Draft Profile: Amari Spievey

NAME – Amari Spievey

Position – Cornerback

College – Iowa

Status – Junior

Size/Weight – 5-10 7/8, 195 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.53 seconds in 40-yard dash, 6 repos on bench press, 34.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot broad jump.

Age – He’ll be 22 on Income Tax Day.

Honors – 1^st-team All-Big 10 Conference selection as junior … second team as sophomore.

College career – After struggling with academics and losing his scholarship, Spievey fought back and had two very productive seasons (‘08-09) where he had six interceptions, including one that he returned 57 yards for a TD against Minnesota. He left school a year early.

Stats of note – 26 games/starts, 124 total tackles, six INTs, including one returned for a TD.

STRENGTHS – Very good in zone coverage, showing awareness of receivers and routes and can close on the throw … plays with a good sense of angles on the field … willing in run support … he’s shown explosive hitting ability at times … experienced on special teams.

WEAKNESSES – He does not have great speed and does not show good recovery speed …. Struggles against double moves … not very strong, although he’s willing to battle at the point of attack … frequently loses track of his man in coverage as he peeks in the backfield.

THE RIGHT 53?- Fought back from being forced out of Iowa after his freshman season by poor academics. Spievey went to Iowa Central C.C. where he was JUCO All-America in ‘07 with seven interceptions and four return touchdowns. He also blocked four punts. He was reinstated at Iowa the next season. He’s showed maturity with how he handled the situation and work ethic to overcome the problem.

What he said – “You can’t just be a cover guy at Iowa. We have to set the edge. I will never shy away from contact. I’m not going to just let the linebackers make the play. I’m going to make that tackle. We are expected to do our job, be dependable, reliable. I expect the same at the next level.”

End game – Most likely Spievey would have benefited from staying in school for his final season, as his short two-year career on the field at Iowa hasn’t provided enough information on his potential. He’s likely to fall in the third-fourth-fifth round range.

ON THE CHIEFS LIST? – Corner is not a position of need for the Chiefs. They will like his Iowa pedigree, but Spievey’s short career with the Hawkeyes does not indicate many reasons to draft him before the fourth or fifth rounds.