Notre Dame Cornerback Benjamin Morrison is Hard to Shake

Excellent technique and consistency (positively and negatively), are the two things that jump out on game film when studying Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison.

He’s an aggressive press-man corner who likes to get right up on receivers pre-snap and challenge them.

He does more than that.

Morrison sticks to them like glue most of the time.

Family background

Look no further than Morrison’s family background to understand better why he plays with such good technique.

Morrison’s dad, Darryl, played in 48 games over four seasons (1993-1996) for the Washington Redskins.

Teams pay attention to “NFL bloodlines,” and it’s something teams like to see. It’s seen as a predictive indicator for scouting departments. It’s not a rule, but it does increase the “chances of success.”

Textbook technique

In terms of technique, Morrison looks like an NFL veteran.

That’s saying something.

He does an outstanding job mirroring and shadowing the receiver. While he did not show that coveted second-gear burst of speed that helps cornerbacks ‘make up the difference,’ and make plays on the ball, he compensated by taking excellent angles to the ball and with phenomenal ball instincts. Morrison knows how and when to go up in the air at the right precise moment to attempt to defend a pass.

About those weaknesses…

It’s hard for receivers to shake Morrison in coverage, but not impossible.

His biggest weakness is a tendency to react too slowly to quick and unexpected changes of direction by receivers that he can’t see coming. If he sees the change of direction on a quick slant, he’ll get the receiver. If he doesn’t see it coming, the receiver gets him most of the time.

I saw this happen seven times on sharp comeback routes along the sideline. Receivers were able to drive him downfield, slam on the brakes, and come back and make the catch while Morrison was busy reacting. There was one other time he lost a receiver in the end zone and gave up a touchdown because of an unexpected move.

His other big weakness is he leaves something to be desired as a tackler, both on passing and run plays.

How does he project?

A good, but not great NFL cornerback prospect.

However, I don’t want to take anything away from Morrison. He’s a good prospect in his own right. He projects to be a solid No. 2 corner. My big concern is NFL receivers learn of his weakness and victimize him with sudden and unexpected changes of direction that he can’t see coming.

Outside of that, he does a masterful job one-on-one.

Draftwire, 33rd Team, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, CBS, NBC Sports, Pro Football Focus, The Athletic, and The Sporting News have first-round grades on Morrison (April-September 2024).

I like him a lot, but I can’t go that far. I can’t get past the pattern of slow reactions and not having a natural short-area burst to the ball.

#20 Benjamin Morrison 6-foot-0, 190 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 Fall Grade: Second-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 94.6% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of September 14, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film evaluated: Navy, Tennessee State, NC State, Central Michigan, Ohio State, Duke, Louisville, USC, Clemson, Wake Forest, Stanford, and Oregon State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Compact squatty athletic cover corner that provides sticky coverage most of the time. Long arms. Has the attitude for the position. Light work in off-man. Fluid body movements. Decent after-the-fact defender in zone coverage. Moves well. Understands play flow and the art of route leverage. Reads quarterback well. Looks for the ball. Mixes it up with receivers. Physical presence. Can impede receivers. Tough on inside slants routes. Quick feet. Uses hands well. Good straight-line speed. Gets going. Good close. Can stay in phase vertically. Raw blitzer. Undependable tackler.

What to watch for during the 2024 college football season

1. How does he look when receivers unexpectedly change direction on their routes?

2. Does he show a short area burst?

3. How does he look as a tackler?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.