Aztecs’ Damontae Kazee works closely with Bengals, Cowboys at Pro Day
San Diego State cornerback Damonate Kazee has risen up draft boards largely due to strong performances at the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine, and he continued to climb the ladder at the Aztecs’ Pro Day on Thursday.
Kazee set the bar high after a strong outing in the agility drills to begin the day, but he took his game to the next level when asked to participate in defensive back-specific drills with the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals’ staff in close vicinity.
With a member of the Cowboys’ regime leading most of the drills, Kazee revealed elite athleticism and hip fluidity through a series of workouts. He also put his ball skills on full display, effectively tracking the ball in the air and adjusting to a number of high throws.
After losing cornerbacks Morris Clairborne and Brandon Carr to free agency this offseason, the Cowboys’ defense is in desperate need for depth at the cornerback position, making Kazee a likely target.
Additionally, the Bengals also have a need at cornerback with Adam Jones only getting older and 2014 first-round pick Darqueze Dennard failing to meet expectations now three years into his career.
Standing at just 5-feet, 10-inches, Kazee best projects as a nickel cornerback at the next level because of his lack of size. However, he has both the physicality and technique needed to perform at a high level against bigger receivers and in press coverage in the NFL.
A three-year starter with the Aztecs, Kazee amassed 240 combined tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 17 interceptions, 29 passes defensed and two defensive touchdowns over the course of 53 career games on the Mesa. He was also named Mountain West Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons with the Aztecs (2015-16).
Kazee hopes to carry his upward momentum into the NFL in 2017.
