Derrick

Baity Jr.

“When he whiffed in press, he was finished. Just didn’t have enough juice to find his way back,” the scout told Zierlein of Baity’s (6'2/197) performance in one-on-one drills. The former Kentucky corner, who did not run the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine, tested in the middle of the pack in many of the athletic testing drills in Indianapolis. Among the critiques of Baity by Zierlein in his scouting report was the corner’s “lack of recovery burst” when beaten in press coverage, so the athletic testing numbers will be key when it comes to his draft prospects. Baity still has Kentucky’s Pro Day to make a positive impression on NFL decision-makers when it comes to those figures.

Baity (6'2/197) was unable to compete in the 40-yard dash as he nurses an unspecified injury. He did compete in the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle, and he posted middling numbers in both (7.06 second three-cone, 4.31 second short-shuttle). Baity did show some explosiveness with the jump, but the speed questions will remain, at least until his Pro Day.

Baity picked up the injury in the end zone, diving for an incomplete pass late in the fourth quarter. It’s possible it’s a cramp, but he stayed down for a decent amount of time, and he had to be helped off the sideline. It’s a big removal for the Wildcats, as Baity is one of the better corners in the SEC, and the best man-to-man cover guy on the Wildcats.

Baity (6'3/188) has been inconsistent in his time with the Wildcats, but when he’s been at his best, he’s looked like a potential NFL starter. One of the reasons why he’s been inconsistent assuredly has to do with injuries, so he’ll obviously need to do clear medicals in order to be an NFL draft pick. If he does -- and he performs well at events like this -- he could be a potential sleeper.

Baity looked like a potential star in 2016, but didn’t play up to expectations in the 2017 season. He’s bounced back -- for the most part -- this fall, with a grade of 77.5 from PFF and allowing just 5-of-15 passes to be completed when targeted. Samuel is off to a slow start in 2018, but as they note, he’s a “slippery route-runner” who is difficult to catch in the open field. Both Baity and Samuel have a chance to improve their stock with a strong performance on Saturday.

"[Baity]'s coming back. He can do a lot of individual. He can move around and run and do plenty of rehab and get some looks,” explained HC Mark Stoops. Contact, not quite yet. The 6-foot-3, 186-pound senior has been a full-season starter for the Wildcats each of the past two campaigns. In 2017, he registered 49 tackles, nine passes defended and a pair of interceptions. He’s picked off five passes over the last two seasons.