Player Bio
Lake followed in the footsteps of his father, Carnell, to UCLA after a nice career at California’s famed Mater Dei High School. Carnell Lake was a Pro Bowl defensive back who made the league’s All-1990s team. Quentin took off his redshirt to play in the final nine games of 2017 as a reserve (eight tackles) but then earned a starting safety job the following year (67 tackles, two interceptions, five pass breakups). His junior season was cut short due to a wrist injury, missing all but four games with three starts (18 tackles). Lake returned to start five games in 2020, tying for the team lead with four pass breakups while recording 33 tackles and intercepting one pass. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in his final year with the Bruins, tying for the team lead with three interceptions and leading the squad with six pass breakups (also making 54 tackles, two for loss in 11 starts). — by Chad Reuter
Analysis
By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst
Draft Projection
Rounds 6-7
Overview
Safety prospect with the size, bloodlines and intelligence to make an NFL roster. Lake isn’t the fastest or the most athletic player and has coverage limitations that cap his ceiling, but he has a high football IQ and impressive ball skills. He sees the field well, which helps him get to where he needs to go. He’s not an enforcer near the line of scrimmage but does tackle with good strength and technique to finish the job. He was a demon on special teams as a freshman and will likely reprise that role as a backup in the league.
Strengths
- Possesses NFL bloodlines and size.
- Plus football intelligence and leadership.
- Can play as a split safety or as a down safety.
- Sees the field and anticipates where he is needed.
- Capable ball-tracker with hands to take it away.
- Poised and focused on playing the 50-50 ball.
- Gets wide in the hole to squeeze the runner.
- Snaps up into the tackle with face-up delivery.
Weaknesses
- Struggles with footwork to recover from missteps.
- Doesn’t have juice to match and smother man routes.
- Might be a step slow to play effectively over the top from off the hash.
- Inconsistent to diagnose and respond to run quickly.
- Occasionally loses tackle angles when running the alley.
- Average lateral agility as an open-field tackler.