Antwaun Molden

Flying under the radar most of his career, the former University of Toledo talent showed enough in the postseason to see his stock rise considerably in recent months. Molden had a solid week of practices at the Texas vs. the Nation Game, carrying that performance over to a stellar display of athletic skills at the Combine, where he ranked near the top in every agility test for cornerbacks. With the size and speed teams look for in a shutdown cornerback, Molden also offers a prospective future employer a player who has excelled as a gunner on special teams. With his tackling ability inside the box, he could see a shift to free safety at the next level to take advantage of his ability to consistently make plays in front of him. Molden was more known for his track exploits than his skills on the football field during his days at Glenville High School. He earned three varsity letters in both football and track-and-field, as he was a part of three track relay teams that set three national records during his senior year. In 2003, Molden enrolled at Toledo, spending the season on the scout team as he was ineligible to play due to NCAA Proposition 48 rules. He finally made it on to the football field in 2004, seeing limited action as a cornerback and free safety. Most of his playing time came on special teams, leading that unit with 12 tackles (6 solos) in 13 games. Molden was ineligible for 2004 and 2005 spring ball due to academics, and along with the feeling that he would get limited playing time, he decided to transfer. During the high school recruiting period, Eastern Kentucky heavily pursued him. He contacted the school and was offered a scholarship, arriving on EKU's campus in time to compete in 2005 fall drills. Molden spent the 2005 campaign playing behind Tremayne Perkins at right cornerback. He posted 37 tackles (27 solos) with a stop for a loss and two fumble recoveries. He also broke up a pass and intercepted another. The 2006 campaign saw him again relegated to reserve duty at right cornerback, as he got most of his playing time as a nickel back. He was in on 36 tackles (18 solos) in 10 games, sitting out vs. Tennessee State with a left high ankle sprain. As a senior, Molden shifted to left cornerback, starting all 12 games. He finished fifth on the team with 70 tackles (43 solos), including 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He recovered a fumble, deflected nine passes and had two interceptions. He also competed in track, as he finished second in the 60-meter dash at the 2007 OVC Indoor Championships. In 33 games at Eastern Kentucky, Molden started 12 contests. He finished his EKU career with 143 tackles (88 solos), 4.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and three fumble recoveries. He broke up 11 passes and also had three interceptions.

positives

Has very good upper body muscle definition, large hands, good chest and arm development and muscular thighs and calves...Has very good timed speed, but it does not always translate to the football field...Quick twitch athlete who plays with good aggression (needs to do it more consistently, though)...Durable athlete who takes well to hard coaching and will do whatever the staff asks from him...Shows good lateral movement skills to attack ballcarriers along the perimeter, moving fluidly in space while keeping his feet and opening his hips to close on plays with good urgency when playing inside the box...Competes for the ball in flight (needs to improve timing) and won't back away from bigger blockers...Has the functional hand strength to ward off offensive linemen and defeat cut blocks on the move...Will take some time to read before reacting and will get undisciplined at the X's, but shows good urgency getting to the ball once he is able to locate it... Best when reacting to plays in front of him and in the short areas...Has the hand punch to reroute receivers or jam them at the line (needs to use them more often) and has improved his ability to take drive angles (no longer rounds them)...While he can get physical in the bump-and-run, he is more comfortable in off coverage...When he keeps his pads low, he shows very good balance and body control coming out of his backpedal, as he has the loose hips to bail or go vertical (will false step out of his breaks when he plays too tall at the X's though)...Better when playing and settling in space, as he takes too much time digesting action on deep routes, making him a better fit at safety...Has a knack for getting his hand inside to break up the pass on short routes and has good hand placement in attempts to strip the receiver from the ball...Has much better burst closing on plays in front of him (not quick going over the top on deep patterns)...Shows good body adjustments on the move and can elevate well, but must improve his timing, as he tends to leap too early, making him a non-factor on some jump-ball chances...Keeps his feet moving and hands extending while sinking his pads and driving hard with his helmet to take down outside ballcarriers with effective wrap-up technique...Shows no hesitation sacrificing his body to clog the inside rush lanes...Has good hand usage in attempts to shed blocks in closed quarters...Works to stay on his tackles until help arrives and does a nice job of charging the ball carrier and bringing his man down.

compares to

WILL ALLEN-Miami...Like Allen, there is no questioning Molden's athletic ability and impressive looking frame. The concern is his inability to read and react to the play quickly. He is a good downhill tackler and solid man coverage defender in the short area, but struggles to close on plays when the receiver gets behind him on deep routes. He lacks natural hands for the interception and did not even start a game until his senior year. At his level of competition, he should have dominated, considering the mediocre receivers he faced in every game except the Kentucky clash. Yet, teams were successful on 48.1% of the passes thrown into his area, as he allowed 14.73 yards per pass completion (37 for 545 yards and three touchdowns). Based on athletic talent and his play with the kickoff coverage unit, he could make a nice later second day pick-up, but I feel that his downhill tackling ability would be a much better fit at free safety than playing cornerback at the next level.

negatives

Lacks natural instincts on the field and needs to improve his overall mental awareness and make better reads when operating in zone coverage...Has minimal starting experience and while adequate, he failed to dominate...Has good timed speed, but needs to show it better on the field (does not carry his equipment well)...Not really a physical tackler, but shows functional wrap-up ability...Struggles digesting a playbook and will need more than several reps to retain plays...Just gets by academically and his lack of recognition skills will see him bite on misdirection and play-action too much...Reacts quicker to plays in front of him than when playing in the deep zone...Has a good hand punch and press ability, but does not use it regularly, allowing too much separation on deep routes as he fails to turn and run with the receiver well (has loose hips, but does take false steps)...When he comes out of his backpedal too high in his stance, he will round his cuts...Gets caught out of position vs. shallow routes and needs to react quicker to the ball in flight, especially on deep throws along the boundaries...Despite his timed speed, he does not show the explosiveness to close on the ball...Has good leaping ability, but shows poor timing (needs to get to the ball at its high point better, as he is generally too early going vertical)...Has adequate hands, but they are not natural, as he will trap the ball rather than extend, resulting in more pass deflections that should have been interceptions...Has good pop on contact in run support, but his slow reading skills will sometimes make him too late to impact on the play...When he tackles too high, ballcarriers have had good success sliding off his hits.

2006: Sat out the Tennessee Tech game (9/21) with a left high ankle sprain.

Campus: 4.56 in the 40-yard dash

315-pound bench press

Bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times

290-pound power clean

180-pound snatch

38-inch vertical jump

32 1/8-inch arm length

10-inch hands

Right-handed

12/26 Wonderlic score. Combine: 4.39 in the 40-yard dash

1.5 10-yard dash

2.55 20-yard dash

4.14 20-yard shuttle

11.33 60-yard shuttle

6.85 three-cone drill

37.5-inch vertical jump

10'9" broad jump

Bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times.

Attended Glenville (Cleveland, Oh.) High School, playing football for head coach Ted Ginn, Sr., father of Miami Dolphins receiver Ted Ginn, Jr.

More known for his track exploits than his skills on the football field

Earned three varsity letters in both football and track and field

Part of three track relay teams that set three national records during his senior year.

Criminal Justice major

Guardian is his grandmother, Bernice Molden

Born 1/23/85

Resides in Cleveland, Ohio.