Here's a look at Jim Harbaugh's projected starters for Michigan Wolverines football in 2019. The season opens Aug. 31 vs. Middle Tennessee. Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press
For Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown, evaluating a nickel cornerback is simple: can they hold their own in pass coverage?
The nickelback, Brown says, has to be able to cover the opposing team's slot receiver. And that slot receiver has two favorite routes — the slant and the vertical.
If a player can't cover those two routes in the slot, then they aren't fit to play nickelback under Brown.