According to long-time NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline, the Green Bay Packers will be one of five teams that will host Stephen F. Austin cornerback Charles Demmings for a pre-draft visit. Generally, the Packers, at least post-pandemic, have leaned heavily on pre-draft visitors on draft day.
Demmings has an interesting background and reasoning for why he slipped through the cracks and ended up at an FCS school. At the high school level, he stopped playing football after his freshman season up until
his senior year, which was Covid-impacted. Because of the lack of film leading up to his senior year and the restrictions on recruiting over that time (not including the fact that eligibility tolled for a year, leaving fewer scholarship opportunities in the sport in general), Demmings ended up going the FCS route.
Ultimately, he developed into a three-year starter for Stephen F. Austin and ended up turning down transfer offers to remain at the school that took a chance on him out of high school.
At the combine this year, he ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash and posted a 41” vertical jump at 6’1” and 193 pounds. At the moment, he’s ranked 180th on the consensus draft board, roughly equal to a fifth-round pick.
Here is how NFL.com has described Demmings:
While Demmings lacks ideal play strength and is not a firm tackler, his ball skills and man-cover consistency could land him a roster spot as a future CB4 with gunner potential.
Demmings ranks among the best small school prospects in this upcoming draft. The only FCS players who are ahead of him on the consensus draft board are:
- #86: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
- #104: Kaleb Proctor, iDL, Southeastern Louisiana
- #145: Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
