NFL Draft guru praises Rebel All-American Senquez Golson

When NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier discusses collegiate players who are available for the pro football draft, people listen. He has been scouting and researching the top collegiate football players for almost 30 years and is the editor and publisher of Mike Detillier’s NFL Draft Report. He’s also the college and pro football analyst for WWL 870 AM Radio in New Orleans, a sports columnist for several newspapers and websites, and a frequent guest on radio and television programs across the country.

NFL Draft Expert Mike Detillier is widely regarded as one of the top draft analysts.

Needless to say, Mike Detillier’s bona fides are without question.

The Rebel Walk first spoke with Detillier at the end of last season in an in-depth interview about Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson.  He discussed Golson’s strengths and the improvements in his game, and he also gave us some interesting info on the cornerback’s position on his mock draft board.

Detillier was high on Golson long before the speedy Rebel became a consensus All-American. Golson ended his Ole Miss career by being named first-team on the American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, Associated Press and Walter Camp All-American teams. Ole Miss had not had a consensus All-American since Michael Oher in 2008.

Following the NFL Combine, Detillier remained just as sold on Senquez and was complimentary of his innate talent, tenacity and technique. Here are some of his thoughts on the Pascagoula, Mississippi native.

Golson had his 10th INT of 2014 in the Peach Bowl. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland)

On Golson’s ability to finish plays:

“A lot of times today, you see defensive backs knock the ball down, but they don’t make the catch. But that’s what Senquez has been able to do—he finishes plays off by making the interception. I think that’s a big plus for him.”

(Much to the dismay of opposing teams, Golson made a habit of finishing off plays with interceptions. He led the SEC his senior season with 10 and finished his career with 16, none bigger than his INT against No. 1 Alabama that sealed Ole Miss’ victory over the Tide.)

On the improvements in Golson’s game:

“Senquez is a guy who has really stepped up the technical part of his game. He’s always been someone with ball skills who can run quickly. But he’s gotten much better, technically.”

“What I see in him is back pedal, a tremendous ability to adjust to a receiver; his plant and drive to the football–all that has become so much better. You can see how much he has developed over the last two years with his ability to get out of transition, to get to the football hard.”

On Golson’s ability to cover big, physical receivers at the next level:

Golson had his 9th INT of the season against Auburn. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland)

“Just look at the guys he went up against this season: Sammie Coates and D’haquille Williams at Auburn, Amari Cooper at Alabama, and Malachi Dupre at LSU, to name a few.”

“He played that big competition week in and week out, not to mention going up against Laquon Treadwell in practice all season. That is always a plus that your competition has been stout and you were able to put together such a signature season.”

“His one on one cover skills are very, very good. The SEC had such a plethora of big receivers, so he went up against those type of guys and did very well, last year especially.”

“He is a terrific, terrific defensive back. He plays the football so well. What I like about him is he’s not intimidated by the bigger receivers. He’s a feisty guy going for the ball and I like that in him.”

On what he thinks is Golson’s biggest attribute:

“His biggest attribute is his ball-reaction skill. He finds the ball so quickly—and he can catch it. You cannot teach finding the ball in flight. You either have it or you don’t. Senquez is very talented in that area.”

On the mental advantage Golson brings to the table:

Detillier notes Golson’s mental toughness as one of his many assets. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland)

“He plays with an air of confidence, He plays with what I like to call ‘athletic arrogance.’ Senquez never thinks he is going to get beat, and that’s good because the other part about playing corner is you have to have amnesia. You have to be able to put a bad play aside. And even if he gets beat, it doesn’t affect the next play. That’s a huge plus with him. He has the mentality of ‘You may make a big play, but I will come right back and make a big play, too.’ That’s the mental toughness he has.”

On Golson’s NFL draft position:

“He made the biggest jump up the draft board of any senior in the SEC. He’s now a top 100 guy in my opinion. That’s a monumental jump! Before this year, I would have put him at a 7th round pick, and now he is a solid 3rd round pick.”

On Golson’s size:

“He’s not tall, and there’s nothing you can do about that. But that being said, he IS a very talented young man, and he has played big in big games. That helps. People like to see that. His technique is excellent; his ball-reaction skills are phenomenal. And, he has a mental toughness that’s critical for the next level.”

Final thoughts going into the 2015 NFL Draft:

Senquez Golson and Cody Prewitt are both expected to be drafted in the 2015 NFL Draft. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland)

The Rebel Walk asked Detillier for his final thoughts on Golson, and the analyst did not hesitate to offer his professional assessment: “I was really impressed with him during his senior year. He was very intimidating. You felt some comfort knowing you had a guy like Senquez Golson in deep cover. He did a great job one-on-one downfield.”

It will be exciting for Rebel fans to watch where Senquez and fellow Ole Miss teammate Cody Prewitt, also projected to be chosen in this year’s NFL Draft, will be taken.

Whoever chooses these two All-American Rebels will be better for it, as they will bring tenacity, leadership and proven skills to their new teams.

How to Watch 2015 NFL Draft

Round 1: Thursday, April 30, 7:00 p.m. CT –  There is a 10 minute time-limit between picks in Round 1.

Rounds 2-3: Friday, May 1, 6:00 p.m. CT – There is a 7 minute time-limit between picks in Round 2. There is a 5 minute time-limit between picks in Round 3

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, May 2, 11:00 a.m. CT – There is a 5 minute time-limit between picks in Rounds 4-6. There is a 4 minute time-limit between picks in Round 7.

Both NFL Network and ESPN will carry live coverage throughout all seven rounds of the draft, and NFL.com will have a live stream available as well.