Robert Longerbeam CB Rutgers | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Robert Longerbeam CB Rutgers
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.39 seconds (86%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ROLE: Outside Man/Press CB | |
Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
Draft Year: 2025 | |
40 time: 4.39 seconds (86%*) | |
Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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Overall Rating: | 78.6 / 100 | |
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Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
Offense Rating: |
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80% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 68.4 | |
Tackling: |
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51% |
Run Defense: |
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59% |
Coverage: |
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78% |
Zone: |
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76% |
Man/Press: |
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75% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
7th
Overall Rank:
#221
Position rank:
#38
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College Games: 47 College Snaps: 2134 | ||
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Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
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Jack Jones - Arizona State |
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90% |
Carlton Johnson - Fresno State |
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84% |
Johnny Dixon - Penn State |
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84% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Robert Longerbeam the former high school quarterback transformed himself into a cornerback who became a cornerstone of Rutgers' secondary. After cutting his teeth on special teams as a freshman in 2020, Longerbeam emerged as a disruptive force in the Scarlet Knights' defensive backfield, accumulating 154 tackles, five interceptions, and an impressive 37 pass breakups across his collegiate career.What began with a Frank R. Burns Award as a freshman for displaying extraordinary mental and physical toughness during spring practice blossomed into back-to-back Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selections in 2023 and 2024. His final season in Piscataway saw him lead the Big Ten with 13 passes defended while serving as a team captain. The four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree finished his Rutgers career having started 31 games and ranking third among 2024 FBS players with 42 career passes defended – a testament to his ball skills and instinctive play in coverage.
Longerbeam's versatility was evident from his high school days, where he played quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, and returned both punts and kickoffs. That multi-position background gave him a unique perspective at Rutgers, where he developed into a cornerback who consistently found himself around the football, forcing five fumbles and recovering two more across his career while appearing in three bowl games, including the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl victory over Miami.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exceptional footwork and hip fluidity allows him to mirror routes and stay in phase with receivers through their stems – looks like he's dancing while others plod.
- Shows advanced awareness and processing in zone coverage, consistently keeping eyes on quarterback while maintaining proper leverage against route combinations.
- Closing burst jumps off the tape when driving on underneath routes – covers ground like he's been shot out of a cannon when diagnosing quickly.
- Demonstrates natural ball skills with timing and coordination to disrupt at the catch point – didn't just defend 42 passes by accident.
- Plays with contagious competitive fire that belies his slender frame – showed genuine dog mentality when stepping up in run support.
- Crisp transitions from backpedal to drive with minimal wasted movement – can flip hips and accelerate without gathering his feet.
- Flashes excellent technique breaking down in space as a tackler when committed to proper form – can cut down bigger ball carriers when technique is on point.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Desperately needs to add functional strength to his rail-thin frame – gets bodied by bigger receivers who can simply post him up at the catch point.
- Recovery speed is concerning – when beaten off the line, lacks true top-end gear to make up ground against vertical threats.
- Tackling technique wavers between textbook form and alarming whiffs – wraps up like a veteran one play, arm tackles like a rookie the next.
- Struggles mightily to disengage from blocks once receivers get hands on him – too often gets washed out of plays entirely in run support.
- Limited length creates issues against fade routes and jump balls – gives up too much real estate on boundary throws despite good positioning.
Scouting Report: Summary
When the tape rolls, Longerbeam shows moments that make you sit up straight – fluid hips that allow him to mirror routes with minimal wasted movement and a knack for arriving at the catch point with perfect timing. Yet these flashes come with clear limitations that create a ceiling on his potential. His wiry frame gets exposed against physical receivers, and his inconsistent tackling technique results in far too many missed opportunities in the open field.The corner brings legitimate value in zone coverage schemes where his awareness and closing quickness become assets rather than liabilities. Defensive systems that ask corners to play with their eyes on the quarterback will maximize his ball skills while sheltering him from the physical battles that currently overpower him. Despite the positional versatility that could place him outside or in the slot, his technical refinement hasn't fully compensated for physical shortcomings that show up when bigger receivers simply box him out at the catch point.
Longerbeam's path forward requires significant physical development and technical consistency. While his immediate impact will likely come via special teams and sub-package roles, his competitive nature suggests he won't settle for backup status. The foundation exists for a contributor who carves out a meaningful role through development – adding the necessary muscle to hold up in run support without sacrificing the fluidity that makes him effective in coverage. His ceiling and floor remain relatively close together, reflecting a player whose technical prowess and competitive fire are partially offset by physical limitations that will challenge him at the next level.
Robert Longerbeam percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Robert Longerbeam (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
218.8
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
49.0
*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.