Nehemiah Pritchett Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

School: Auburn

Class: 5th Year Senior

Position: CB

HT: 6’0

WT: 190 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #96

Background: Nehemiah Pritchett was a homegrown Alabama prospect from Jackson, Alabama and attended Jackson High School. Pritchett was named Class 5A First Team All-State as a senior in both football and baseball. As a senior, Pritchett participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Pritchett did not have a ton of Power 5 offers out of high school, but he ultimately chose to stay close to home and play for Auburn instead of Indiana.

College: He was a depth cornerback as a freshman in 2019 and saw some action in spurts throughout the year. He saw a significant increase in his time on the field as a sophomore and was relied on in a much larger capacity. 2021 and 2022 were both seasons that saw Pritchett starting as a boundary cornerback for the Auburn Tigers. While being a star cornerback, he was also a returner on the kickoff unit. As the years have gone on in his college career, Pritchett has done nothing but show drastic improvement in each and every year. Pritchett returned to Auburn in 2023 in hopes of improving his draft stock. Unfortunately, his production seemed to plateau, and he did not do much to move up big boards.

Strengths: Nehemiah Pritchett meets the criteria for the new age cornerbacks. He is long, fast, and athletic. Throughout his lengthy career at Auburn, he has been able to go stride for stride with receivers such as Devonta Smith, Jamarr Chase, and Jalin Hyatt. He is a 4.4 speed player and will likely run that at the NFL Combine. Pritchett is a smart football player who is excellent at recognizing routes and reading the quarterback’s eyes. Watching the tape, it is clear that Pritchett does not get burnt by double moves or watch the receiver’s upper half. He stays focused on the hips and only commits when it is called for. Pritchett has been a fantastic leader of the defense for Auburn. It is rare to see cornerbacks as the true leader of a defense but that is what Pritchett has been in the later portion of his career. His combination of size and athleticism translates to both the boundary and the slot, so no matter what his team needs, he can fill a role.

Weaknesses: His negatives are a shorter list, but worrisome. While Pritchett rarely gets burned by double moves, it is largely due to the fact that he plays too soft of coverage. Pritchett is also a poor tackler, which rears its ugly head in the run game. He struggles shedding blockers and making the tackle. Nehemiah can be caught trying to make an arm tackle instead of wrapping up the ball carrier.

Scheme Fit: Zone Coverage

Ideal Role: Boundary CB

Best Team Fits: BAL, PHI, LAR

Player Comparison: Joey Porter Jr.

Player Grade: 75.6