Bilhal
Kone.
Bilhal
Kone.
Western Michigan· 6'1"· 190 lb· 4.43s 40
"Kone is a small-school traits bet — 4.43 speed and boundary length wrapped around technique that is still two years away from NFL-ready."Pre-draft read
Kone looks the part. At 6-1, 190 pounds with 4.43 speed and a 124-inch broad jump, he has the length and long speed to play press on the boundary, and he is aggressive at the line of scrimmage rather than passive. When he lands his hands cleanly he can wall receivers off the release entirely.
The technique underneath is unfinished. His backpedal gets tall and choppy, his transitions are late out of breaks, and he grabs downfield when he loses a step — habits that draw flags in the NFL. He is also a reluctant tackler for his size, taking too many high, arm-based shots instead of driving through the ball carrier.
Press-man defense that lets him use his length at the line and his speed to carry vertically, rather than a read-and-react zone scheme that exposes his footwork.
Year 1: developmental corner and gunner. Ceiling: outside starter in a man-heavy defense by year three.
Off-zone system that requires clean pedal-and-drive mechanics and quick pattern recognition.
Pure traits bet — the tools are top-100 quality, the technique is late day three.
Bilhal Kone | Cornerback | 2024 Western Michigan Highlights | 2025 NFL Draft
Bilhal Kone Highlights 🔥 - Welcome to the Baltimore Ravens
THIS CORNER IS SHUT DOWN BILHAL KONE 2024 HIGHLIGHTS (ONE OF THE BEST MAN TO MAN CORNER’S IN CFB)
Kone played one season at Indiana State before transferring to Western Michigan for two years. Across 25 games he recorded 119 tackles, two interceptions, 16 pass breakups and three forced fumbles, with a 2024 season of 70 tackles and eight breakups as the clear high point.
The appeal is the physical profile. Corners who measure 6-1 with 4.43 speed and a willingness to press do not usually last until pick 178, and the arrow was pointing up in his final season against MAC competition.
What comes with that is a real development project. He is raw in his footwork, inconsistent in his backpedal, and he has not faced the caliber of receiver that exposes those flaws. Baltimore has a good track record with this exact profile — long, fast, unrefined corners who spend a year on special teams while the technique catches up. If it clicks, there is a starting boundary corner here. If it does not, the tools alone will not save him.
- 01
Rare Speed-Length Combination
Kone is 6-1, 190 pounds with a verified 4.43 forty-yard dash time.
- 02
Aggressive Press Mentality
He disrupts timing when he successfully lands his hands on receivers at the line.
- 03
Explosive Lower Half
His 124-inch broad jump demonstrates closing burst ability on the field.
- 04
Increasing Ball Production
Kone recorded eight pass breakups in his final season.
- 05
Forced Fumbles
He created three forced fumbles, showing he attacks the football when in position.
- 01
Tall Backpedal
Kone's backpedal is tall and choppy, causing consistently late transitions.
- 02
Holds Downfield
He grabs and holds downfield when beaten, posing a penalty risk.
- 03
Reluctant Tackler
Kone is a high, reluctant tackler who does not consistently drive through contact.
- 04
Competition Level
MAC competition did not consistently test him against NFL-caliber receivers.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.43sp50
- Vertical
- 31.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 124inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Indiana State | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Western Michigan | 12 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 2024 | Western Michigan | 13 | 70 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Career | — | 27 | 119 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Like Joseph, Kone possesses outstanding athletic traits but needs significant technical refinement to become a consistent starter, projecting as a special teams ace initially.
Kone's exceptional length and straight-line speed allow him to mirror receivers in press-man, disrupting routes like Woolen does for the Seahawks.
Despite plus athleticism, Kone's raw technique and inconsistent instincts could limit him to a special teams role, similar to Cruikshank's career path.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Baltimore has drafted this player before: long, fast, from a smaller program, needing a year of coaching.
The technique is why he was available in the sixth round. Backpedal and transition problems do not fix themselves, and MAC tape does not tell you whether he can handle a real NFL X receiver.
The path is a redshirt season on special teams, then a competition for the third corner job. The tools justify the patience; the footwork will decide the outcome.