He played football at Columbus High and Wake Forest. Here’s how he did in the NFL Combine.
He played football at Columbus High. Now he’s working out in front of NFL scouts.
Essang Bassey, a former Blue Devil and team captain and defensive back at Wake Forest, competed in the 2020 NFL Combine, which ended Monday.
Bassey was the first Columbus native to take part in the event since former Hardaway and Atlanta Falcons running back Justin Crawford in 2018. Former Carver High, Pittsburgh and Arizona linebacker Jarvis Jones also took part in the combine in 2013.
As a senior at Columbus, Bassey recorded 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, one interception and three fumble recoveries. He rushed for 536 yards and two touchdowns, and hauled in 21 receptions for 577 yards and four touchdowns.
Bassey excelled on offense in high school, with over 1,000 all-purpose yards as a senior. He committed to Wake Forest in June 2015.
At Wake Forest, Bassey had 228 tackles, including 162 solo, over four seasons from 2016-2019.
HOW HE DID
Bassey tied for third among cornerbacks at the vertical jump, with 39.5 inches. Bassey’s 128-inch broad jump tied for seventh in his position group. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash.
He tied for 15th among cornerbacks with 12 reps on the bench press.
Here are the rest of his results:
- Vertical jump: 39.5 inches
- Three cone drill: 6.95 seconds
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.13 seconds
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Bassey played in 13 games as a key reserve his true freshman season for the Demon Deacons (19 tackles, 1.5 for loss, three pass breakups). He ranked second in the ACC with 19 passes defensed (three interceptions, 16 pass breakups) as a sophomore, and was a second-team all-ACC honoree in 2018.
Bassey was a third-team all-ACC pick as a senior with 60 tackles, 2.5 for loss, one interception and a team-high 11 pass breakups in 13 starts.
Bassey’s prospect grade on NFL.com is 5.44, classified as a priority free agent. Year one-quality starters are rated between 6.7 and 6.8.
The biggest knock on him according to NFL draft analysts is his size — he’s listed at 5-9 and 191 pounds. His scouting report reads that he “has too many moments in coverage and tackling where his size works against him.”
Bassey makes up for his size with above-average route anticipation. His scouting report reads that he “competes hard despite consistent size disadvantage,” and is willing to throw his body around to get a stop or pass breakup.
