An in depth and complete scouting report and draft prospect profile of Iowa State Cornerback TJ Tampa for the NFL Draft.

Prospect: TJ Tampa

School: Iowa State

Age: 21 (22 on Draft Day)

TJ Tampa Measurables:

• Height: 6’1” (NFL Combine)
• Weight: 189 (NFL Combine)

• 40: 4.5-4.58 (Big 12 Pro Day)
• 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.07 (Big 12 Pro Day)
• 3 Cone: 6.97 (Big 12 Pro Day)
• Other Notes:
  • Measured in 1” shorter and 11 lbs lighter at Combine than ESPN had listed 
  • Didn’t participate at the Combine due to hamstring strain
  • Can’t find anything definitive on his 40 at the Big 12 Pro Day. Seen anything from 4.5-4.58.
    • 4.5 is significantly slower than we would’ve thought, but to be fair it was all unofficial/hand times which we don’t fully trust. Tampa definitely plays faster than the 40 he ran. 

Tape Watched: Oklahoma, Iowa

Prospect Grade: 66% with upside

Projected Draft Day: Day 2, but Day 1 for the right team

Player Comparison: Shades of Aqib Talib

Best Team Fits: Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers… Any man heavy scheme

TJ Tampa Player Summary:

The  Positives

• Great size for a CB
• Man coverage
  • Likes to press
  • Likes to be physical
• Understands how to use his length when beat
• Can man up TEs
• Fluid hips, feels like someone who is going to do well in the Combine positional drills
• Good tackler
• Looks fast, we feel he may run faster than people think
• Aggressive blitzer
• Kind of plays like a safety

The Negatives

• Zone Coverage
  • Understanding of space is something he lacks in zone it feels like
  • Eyes are heavily on QB in zone
• Footwork could use a little polishing

Side Note:

• Tampa’s grade is more indicative of where he is now, but believe with coaching to improve his zone, his ceiling may be one of the highest in the class

TJ Tampa is a prospect that we absolutely love. When you watch the tape, there’s a lot of things that indicate to us that Tampa is going to crush the combine. He is almost everything you want from a CB. He’s got great size, he plays like a safety, he’s physical in man, etc. The big problem is that he struggles as a zone corner. In the right scheme Tampa is 100% a 1st rounder, but for teams that don’t fit his style of play he’s probably more of a Day 2 prospect.

Updated 4/5/24:

• Combine and Pro Day numbers added to measurable portion of profile
• Grade switched from “65%*” to “66% with upside”
• Comp switched from “Riq Woolen” to “Shades of Aqib Talib”