Tiawan Mullen NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Los Angeles Chargers' UDFA CB
HEIGHT: 5'8"
WEIGHT: 181
HAND: 8¼"
ARM: 30⅜"
WINGSPAN: 78⅞"
40-YARD DASH: 4.42
3-CONE: 7.00
SHUTTLE: 4.41
VERTICAL: 32"
BROAD: 10'
POSITIVES
— Athletic player with quick feet and very good short-area quickness. Good deep speed with ability to recover downfield.
— Active in run support, aggressive tackler who doesn't shy from contact.
— Great ball skills. Has a knack for finding the ball.
NEGATIVES
— Undersized player who lacks overall length and size.
— Can lack coverage awareness at times. Below-average route recognition.
— Lacks strength in the run game, relies on quickness and struggles to set the edge. Tends to dive at ball-carrier's ankles at times.
2022 STATISTICS
— 12 G, 38 Solo, 58 TOT, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 2 INT
NOTES
— Starts: 32
— DOB: 07/12/2000
— Brother of Trayvon Mullen and cousin of Lamar Jackson
— 2020 First Team All-American (Phil Steele)
— 2020 First Team All-Big Ten
OVERALL
Tiawan Mullen finished a productive 2022 season with 58 total tackles and two interceptions. He possesses great athletic ability, showcasing very good top-end speed, quickness and reactionary athleticism. He served as Indiana's top corner, often taking on larger boundary receivers.
Mullen showcases very good overall speed in pass coverage. He also has recovery speed when playing deep and short-area quickness, and he keeps his speed through changes in direction. In zone coverage, Mullen's short-area quickness allows him to react at a high level and close in on the ball. In deep coverage, the 22-year-old performs at great speed while positioning himself to make plays.
In the run game, he is very active, displaying aggressiveness as a hitter. Mullen lacks the size or strength to fight through blocks in the screen game, making him prone to giving up big yardage out on the boundary. He also lacks the size to set the edge, limiting his production in the run game when playing on the perimeter.
The former Hoosier is a good blitzer, using his speed to get to the backfield and quickness to avoid blockers. He has a tendency to dive at the ball-carrier's ankles because of his lack of size to face larger players head-on.
Mullen has the athleticism to contribute on special teams and add immediate depth to a cornerback room. His quickness and top-end speed will translate, but a lack of size will limit his role to the nickel position. Mullen did not show the physicality or length in press and man-to-man scenarios to be a boundary cornerback, but has the skill set to play zone at a high level.
GRADE: 5.6 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)
OVERALL RANK: 248
POSITION RANK: CB30
PRO COMPARISON: D.J. Reed
Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings
