This is the second in a series profiling players the Bills could select in the April 29-May 1 NFL draft.
Asante Samuel Jr. isn’t picky about where he’ll play in the NFL.
Being drafted, preferably in the first round, is the primary concern of the standout cornerback from Florida State.
Landing in a place to his liking would be a bonus. Say, for instance, Buffalo?
“I know Buffalo has a terrific fan base and a great organization,” Samuel told reporters when he was asked last month about the possibility of the Bills choosing him with the 30th pick. “I would love to play for them.”
His father, Asante Samuel, played cornerback for 11 seasons in the NFL. The former University of Central star entered the league in 2004 as a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.
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Samuel won two Super Bowls with the Patriots and twice led the NFL in interceptions.
Asante Jr. said his father “played a big role in his life.” However, he pointed out that his father has always preferred that his son have is own identity.
“He just wanted me to do my own thing with how I learned, just be self-oriented with the things I wanted to do,” Asante Jr. said.
The biggest knock on Samuel, and why some draft prognosticators see him being available at the bottom of the first round or in the second, is his lack of ideal size. He stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 180 pounds.
For that reason, there have been questions about whether Samuel would be a better fit as a nickel back, where he could line up against smaller receivers than he would be asked to cover on the outside. He takes offense with that logic.
“Of course, I feel that I'm an outside guy,” Samuel said. “I've been playing outside all my life. I've played nickel sometimes, in my freshman year, but at the end of the day, I make my plays on the outside. I feel that I'm a dominant corner on the outside.
“They try to look at my height and things of that nature, but I'm the same size as (Green Bay Packers cornerback) Jaire Alexander, and he's a dominant NFL cornerback right now – one of the best in the league. I feel like size doesn't matter; it's about the heart, and the dog mentality you have on that field.”
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees similarities between Samuel and Antoine Winfield Jr., a 5-9, 203-pound safety the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a second-round pick from Minnesota last year. Winfield – whose father, Antoine Winfield, also was a top-notch NFL cornerback who began his career with the Bills – wound up being a key contributor to the Bucs’ Super Bowl championship.
“We saw Antoine Winfield Jr., the impact he made with the Bucs,” Jeremiah told reporters. “I think this is the same type of situation with Asante Samuel, where you can try and nitpick him and ding him. He’s not the biggest, probably not going to be the fastest.
“He’s just a really, really good football player.”
NFL talent evaluators consider his athleticism to be better than good, but short of exceptional. His strength isn’t great, but he’s hardly shy when it comes to tackling.
Samuel had solid production in more than two years as a starter at Florida State. Of the 137 times he was targeted, he was credited with 29 pass defenses and four interceptions.
Samuel calls his instincts and ball skills his greatest strengths.
“I feel that I can track the ball very well, and make plays wherever the ball is at,” he said.
Asked which receiver he most want to face in the NFL, Samuel said, “I mean, there are a lot of great receivers. Week by week, you can go up against Odell Beckham, Julio Jones, Stefon Diggs, I can name a lot. Whoever I play first, that's who I want to make my name off of.”
Samuel excelled in man-to-man coverage, which was FSU’s preferred coverage.
“Man coverage is a dog mentality,” he said. “It's like, you versus me, and you're not going to win your rep against me, because I'm a dog, and I've been working hard all year for it. You're not going to outwork me for the week, so I feel like that leads into the game.
“FSU really brought out the man coverage in me, because we played it a lot. Especially last year – I felt that the scheme was really good, and I was able to showcase my talent.”
Despite making only three starts as a true freshman in 2018, Samuel led the Seminoles in pass breakups. In 2019, he received third-team All-ACC honors as the only Power Five conference player with 14 or more pass breakups and 45-plus tackles.
Lack of size notwithstanding, Samuel has held his own in college against receivers who were four to five inches taller and outweighed him by 20 to 30 pounds.
“First, you have to have a dog mentality. Some guys, they don't have that dog in them, so when you have that, it makes a difference,” he said. “You just have to stay true to your techniques you've been working on all week – staying square at the line, and making sure you're getting hands on and doing what you need to do.”
Last season, he started eight of nine games. He exercised what amounted to a one-month “opt out” because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but still had a strong season.
“I feel like the pandemic has been a very different time,” Samuel said. “All the Covid testing, wearing masks, social distancing in all the meetings, it's always been social distancing and not being able to get as much hands-on coaching throughout the spring process. Not having spring ball was very tough, but I feel like it made our team more of a family. We were able to rely on each other a little bit more.”
