T.J. Tampa NFL Draft Overview
Position: Cornerback School: Iowa StateHeight: 6’1
Weight: 189 lbs
Age: 21 years old
Arm: 32 1/8″
Hand: 9 5/8″
As more and more freak athletes shift to play wide receiver, you need big-time corners to win. It was even better when a good athlete at wide receiver changed to a corner like Iowa State T.J. Tampa. Tampa was a three-star wide receiver recruit out of Saint Petersburg, Florida, and committed to Iowa State University. Every year, Tampa got better and better. He was a role player for the first two years; by his junior season, he was a full-time starter. In 2022, he started all 12 games and amassed 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, and one interception. In 2023, Tampa became a star, earning all Big 12 and all-American honors. He finished the season with 44 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two interceptions while making countless big plays. He will be an elite NFL corner with his size, speed, and length combination.
2024 NFL Draft: T.J. Tampa Scouting Report
Tampa’s Strengths
- Great length for the position. He has arms longer than some offensive and defensive linemen.
- Length and strength help his best trait, press coverage. In press has a remarkable ability to stone wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. Good speed allows the confidence to run down the field stride for stride.
- Although not perfect, he does a good job sinking his hips and transitioning in and out of breaks for his size.
- Good ball skills to disrupt passes down the field and on fades. Not afraid to be challenged.
- Has good Scheme versatility. Can fit in man to man scheme. Perfect fit in zone scheme teams.
- He plays with physicality in the run game and quick game.
- Day one starter potential.
Tampa’s Weakness
- Consistent technique is needed as he can get lazy at times and get caught slipping. He can also be prone to giving up quick completions due to the high pad level, which leads to a bad change of direction.
- Versatile, crafty wide receivers will occasionally give him trouble if he cannot catch them in press coverage. He lacks elite fluidity in his hips.
- I did not like his tackling. He is a good tackler when using proper technique. However, his poor technique leads to missed tackles and future injuries.
- Too many plays given up that should be routine ends up bigger than it should have been.
- He has physical elements to his game, but He Needs a lot more physicality to show, especially on teams where he would fit best as a zone corner.
Projection: Second Round
NFL Comparison: Christian Benford
Best Fits: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and the San Francisco 49ers.
Bottom Line
Every year, the NFL is looking for big, long-armed athletic corners with good hips to match up with wide receivers. TJ Tampa fits the mold and brings a physical presence to any NFL cornerback room. His flaws are mainly technical and can be fixed with coaching and experience at the next level. Tampa’s NFL comparison was Christian Benford, a cornerback who burst onto the scene this year. Both tall-armed corner players thrive in the zone and press to make plays on the football. Main Photo: NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORKMore must-reads: