The Washington Redskins selected Kamren Curl in the seventh round (No. 216 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Curl (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) was a three-year starter at Arkansas and played strong safety the past two seasons. After playing in 12 games at cornerback because of injury as a freshman, he moved over to safety and recorded 53 tackles and five pass breakups across 11 contests.
Curl's best season came in 2019, when he made a career-high 76 tackles (46 solo) and led the Razorbacks with two interceptions. He also totaled four tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown. He decided after the season to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft.
In a conference call with the local media, Curl said he likes to play fast and create turnovers. He also highlighted his ability to learn new defenses quickly, which will be especially important this season as the NFL continues to deal with the repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite starting for two seasons at strong safety, Curl is confident in his ability to play cornerback at the next level. He's the latest Redskins' draft pick to have position flexibility, which has been a theme throughout the three-day event.
"Three-year starter with adequate size, instincts and competitiveness, but lacking speed and a plus position characteristic," NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his draft profile of Curl. "Has experience in man coverage, but might be better suited as a split-safety where he can cover with his eyes more frequently than with his athleticism and speed."
