O'Donnell Fortune CB South Carolina | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
O'Donnell Fortune CB South Carolina
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 02/04/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.53 seconds (36%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.5 DOB: 09/08/2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |
| Last Updated: 02/04/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.53 seconds (36%*) | |
| Age: 23.5 DOB: 09/08/2001 | |
|
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
|
| Overall Rating: | 83.4 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
|
81% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 66.2 | |
| Tackling: |
|
60% |
| Run Defense: |
|
65% |
| Coverage: |
|
94% |
| Zone: |
|
86% |
| Man/Press: |
|
94% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#118
Position rank:
#22
|
||
| College Games: 37 College Snaps: 1620 | ||
ESPN RATING: 75/100
College Combine Results
|
||
|
247 RATING: 88/100
|
||
|
RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
|
||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| T.J. Tampa - Iowa State |
|
80% |
| Jaylin Simpson - Auburn |
|
76% |
| Elijah Jones - Boston College |
|
75% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Fresh off a dominant Defensive MVP performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl, O'Donnell Fortune has thrust himself firmly into the NFL draft conversation. The South Carolina cornerback's stellar showing in Arlington wasn't just a flash in the pan - it was the culmination of a steady rise from special teams contributor to SEC standout. Fortune's journey from three-star recruit to All-SEC honorable mention exemplifies his developmental arc, finishing his collegiate career with 108 tackles, seven interceptions, and a momentum-shifting 100-yard pick-six against Notre Dame in the 2022 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.Fortune's path to prominence required patience, as he spent his early years contributing primarily on special teams while transitioning between safety and cornerback. His breakthrough came in spring 2023, earning the Defense Most Improved Award before claiming a full-time starting role. The 6'1" defensive back saved his best for last, recording 47 tackles (41 solo) and three interceptions in 2024, including a statement performance against Alabama where he posted a career-high nine tackles and an interception. That momentum carried into the Shrine Bowl, where he showcased his coverage chops against NFL-caliber receivers, cementing his status as one of the draft's ascending defensive backs.
The former Sumter High School standout brought versatility to the Gamecocks' secondary, having played both cornerback and safety positions while handling return duties in high school. His prep career foreshadowed his college trajectory - Fortune tallied eight interceptions and 84 tackles over his high school career, earning first-team all-state honors and a selection to the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Excels in zone coverage with exceptional pattern recognition and spatial awareness, consistently maintaining proper leverage while reading quarterback intentions through the route development.
- Natural ball skills pop in big moments - from his 100-yard pick-six against Notre Dame to his game-sealing plays at the Shrine Bowl, consistently shows up when stakes are highest.
- Shows advanced route recognition in zone drops, particularly against complex route combinations, allowing him to maintain position while tracking multiple receivers through his zone.
- Brings serious juice as a pattern-matcher in quarters coverage, displaying fluid hip transitions and exceptional closing burst when breaking on underneath routes.
- Demonstrates elite competitive toughness in contested catch situations - showed up repeatedly at Shrine Bowl practices, winning most of his one-on-one matchups.
- Quick processor against screen games and run action, rapidly diagnosing plays and triggering downhill with conviction to disrupt blocking schemes.
- Versatility shows up in coverage - can match up in the slot, play outside corner, or roll down into robber coverage, as demonstrated throughout Senior Bowl week.
- Shows consistent improvement year over year - development curve from special teamer to Shrine Bowl MVP suggests his best football is still ahead.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lean frame raises concerns about durability and ability to consistently tackle bigger backs in run support - needs to add functional strength without sacrificing flexibility.
- Tackling technique becomes inconsistent when faced with powerful runners in space - tends to dive at legs rather than wrapping up properly.
- Can get caught peeking in the backfield against play action, occasionally allowing receivers to get vertical leverage before recovering.
- Struggles to disengage from stalk blocks on the perimeter - bigger receivers can lock him up and drive him out of running plays.
- Press technique needs refinement - occasionally opens hips too early against release moves, creating easy access to inside breaking routes.
Scouting Report: Summary
The tape shows a corner custom-built for the modern NFL's emphasis on pattern-match coverage. Fortune's anticipation jumps off the screen - watch him bait quarterbacks by showing soft coverage before closing explosive gaps to make plays on the ball. His background as a safety bleeds into his cornerback play, particularly in quarters coverage where his spatial awareness and route recognition skills create turnover opportunities. That versatility showed up repeatedly against Alabama, where he seamlessly transitioned between man and zone responsibilities while recording nine tackles and an interception against elite competition.Put Fortune in a Seattle-style coverage system and watch him thrive. His length, football IQ, and natural feel for zone coverage scream Cover 3 cornerback, but he's more than just a deep-third defender. The film reveals a defensive back who excels at pattern-matching from press alignment, using his length to disrupt releases before smoothly transitioning to match vertical routes. His Shrine Bowl domination wasn't surprising - it simply confirmed what dozens of game tapes had already shown about his ability to mirror receivers and close on the football.
After studying over 500 snaps of Fortune's 2024 tape, I'm convinced he's being severely undervalued. The athletic testing numbers don't tell the full story - this is a corner who consistently shows up in big moments and makes plays that alter games. His ceiling in a pattern-match heavy scheme is that of a high-end CB2 who can match up with X receivers while providing plus zone coverage ability.
O'Donnell Fortune percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate O'Donnell Fortune (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
232.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
64.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.