FRISCO — Being a ball-hawking corner, Shavon Revel Jr. will tell you, is about confidence. It’s also about intuition — a willingness to trust a feeling and commit.
Revel displayed it during his time at East Carolina, just as he did on Friday night. For Day 2 of the NFL Draft, Revel decided to confidently wear a blue suit.
“Full blue suit, because there might be a chance I go to them boys,” Revel said.
And boy, was he right.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Revel with their third round on Friday night. Sources indicated that the Cowboys would consider Revel in the second round, but ultimately Dallas decided to select Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku. A round later, the Cowboys still get Revel.
The wait didn’t deter Revel.
“At the end of the day bro you have to step on that field and prove to the coaches that you’re a dog and that you can play,” Revel said. “No matter where I got picked, no matter what round I went, I’m grateful for where I’m at right now.
“If you’re a dog, you’re a dog.”
Revel not only believes that, but he’s also displayed it. Dane Brugler of The Athletic described Revel, a lengthy 6-foot-2 corner, as a “boundary bully.” He allowed two touchdowns in his career at East Carolina. He had three interceptions and an interception return for a touchdown this past season. Revel was on pace for an impressive 2023 season before he suffered a torn ACL in Week 3.
Revel said that he believed he would’ve been a first round pick and the top corner in the NFL Draft if it wasn’t for the injury.
The injury, and the subsequent drop in draft value, is something that could’ve bothered Revel. It could’ve been a chip on the shoulder of a player who could’ve had a whole stack of them by this point. Instead, he had a different mentality.
“When you look at it, man, there are people who have been through worse,” Revel said. “I had access to a lot of thing a lot of people don’t have access to. Man, I had coaches, I had trainers, I had people across the country willing to help me and get surgery on me knee and even help me train and get my knee back strong. I had my days when I was on and off, of course, but I didn’t want to be selfish and knock down everyone and not talk to everybody and shut people out.”
Revel’s perspective could be considered surprising in the face of adversity if you didn’t know his journey. Revel was a talented high school player coming out of the Winston-Salem area, but his grades forced him to take a junior college route. He ended up at Louisburg College in North Carolina. As he waited for a scholarship he stayed busy, working for Amazon. He loaded packages and scanned boxes until his college dreams could be delivered.
He ended up at East Carolina where he quickly grew into a NFL prospect. After his second season there, Revel had the chance to transfer. Elite colleges wanted him. He elected to stay at East Carolina, however, because they were the first school to offer him coming out of junior college.
Revel’s journey was different than most. That’s fine by him.
When asked what he would tell his younger self, Revel said, “Just take it slow. Take your time. Go at your own pace and learn how to maneuver and go through life and ask questions.”
Revel will have the chance now to ask questions from veterans in a secondary that includes two former All-Pro corners in Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. There’s a chance that Revel could actually be thrusted into playing early with Diggs’ exact timetable up in the balance.
Revel told 105.3 The Fan that he expects to be ready for training camp. He said Dr. Dan Cooper — the team doctor for the Cowboys and his surgeon — has cleared him to take the next step beyond running in straight lines.
Soon, he’ll be doing that in Frisco. It’s a place Revel has had a feeling for a while he might end up.
Revel said his 30 visit with the Cowboys left a different feeling than the other places.
“Coaches were hyped. It was exciting man,” Revel said. “It was genuine.”
So was the reaction in the Cowboys’ war room when Revel fell to them in the third round. A camera caught owner Jerry Jones dancing after they turned in the pick.
“The house was jumping,” Revel said.
Shavon Revel Jr. Scouting Report
Big, long and fast are the physical descriptors that stand out for the East Carolina corner. Revel is leggy when matching press release but he’s disruptive once he gets his hands on the wideout. He plays upright in man coverage, tends to allow small pockets of separation due to his high center of gravity and still needs improvement when it comes to finding and defending the deep ball, despite his ability to stay in phase with vertical routes. He has ideal length and good vision from zone, and he should continue to improve in that coverage with more experience. Revel suffered a torn ACL in September, but his measurables, explosiveness and upside give him a good chance to become an early starter.
— NFL.com
