Loading ...The 2010 NFL cornerback draft class is a deep one, although overrated at the top. Florida’s Joe Haden is the only clear-cut, unquestioned first round prospect in the group, with things getting a little bit muddy after that. There is a lot of dissension as to who the number two corner is in this draft, and very different opinions being floated around on prospects like Chris Cook of Virginia and Jerome Murphy of South Florida.
The New York Giants have faced the same issues in the secondary over the past four seasons – inconsistency and injury. With the departure of Kevin Dockery, as well as the questionable durability and inconsistent play of Aaron Ross, the unit could certainly use more young talent.
Here’s a look at the top cornerback prospects in this year’s draft.
ELITE
1. Joe Haden — Florida — 5’11, 193 lbs.
Haden’s athletic ability and ability to match up in man to man coverage put him at the top of this draft class as the clear number one cornerback prospect. Haden shows fantastic fluidity and quickness to match up with wide receivers at the NFL level, and the agility and ball skills to consistently get between his man and the football. Haden is no slouch supporting the run, as he shows the willingness and toughness to attack the line of scrimmage and make plays against the run. Florida cornerbacks have often struggled making the transition to the NFL game, but Haden has all the tools needed to be a stud at the NFL level.
VALUE – Top 15 pick
SECOND-TIER
2. Devin McCourty — Rutgers — 5’11, 193 lbs.
Tough as nails, intelligent, and passionate for the game – Devin McCourty is type of prospect that always seems to find success at the NFL level. McCourty is known for his ability to change football games on special teams, but that shouldn’t overshadow his ability as a cover corner. Extremely athletic with a physical approach to the game, McCourty is an underrated prospect with the tools to be a very reliable player for an NFL secondary.
VALUE – Early 2nd Round
3. Kyle Wilson — Boise St. — 5’10, 194 lbs.
A playmaker at the cornerback position, Wilson flashes game-changing ability that makes opposing quarterbacks wary of throwing in his direction. Wilson plays an aggressive, attacking style of football that NFL defensive coaches love to see and can make opposing offenses pay with the ball skills and return ability to make the big play on mistakes from opposing quarterbacks. Wilson’s one on one coverage skills need some work, but an outstanding combination of speed, strength, and athleticism to go along with his impressive production at Boise make him one of the top defensive back prospects in the draft.
VALUE – Early 2nd Round
4. Patrick Robinson — Florida St. — 5’11, 190 lbs.
This is a kid with all the talent and physical ability needed to be a Pro-Bowl caliber corner in the NFL, but whether that happens will come down to his willingness to be coached and commit to the game to become a more consistent player. A very fluid athlete with long arms and quick feet, Robinson has very impressive man to man coverage skills and shows the athleticism and ball skills necessary to deal with saavy NFL wide receivers.
VALUE – Mid 2nd Round
THIRD TIER
5. Perrish Cox — Oklahoma St. — 5’11, 195 lbs.
Concerns about maturity and character make me a little wary of having Cox ranked this high, but if he can get his head straight and focus on football – this is a complete cornerback. His coverage skills are excellent, as he shows the smooth hips, athletic ability, and speed to give receivers headaches on the outside. He shows great agility and body control and will make a play on the football on any mistake thrown his way. He may not be a hammer, but Cox shows the willingness to drop down into the box and support the run as well. Very impressive prospect but there is certainly some risk here due to questionable maturity.
VALUE – Early 3rd Round
6. Kareem Jackson — Alabama — 5’11, 196 lbs.
A tough, aggressive cornerback coming from a pro-style defense, Kareem Jackson is a guy NFL teams will be comfortable with on draft day. Jackson’s best assets come in his anticipation and instincts, as well as his ability in run support. While he isn’t the most explosive athlete or a stand-out playmaker, Jackson is a prospect who competes both in coverage and against the run and the type of competitive player NFL teams like to have on their defense.
VALUE – Early-Mid 3rd Round
7. Dominique Franks — Oklahoma — 5’11, 194 lbs.
A confident, hard-working prospect with the athletic ability and playmaking skills to be a difference maker in the secondary. Dominique Franks shows good read and react skills, and does a good job recognizing routes and watching the quarterback – assets that will be of great benefit to him at the NFL level. Franks’ skill set translates well to the NFL game, and he has the ability to be a ballhawk at the next level. He will be asked to be much more involved in run support going forward, and while he didn’t show enough willingness to mix it up at Oklahoma, Franks does have the tackling skills necessary to be an asset rather than a liability in run support. Needs to become a more complete player, but certainly has playmaking ability at the cornerback position.
VALUE – Early-Mid 3rd Round
BEST OF THE REST
8. Jerome Murphy — South Florida — 6’0, 196 lbs.
9. Brandon Ghee — Wake Forest — 6’0, 192 lbs.
10. Amari Spievey — Iowa — 5’11, 195 lbs.
11. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah — Indiana (PA) — 6’0, 207 lbs.
12. Chris Cook — Virginia — 6’2, 212 lbs.
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Short URL: http://www.giants101.com/3rdand1/j9
Welcome home, Haz.
Thanks man, it’s been real frustrating not having nearly the amount of time I used to, but I’m learning to make it work. Excited about getting draft content up here leading up to April 22nd.
Your draft stuff has been so good in the past. Pretty much informed most of my knowledge of prospects. Glad you’ll be back this time around!
I must admit to have next to no knowledge of the CBs in this draft apart from Haden. So this was very informative; however, since I don’t really see us taking a CB other than Haden before the 4th round, I am curious to see what our draftniks think would be around at that point.
LB, RB, DT, Interior offensive line – All clearly areas the Giants would like to improve upon as well, but I think as it always does with the better-drafting teams in the league it’s going to come down to best player on the board, so I’m not sure as to where the Giants will look for a corner – I think it will come down to what is there and when – the value.
As for the fourth round – there is a lot of disagreement as to the corners in the draft this year, I think Chris Cook will be overdrafted because of his combine numbers, and there are guys like Spievey who have received everything from a 1st and 2nd round grade, to a low 4th round grade from teams.
Perrish Cox’s maturity issues could potentially drop him into the fourth round, where he would be an absolute steal and more than worth the gamble there in my view. I’d take him in the third.
Reminds me of the reasons the Bradshaw and Manningham dropped. Reese seemed comfortable taking those guys because they were such good players who made him comfortable with their dedication to maturing. Perhaps Cox would be another example of this.
I would hope so – I love the skill set he brings. Cox had a suspended license arrest, and there is a lot of talk about the fact that he has three kids at such a young age. He is extremely talented but I can’t deny that there are some troubling issues with him.
So, lovin’ the p***y and hatin’ the jimmies makes you immature? Damn…
That is not something JR would be into. No baby mama drama for the Gmen.
Not unless the baby mama happens to be the coach’s daughter.
Welcome Back Haz! =)
Thanks bro, very excited that we’re getting close to the draft. How are you liking all the McNabb talk out in Philly? lol
Pretty funny rumors swirling around here. I keep telling Eagles fans this is what we felt like with the Edwards situation last year. I don’t think they will get much higher than a late 2nd to 3rd round pick for him.
I am actually debating on an Eagles fan site right now that McNabb could have been an All Time great if he put the hours in that Peyton, Eli and Brees do.
I think he’s a good quarterback who has only recently been surrounded by an impressive group of WRs. The Eagles are crazy not to keep him, his canon of an arm, and his versatility as a quarterback.
Only in Philly.
Worst thing I’ve heard so far is that the Raiders are willing to move Nnamdi Asomugha AND MORE for McNabb. This a year after trading their 2011 first-round pick for Seymour.
A CB tandem of Asomugha and Samuels would be pretty **** intimidating.
He could have been great, but I really question a player who balloons in weight and can’t run a 2min offense this late in his career. Oh…and doesn’t know a game can end in a tie…LOL
Speaking of ballooning, have you seen Big Ben. He is Orca fat these days.
Well… if anyone is willing to take it up the **** it would be the Raiders.
FYI, Ken Palmer of the Giants Insider says he believes we will select Spiller in the 1RD. Says a “fly on the wall” told him that one of our scouts at his Pro Day “followed him everywhere except the bathroom.” Says that it wouldn’t surprise him if we “thought way outside the box” and pulled the trigger if he is there at #15.
Just sayin.’
I’d love to see them draft Spiller…if he is there.
Welcome back, Haz and kudos for taking the time to focus on a position that’s flown pretty much under the radar here on G101.
With so much attention paid to DTs and LBs here over the past three months, I almost feel like I know some of the prospects at those positions better than members of my own family. Much like Kujo, though, I’m pretty ignorant about ant of the CBs beyond Haden.
So this is good and useful info; it brings the overall draft picture into better focus and moves the discussion toward consideration of some 3rd-4th round options that haven’t gotten a lot of love. I tend to agree with those who say that we’re far from “set” at CB, especially when you take Ross’ injury history into account. So I think it’s probably a safe bet that Reese comes away from this draft with at least one CB taken before the fifth.
Chances are that may well be Haden, if some of the projections are correct and he does slide all the way to 15. But I hafta say, after reading Haz’ write up and some of the comments here, the idea of a Cox in the 3rd or 4th sounds like a pretty intriguing possibility if Haden is off the board at 15.
kujo- Heard similar things about that pro day with Clifford
Kyle Wilson won’t fall out of the 1st round. He’s been opening eyes. Some teams apparently like him more than they do Haden. Haden will most likely be the 1st CB taken because he’s more of a household name, but Wilson really looks like he could be the better NFL player.
As of now I’d say Haden and Wilson are the elites and the rest are lower tiers. I’d take Wilson over Haden if I were to choose one of them. This isn’t based on what they did in college, but what they could do in the NFL. Wilson just seems to have the athleticism/size/speed in his favor.
Look at his college career:
50 games, 160 tackles, 27 passes defended, 11 INT, 139 INT yards
He’s 5’10″, 194 lbs, has 9 1/8″ hands, 30.5″ arms, and 4.40 speed.
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Haden’s college career:
40 games, 218 takles, 34 passes defended, 8 INT, 166 INT yards
He’s 5’10″, 193 lbs, has 9.5″ hands, 32 3/4″ arms, and speed around 4.60.
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Haden has been criticized for looking like he lacks fluid hip movement and his speed doesn’t seem to be as high as others thought. I believe he was “battling injuries”, hence the slow time, but I just don’t think he’s the best of the bunch. Kyle Wilson just seems like he could wind up with the better career, thus the better pick.
Wilson has far more issues than Haden projecting to the NFL level. Wilson’s pure cover skills are raw and he’s given up more big plays his way than we see from Haden. Tracking the football on the deep route and the double moves which he will see plenty of in the NFL are an issue for him. Wilson shows good strength, but he’s not reliable in run support and can definitely be a liability in that aspect.
When it comes to question marks – there are far more with Wilson. Haden lacking fluid hips? Not sure where that came from if you watch the film he’s very smooth in transition.
I do agree that he’ll likely be selected in the first round, but I have an early 2nd round grade on Wilson. Not that I don’t like him – I just think that Haden is clearly the better prospect, and graded out to a early-mid first rd pick.
Hello Haz
Good to have you back. Thanks for the break down. I posted previously prior to you list that I thought the kid from Virginia would be a steele in the 4th round. He has all the goods, and could hopefully learn more coverage technique. He has what you cant teach and that’s thats a 4.4 fourty time, 6′ 2″ and long arms.
Also, I did not see Havier Arenes from Alabama on your list. I have him as a slot coverage guy as well as a dynamic punt/kick returner. What do you think about both guy’s?
Thanks buddy.
As for Chris Cook – I have him graded as an early 4th round caliber prospect, but I think he will be way overdrafted based on his physical set. I can see a team selecting him mid 2nd – early 3rd round.
Javier Arenas is undersized and lacks great speed, definitely projects to a nickel guy in the NFL. Love the toughness and competitive attitude, as well as the dynamic return ability though.
Can you point out where you heard some teams like Wilson over Haden? And since when do GM’s take prospects because they’re a bigger household name? And what were you trying to prove posting their college stats? Haden had more tackles and PDs in 10 less games. He had three less picks (again in 10 less games) but had more INT return yardage. They’re the same size but Haden has longer arms (beneficial to a CB) and they have comparable speed. Haden also played at a better school (first true freshman to ever start at CB for the Gators) and thus played against better competition.
Not sure what you were trying to prove there…
Lots of GMs go for the big names. Why do you think Taylor Mays is still talked about in the 1st round? And I was posting the numbers to show that, even though Haden got more publicity, Wilson wasn’t a slouch and had solid numbers.
From Rotoworld:
“Boise State CB Kyle Wilson reportedly ran forty times of 4.42 and 4.45 at the Broncos’ Pro Day.
After sitting out the forty at last month’s Combine due to a tweaked hamstring, Wilson has solidified himself as a mid-first round prospect. Offering instant starting potential and plenty of punt return value, Wilson figures to land somewhere in the 16 (Tennessee) to 23 (Green Bay) range.”
and
“According to former Browns scout Daniel Jeremiah, some NFL teams have Boise State CB Kyle Wilson rated ahead of Florida CB Joe Haden.
Jeremiah indicates that this was the case even before Haden ran poorly at the Scouting Combine. Both CBs are roughly the same build, and Wilson has clearly had a better offseason after standing out as one of the top players at January’s Senior Bowl. Wilson seems to be a surefire top-20 selection.”
http://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/status/9947790444
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http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Sunday-at-the-Post-6911.html
“8. Florida corner Joe Haden has had some top-10 visits, but I keep hearing he’s not a top-10 pick. Hard to pick a speed-deficit corner in the top 10 and pay all that money. Remember, the rookie pay scale overpays the players from the first to the 12th pick in the first round; the rest of the salary structure is effective.”
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http://www.kdub1.com/?p=214
A clip of Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. (starts a little more than 1/2 way through), where they agree Haden is the #1, but that the gap isn’t as wide as it once was and that Kyle Wilson is very close.
I’m not saying Haden is terrible, I’m just saying that early on Haden seemed to be a lock to go to the Browns and now there are tons of mocks and reports that suggest he could fall to midway through the draft. That’s quite a fall considering he was once a unanimous top 10 pick. Hence why I believe some are starting to view Wilson as a more impressive NFL prospect, especially since Wilson could also be a potential kick returner too.
Snap!
I think Robinson has all the tools to be a great corner. FAST!