correa is able to pin his ears back and hit the hole without having to think, he’s like a heat-seeking missile when he fills his gap.
There was one play in which the rookie did a nice job stringing out a run off-tackle. He didn’t overrun his pursuit and stayed patient throughout the play to make the stop. It was also impressive to see Correa shadow a ball carrier who tried to bounce from inside to outside, then back inside. The young backer displayed the lateral quickness to keep up and make the tackle in the hole.
On a couple of occasions, Correa looked a step slow and that hesitation led to him overrunning his gap and losing contain. In those instances, you have to wonder if he’s having to process information which leads to him not playing at his top-end speed.
Pass rush: Correa really didn’t get much action as a rusher. He lined up as a standup strong-side rusher against Rick Wagner. The second-rounder used a slap move to get around Wagner’s hands on one play and used a hesitation move to work around the right tackle on another play. In both situations, Correa was kept at bay.
All in all, Correa received a ton of reps this morning. There were a few nickel looks that featured Correa, Albert McClellan, and C.J. Mosley all lined up as standup LBs. At other times Zack Orr was the weak-side ILB and Correa lined up at OLB.
It’s pretty clear that defensive coordinator Dean Pees will mix and match his LB packages. With Correa’s ability to play two positions, Pees can be more creative.
Charting the Rookies
– Alex Lewis: The rookie handled left tackle duties and he didn’t fare well as a pass blocker when I watched him. He struggled to maintain his balance and power, getting badly overpowered in one instance against Lawrence Guy. On a designed run play to the outside, Lewis missed his target completely on a pull block.
– Tavon Young: Young played outside corner and held up well, breaking up two passes. Although he’s listed at 5-9, the rookie has the timing and leaping ability to make up the difference. Those two attributes were on display when he disrupted a jump ball in the end zone.
– Sam Brown: The undrafted corner showed sound outside coverage technique. He jumped a route to take away the QB’s first read and then recovered to deflect a slot pass attempt. Brown also looked good in the open field when he had to square up against backs on dump-off routes.
– Keenan Reynolds: Yesterday I mentioned Reynolds had a tough outing. He dropped another punt today, but the rookie did a better job holding onto the ball as a receiver. His change-of-direction was on display on a bubble screen. Reynolds bounced the ball inside, didn’t find an opening, then quickly shifted gears to the outside and found space up the sideline, causing defenders to get caught in the wash.
Other Notes:
– Mike Wallace showed up to practice today, making key catches in the intermediate area, while also shaking loose on a post pattern for a TD score. In a 1-on-1 drill between receivers and corners, Wallace was able to turn around Jimmy Smith on a comeback route. It’ll be interesting to see how often Wallace is used in space on quick screens and rub routes because he is slippery in the open field.
– Kamar Aiken, the Ravens’ clear top wideout, is a marvel on jump balls, and he consistently adjusts to throws that are behind him.
– Maxx Williams had an impressive block going against Brent Urban during running drills. The second-year TE not only stood up Urban but he drove him back and was able to generate a push. Urban failed to maintain a lower center of gravity on the play.
– Buck Allen made defenders miss in the hole a few times, using a spin move to avoid a tackle for a loss. He also finished his runs with power.
– Overall, the defense has been aggressive in their blitz packages, showing a lot of double A gap and overload pressures. They have been pushing the quarterbacks to get rid of the ball quickly.