2024 NFL Draft interview: Maryland CB Ja’Quan Sheppard

WCG’s lead draft analyst spoke with Maryland’s intriguing star cornerback.

With an All-AAC and All-Big Ten nominations, a Hula Bowl invite, a Shrine Bowl invite, and a College Football Playoff appearance, there’s a pretty accomplished resume for Maryland cornerback Ja’Quan Sheppard.

The last two seasons have especially been productive for Sheppard, having tallied 18 pass deflections between his final season at Cincinnati and his lone year at Maryland. As one of the most physical cornerbacks in this year’s class, he figures to be a likely draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Windy City Gridiron spoke with Sheppard about his performances in the all-star circuit, being a part of a playoff team, his pre-snap approach, and more.

JI: You got an invite to the Hula Bowl, and then a strong performance there turned into the Shrine Bowl. How was that experience for you?

JS: Well, at first, I didn’t have [any invitations], so I was kind of stressed and kind of confused, obviously. That was the one thing that, when I got my Hula Bowl invite, I just needed to get an opportunity to showcase my talent against some of the best. I received my opportunity, I prevailed with that opportunity to go to the Hula Bowl, showing I can showcase my talent and skills, and how I talk [to teams] and things of that sort. It was a blessing for me to go on that, and then being good enough to actually get another invite — which was not surprising to myself, but to a lot of people, maybe — but it was a blessing, as well. I was excited, for sure. I came in like it was a game. I always prepared the right way, focused on the things I needed to focus on. I didn’t really talk a lot, for real. I really was just trying to focus on trying to showcase who I am and how I play things, and I met a lot of people, so it was a good time there.

JI: You spent a lot of time at Cincinnati before moving to Maryland for your final year. What was that transition like for you?

JS: That was a stressful blessing, I will say. Being that it’s been four years knowing the [Cincinnati] program, knowing the ins and outs and how everything works, I was comfortable, obviously. Transferring, I was excited for the opportunity, and when I got there, everybody welcomed me with open arms. It was strictly football, learning a new system, learning coaches, and just building relationships. That wasn’t hard for me; I’m a locker room type of guy, so it was easy for me to get along [with teammates]. I’d say the hardest thing was me going from one system, where we play strictly this and that, to go into a system that we play a lot of NFL-based defenses. I got exposed to a lot of things. That’s why I say it was a stressful blessing, because at first, I didn’t get it, and as spring ball went on and I started getting the hang of it, it was just like, “okay, I went through all the hardships of coverage and understanding this that and the third,” so when I get to where I’m going next, it’s not gonna be hard for me. It’s gonna be like, if I don’t been through it, I don’t play. It was a blast. It was stressful at first, but I got it down pat. I even had to still learn throughout the season, until like the fourth game I [didn’t have] everything down. It was a blessing, for sure. It helped me grow.

JI: I want to break down your approach in coverage. What goes through your mind pre-snap, and what are the first actions you’re looking to take after the snap?

JS: Obviously, the first thing I know is what side of the field I’m on — the short side, long side — that’s gonna tell all the routes and things that you could have out of this formation. Then, I look at the short side of the look, where I’m at, and I look at the formation options. The formation tells me everything I do: a lot of pre-snap indicators I use, as well as the receiver’s foot, and his body language. Sometimes, his body language is a give that he’s not coming off the ball strong; he’s coming out the ball like timid, so he’s more than likely not getting the ball. There’s some times that he’ll load up — he’s putting all his weight on his front foot — because he’s about to go there, and you notice the pass and play and things of that source, too. I look at a lot of that. Obviously I talk, too. I look to my where my help is, try to get a pre-snap indication of how we can both help each other, the safety and the linebacker. That’s just how I got my thing. I look at the formation, I look at the side of the ball, and then I look at who’s on my side. You’re gonna have a report throughout the scouting routine of Monday through Friday on who gets the ball most in this situation, so [being] educated on things, on the receivers and things of that sort, it helps you out.

JI: You were in that Bearcats defensive backfield with guys like Sauce Gardner, Coby Bryant and Bryan Cook. What was the dynamic of that secondary, and what does it mean to you guys being the first Group of 5 team to make the playoffs?

JS: That room, it was just special. From safety to one corner position to the next position, everything was just special. In our minds, no one was better than each other, even the people who didn’t play. I didn’t play [much], but we’d have special roles, we have special teams, and I thrived off that. We’d always push each other to be better than the next person, and so every day, it was a constant grind. We held each other accountable. Even if we didn’t like the words that was coming out people’s mouths, we still held each other accountable. I was exposed to being in a locker room full of NFL future guys, so it shows you how preparation goes. It was to the point where we had a brotherhood, and we came to each other’s houses, and we watched film together, we’d play games together, so the bond was already there. Being in that room…I didn’t play as much, but it was still a blessing for me to just be able to see how everybody else maneuvers. They knew that I could play, but at the same time, I just waited my turn, like I said. I still communicate with them guys to this day, and nothing’s changed. The consistent hustle and urgency, and then going into the playoffs, that was something that we all already were shooting for. The whole season, we were like, “bro, we can’t let nobody get ups on us to knock ourselves out of the playoffs.” We knew we had a chance, and we competed. I will say our preparation going into the playoffs didn’t a change. It didn’t change at all. It was the same thing every week, so it wasn’t nothing like, “oh, we got to do it like this because we played against Bama, Georgia”, so it was that.

JI: How do you utilize your length and size to your advantage, and how do you overcome any obstacles that might come from being a taller corner?

JS: My [height] has never been a problem getting out of breaks and things like that. Obviously, the one thing that you have to work on the most is playing to your height. we all have different bone structures. We can’t play like someone else that’s short, and so we got to get comfortable and get faster playing at your level. At your size, you can’t try to get low and do this and that; that’s not how you’re built. The thing is with me, I try to work on the biggest thing, and that’s strictly feet. That’s for any DB: feet is everything. You work on that, everything else comes into flow. I will say, me personally, I prepare for anything with feet: getting in and out of a break, putting myself in uncomfortable positions. That’s gonna be the deal for any DB, so I would say that’s the one thing I would do to be able to stay low. Obviously, we’re trained to stay low, but second nature things are gonna happen.

JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?

JS: [I spend] a lot of time gaming; I’m really a big gamer. I got a lot of siblings. We play the game, me and my boys still play the game to this day. A majority of the time [I have off] I spend my time playing the game for sure. When I’m not in football-related things, I’m in the house playing a game.

JI: What games do you like to play?

JS: My favorite games I can name off the top…Red Dead Redemption, both of them. I’ve always been a Madden player. I’d play [NBA] 2K, I was into that when I was in like, middle school high school, but I don’t play 2K like that no more. Really, it’s just Call of Duty: Warzone. If I had to name three: Red Dead Redemption, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Madden. That’s the main three. I want to get into some more; I just can’t really get into anything else right now. And GTA, obviously — that was my favorite game, but [GTA V] got old. The new’s one coming out next year, so you know I’m gonna be on that, for sure.

JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?

JS: I just feel like I’m a driven person. I’m a leader off the jump without trying to be. It’s just how I move, how I do things. I try to do everything right. Obviously, you’re gonna get someone that’s good in the community, who’ll never get in trouble, never have been in trouble. I’m one of those guys that can lead by example more than just vocalizing things and trying to over push and try to overplay my part. It’s all natural to me. I’m a locker room type of guy, never really had no problems with anyone never, really. I talk a lot of trash, but that’s just who I am as a person. At the end of day, I know everyone that rides with me, rides with me because of the person I am. I would feel like I’m a good locker room material guy.

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