The elite cornerback who skipped the NFL Combine drills
In short: In 2017, NFL scouts faced a mystery. Marshon Lattimore was projected as a top-tier talent, yet he refused to perform the bench press or shuttle drills at the NFL Combine. How did a player with a history of hamstring injuries become the draft's premier cornerback prospect?
Marshon Lattimore’s ascent to professional stardom was marked by a calculated approach to scouting. Despite a collegiate career at Ohio State that included a redshirt year in 2014 and a limited 2015 season due to hamstring injuries, his talent was undeniable. By 2016, he had recovered to earn First-team All-Big Ten honors. When entering the 2017 NFL Draft, major analysts including ESPN and Sports Illustrated ranked him as the top cornerback prospect, even though he opted to perform only positional drills during his Pro Day and skipped several standard physical tests at the Combine.
The New Orleans Saints leveraged this potential by selecting him 11th overall in the first round of the 2017 draft. His rookie season was a whirlwind of high-impact plays and physical setbacks. After being initially named a backup, he ascended to a starting role following injuries to teammates like Delvin Breaux. His debut season was highlighted by an interception and touchdown against the Detroit Lions, earning him the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year title and a Pro Bowl selection.
Lattimore’s career has been defined by both dominance and durability challenges. He secured a massive five-year, $97.60 million contract extension with the Saints in 2021, but his tenure in New Orleans eventually saw significant transitions, including the retirement of coach Sean Payton and the eventual trade to the Washington Commanders in November 2024. Even as a veteran, his impact remained notable; in his 2024 debut for Washington, his former team, the Saints, targeted him zero times through the air.
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