2014 NFL Draft Review: Loucheiz Purifoy

Coming off of an incredible senior season at Pine Forest High School, Loucheiz Purifoy was scouted by major schools such as, Alabama, Miami and Florida. Eventually, Purifoy would decide to stay close to home and attend the University of Florida. At Florida, Purifoy was able to leave a huge impact on the team, as he quickly developed into a their starting cornerback. Now, coming off an extraordinary career at Florida, Loucheiz Purifoy will look to continue to improve his game, with the hopes of being drafted and potentially turning into a starting cornerback in the National Football League.

At Florida, it did not take long for Purifoy to find his way onto the field. Although he wasn’t always out with the defense, Purifoy starred as a special teams player. In fact, Purifoy went onto lead the Gators in special teams tackles with twenty-two. Despite playing more special teams than defense his first year, Purifoy attempted to make the most of his opportunity’s while he was on the field. Aside from his special teams play, Purifoy finished his freshman season with five tackles and one forced fumble.

After a quiet freshman season, Purifoy turned into a beast in his second season with the Gators. He continued to play a huge role in the success of the Gators special teams, recording three forced fumbles. Purifoy was also able to excel as an every down cornerback, as he finished the season with fifty-seven tackles, placing him forth on the Gators, and five pass deflections. The one knock on Purifoy is his inconsistent coverage ability. Even with his coverage skills not being the greatest, Purifoy was able to succeed on a defensive scheme that mostly left him on an island with the wide receiver.

His success as a sophomore caused many scouts and analyst to drool over his untapped potential. His above-average size and great athleticism was the reason many believed that Purifoy would transform into one of the best cornerbacks in the country in his third season with the Gators.

To the surprise of many, Purifoy had a bit of a down year last season. It all started off when the University of Florida announced that five players on the football team, one of them being Purifoy, were suspended for the opening game against Toledo, for a violation against team rules. Thing’s failed to improve for Purifoy as he had a tough game against Miami. Purifoy, who, outside of his blocked punt, was constantly being torched by Miami, as he missed some crucial tackles.

Despite the rough start to begin the season, Purifoy was able to have a nice bounce-back game against the Arkansas Razorbacks. This way by far Purifoy’s most productive game of the season, as he compiled four tackles, one sack and a forty-two yard interception return for a touchdown. Unfortunately, Purifoy followed up this tremendous performance with a very shaky one against LSU. Much like the Miami game, Purifoy missed some critical tackles. His coverage was not terrible, however, his inept ability to tackle the ball carrier really put a damper on his performance.

Even though he had a bit of a down season, Purifoy’s play was still good enough to earn him a spot on the Associated Press All-SEC Second Team for cornerbacks. Things were looking up for Purifoy as he continued to workout in preparation for NFL Scouting Combine. At the Combine, players from throughout collegiate football are showcased in front of thirty-two team’s scouting, front office and coaching departments. With his draft stock on the rise, an impressive performance at the Combine could have pushed Purifoy all the way up to a potential first round choice.

Again, to the surprise of many, Purifoy had a terrible performance at the Combine. First off, he put up the lowest total of any defensive back with only six reps on the bench press. He also ran a much slower time than expected, as he was clocked in at 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash. On top of that, Purifoy really looked mediocre in the field workouts. He also looked extremely unprepared for the drills that were being performed.

In spite of the fact that Purifoy has tremendously dropped his draft stock over the past eight months, there are some things that he does extremely well. He has incredible size for his position, which gives him the ability to constantly be running with the opposing receiver. Although he doesn’t have the best coverage skills, he does have very good potential. With better coaching at the next level, Purifoy could really develop into a good coverage corner. He is also very physical with the receiver and causes a ton of forced fumbles.

There has been talks that due to the depth at the cornerback position in this year’s draft class, Purifoy could potentially go undrafted; however, I do not see that happening. Purifoy has too much potential to be passed up. Will he go in the first round? No. Heck, he might not even be selected on day two. But somewhere along the lines, a team will be willing to take a gamble on Purifoy. If anything, Purifoy could be a backup cornerback in the league and a starter on special teams. Players hang around longer than expected just off their ability to play special teams. It is one of the most important parts of football, and Purifoy can certainly do it extremely well.

With so many teams in need of another cornerback, I believe that Loucheiz Purifoy will end up being a day three selection. With Purifoy being available in either the fifth or sixth round, it will be extremely hard for a team that needs to fill out the back part of their roster to pass up on him. It is imperative that he get’s back in the gym and out on the field to improve. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in order for Purifoy to turn into an efficient cornerback in the National Football League. The only question remaining is can he get his head straight and make the necessary adjustment’s to have a successful NFL career.