The Bills went DB which was something I blogged about a few days ago (Yes, I’m bragging!). Ronald Darby is now a Buffalo Bill and joining us to dish the dirt on him is Mike Ferguson from the FSU site Noled Out. Enjoy and tell a friend.
1) What are Darby’s pros and cons to his game?
With Ronald Darby, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Darby has pretty good height for a corner, very good speed and great football instincts. One of the knocks on Darby is that he doesn’t really have much of a highlight tape. He managed just two interceptions over his three years at Florida State and had more than that go through his hands, but rarely was he tested. He did however, have a number of picks slip through his fingers.
2) How is he in bump and run coverage or single coverage?
Darby wasn’t tested very often at Florida State which is a testament to his coverage skills and he could definitely be a shutdown corner on the next level. He is a bit lean however and could struggle some with more physical receivers.
3) How is he in run support?
Despite the lean frame, Darby was not a bad tackler from his cornerback position and actually played well against teams like Georgia Tech and The Citadel, who rely heavily on the option and force defensive backs to come up and make stops.
4) I’ve read he has some issues when his back is turned to the QB in coverage. Is that true?
That certainly happened more than once. One play that comes to mind was a 4th-and-18 against Notre Dame when Everett Golson was able to escape pressure and find an open receiver that Darby lost in coverage. There were also a few occasions where he failed to turn around and the locate the ball in the air.
5) How would he do on special teams?
Ronald Darby probably isn’t a guy you want busting up the wedge, but he has sprinter speed and might be an option in the return game. Of course, Buffalo does have Sammy Watkins and Darby hasn’t had a whole lot of experience handling punts and kickoffs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t.
6) Any stats you wanna share about him or great games?
Despite pedestrian interception numbers, Darby was named the 2012 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and a second team All-American in 2014, according to CBS Sports. One game that comes to mind is a late October contest against N.C. State in 2013. Darby was all over the field, had a couple of pass breakups and a really nice pick where he came off his receiver and made a really nice break on the ball. FSU won that game 49-17, but it was 35-0 after a quarter and 42-0 at the break.
7) Is there anything left worth mentioning?
Though he hasn’t had many passes thrown his way over the last three years, he’s seen a lot of the field and has played against pretty good competition like Watkins, DeVante Parker, Phillip Dorsett and Jamison Crowder. By all accounts, Darby is a good team guy and did not have any disciplinary problems at FSU. He should be able to come in and contribute for Buffalo right away
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