From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Clemson safety R.J. Mickens.
#9 R.J. MICKENS/S CLEMSON – 6000, 199 POUNDS. (RS SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
R.J. Mickens 6000/199 8 7/8 32 1/4 77 5/8
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.49 1.57 N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
10’1″ 41.5 17
THE GOOD
– Downhill player with good closing speed in the run game
– Shows to have good sideline-to-sideline speed in the run and good cover ability
– Fluid, quick backpedal in coverage with good top-end speed
– Sticks on tight ends through play-action
– Breaks well on underneath routes
– Fights with his hands through the catch point
– Transitions smoothly from a backpedal as high safety
– Adequate job of fitting up the run near the box
– Able to trigger the alley and funnel to the boundary
– Plays with good technique and rarely commits penalties (two in five years)
– Doesn’t give up deep shots overhead
THE BAD
– Doesn’t consistently play the ball and puts himself in poor positions
– Can take bad angles at times
– Below-average start-stop ability; not explosive changing direction in coverage
– Not a great tackler in open space
– 40 time doesn’t quite match the game speed on film
– Struggles to stay hugged to receivers on deep routes
– Needs to slip blockers better at the line of scrimmage
– Adjusting pursuit angles on the move can be difficult
– Dives at ankles too often
– Doesn’t have elite speed of a deep high safety to cover a ton of ground
BIO:
– Birth date: 7/10/01 (23 years old)
– Born in Southlake, TX and attended Carroll HS
– 2,186 total snaps (1,021 FS, 739 SS, 364 slot CB, 23 outside CB)
– 310 special teams snaps (121 punt return, 89 FG block, 36 punt coverage, 18 kick coverage, 46 kick return)
– Appeared in 60 games with 30 starts in 5 years at Clemson
– Career: 196 total tackles (112 solo, 84 assisted), 14 TFL’s, 61 run stops, 0 sacks, 22 missed tackles, 66.7% comp. allowed, 2 TDs allowed, 7 INTs, 15 PDs, 0 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 44.2 passer rating against, 2 penalties
– 2024-25 season: 75 total tackles (44 solo, 31 assisted), 26 run stops, 11 missed tackles, 72.4% comp. allowed, 1 TD allowed, 1 INT, 7 PDs, 59.6 passer rating against, 0 penalties
– Injury history: Missed 3 games in 2024 due to undisclosed injury (appeared to be left leg).
– 2025 Shrine Bowl participant
– 2024 team captain
– 2023-24 Honorable Mention All-ACC
– Four-star recruit (No. 2 ranked safety, No. 33 in the nation) by 247Sports out of HS
– Played safety and returned punts for high school team
– Ray Mickens (father) played in the NFL as a defensive back for 10 years
TAPE BREAKDOWN
R.J. Mickens was a do-it-all safety for the Clemson Tigers where he could align as the deep centerfielder, play in the box, or line up in the slot over wide receivers and tight ends. He shows good discipline and awareness that I’m sure didn’t hurt growing up around and watching his father play in the NFL. There isn’t a lot that Mickens can’t do, and he does most things well, whether it’s in coverage or run support. He made a lot of growth in zone coverage this past year to the point where defenses were often afraid to throw in his vicinity because he knew exactly when to time the route and break on the ball. He’s also not afraid to mix it up in the trenches and provide a thumper role in run support situations. He’s a reliable tackler but could benefit from wrapping up more often.
As a coverage defender, Mickens knows where his assigned areas are and where to be in his depth drops to come up when he needs to. He does a good job of knowing where to go on running plays, whether it’s shooting the gaps or flying to the boundary. He closes with solid short-area quickness to make striking tackles.
Here he is as No. 9 for the Clemson defense in the following clips:
Awareness and recognition are two hallmark traits that stand out on film with him. The guy knows when to make a play on the ball or a runner more times than not. He knows how to stay fluid laterally in the intermediate area of the field as a zone coverage safety. It lets him keep himself attached to assignments and pass them off to others when needed. When he has the opportunity to, Mickens can really lay a big hit on guys.
He turns his head well to mirror the routes and watch the quarterback while staying aligned toward the line of scrimmage to work within traffic. He navigates the field when he comes downhill and maintains his momentum through contact. Mickens sinks low into his hips to hold his ground in traffic against the run, sitting into his base and putting guys down with little YAC.
His hips stay fluid through constant transitions, and he moves smoothly with a consistent pad level to stay in sync. He has a good initial identification of peripheral routes, allowing him to stay fluid in zone coverage while accounting for his surroundings. Here, he stays patient over the middle of the field instead of chasing routes to make a play on the ball. You can tell he really does his homework on quarterback tendencies, too.
He covers well in zone and man with quick feet, sound depth, and quick hips to change direction. These traits allow him to survive in the slot against quicker receivers, but he is best at playing man coverage against tight ends, where he can be physical.
He has more difficulties when he gets stuck between being too passive and too aggressive, especially in open space. He has lapses where he gets too aggressive toward one choice. He sometimes lets his early drifting go too far, working himself out of running lanes. Mickens must be more aggressive when attacking blocks against the run and trust his instincts. He doesn’t scan the field much after he’s committed and doesn’t make up the gap when he chooses incorrectly. Mickens’ upper half and hips sometimes drift too far back in his backpedal, and he can get put off balance when forced to plant and drive.
He takes too long to extend toward ball carriers in close quarters, forcing his tackle attempts to be strictly with his arms. He can get beat by faster wideouts and gets too grabby when he loses initial leverage. There also instances with his tackling where he will leave his feet, lunge, and try to grab guys’ ankles too often. When tasked with man coverage, he tends to be grabby at the top of routes, especially with tight ends when he wants to be more physical. He should trust his hips and quickness more, along with his eyes.
CONCLUSION
This is a safety who can give you a lot of flexibility to match up all over the field. He could come in and make an impact as a rotational piece right away before becoming a starter in the future. You could get the most out of him in a Cover 2 scheme where his role is fluid, and he can utilize his great football IQ to diagnose plays. Mickens has to continue working on his pursuit angles, whether in coverage or as a run defender. He also needs to reduce the number of ankle tackle attempts and stay upright because he definitely has the technique and power to go through guys.
I could see him fitting in well with a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, where their safeties have a lot of different roles they can play. He would be a nice chess piece to use all over the field, as long as he’s not playing vertically too often. He can also come in and play special teams right away. His play style and experience remind me a lot of Ronnie Hickman Jr., who plays for the Cleveland Browns. I see Mickens as a high-floor player who probably won’t make drastic improvements but could be a good starting safety in either spot at the NFL level.
Projection: Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.7 – 3rd Round (Potential Starter/Good Backup)
Games Watched: at Pittsburgh (2024), at Florida State (2024), at South Carolina (2023), at Kentucky (2023)
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