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Ifeatu Melifonwu wasn’t on many NFL draft boards when he entered the 2020 season. But after discussions with his family, including his brother Obi, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers, Melifonwu realized he may not have a better opportunity to enter the draft. He shut down Atlantic Coast Conference receivers on a weekly basis and graduated from SU in December. 

“Going into the season, I was thinking I’m just going to play like this is my last season,” Melifonwu said. “Then, at the end of the year, I’m going to see what’s up.

“I feel like I had a really good year, a really consistent year.” 

Alongside Trill Williams, Andre Cisco and Nolan Cooney, Melifonwu participated in Syracuse’s Pro Day on Friday, running drills for various NFL scouts. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash, measured with a wingspan of 78.5 inches and had a vertical jump of 41.5 inches. 

Melifonwu has risen up draft boards recently, ranked as the sixth-best corner in the 2021 NFL Draft and the 48th best prospect, according to CBS Sports. Scouts have clamored over his size, length, reaction speed and athleticism. What he lacks in interceptions — he’s notched just three during two seasons at SU — he makes up for in physicality. 

“I know the saying is ‘Picks get you paid,’” he said. “Sometimes, picks are about the right place, the right time. Sometimes, it really depends if you play a lot of zone, your eyes are on the quarterback a lot.”

His meteoric rise is partially due to his impressive performance at the Senior Bowl in January. Melifonwu broke up two passes and tallied three tackles, allowing only three catches for 31 yards, according to PFF. 

In Mobile, Alabama, the corner met with every NFL team across two days: two four-hour sessions of 15-minute meetings While Melifonwu said it mainly involved background, introductions and questions about schemes, some teams offered him a challenge: improve your 40-yard dash time. 

“They thought I was going to run 4.5, so I guess that was added motivation,” he said. 

Melifonwu finished his career in Syracuse with 23 pass breakups in 29 games. He also totaled 88 tackles, five for a loss. The latter numbers show his versatility as a defensive back, his willingness to play as a safety or a corner and his ability to stop the run, Melifonwu said. 

NFL teams have quizzed Melifonwu about reading coverage schemes as a safety. His time in Syracuse and experience playing the 3-3-5 under defensive coordinator Tony White have improved his knowledge of other positions, he said. 

“I see myself coming in as a corner with the ability to play safety,” Melifonwu said. “I obviously have no problem playing safety if any team wants me to move there. At Syracuse, I knew what the corner did. I’ll be happy to do it if any team wants me to do it.”

“Mentally, I could definitely do it, and athletically, I could definitely do it.”

Published on March 19, 2021 at 5:59 pm

Contact Adam: adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman