Welcome to the final part of my draft or sign series. In each piece, I compare the talent available in free agency and the draft at each position, as well as suggesting which teams could be interested. After highlighting some notable players, I finish with a simple question- if you need an upgrade at ______, is it better to draft or sign a player this offseason?
In this fourth instalment, I will be looking at the cornerbacks, safeties and specialists (kickers and punters). Make sure you check out the three other pieces in the series, which covered backs and receivers, quarterbacks and offensive linemen and the defensive front seven. Don’t forget to look at the rest of Last Word on Sports NFL Draft Coverage, including my monthly mock drafts.
Cornerback
Who needs one? Panthers, Bears, Bengals, Broncos, Lions, Colts, Chiefs, Dolphins, Vikings, Giants, Raiders, Eagles, Steelers, Chargers, 49ers, Washington, Buffalo
Although the level of available talent can’t compare to the the defensive line, there is a good selection of free agent cornerbacks this year. The cream of the crop is Brent Grimes, who despite being 31 and missing the whole of the 2012 season with an Achilles tear has an outstanding season with the Dolphins. But what will really interest teams is the abundance of talented younger players. Some of the best options include Vontae Davis, Chris Harris Jr., Captain Munnerlyn (who all finished the year with a PFF grade of over 10), Sam Shields and Alterraun Verner.
Unlike most other positions, there is still no consensus number one corner in this year’s draft. My favourite is Darqueze Dennard, who I have going at 10 to the Lions in my latest mock. He has one of the lowest burn rates of any corner in this class, and ran a faster-than-expected 4.51 40 at the combine. There are three other candidates to go in the first round, namely Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett, and Marcus Roberson. Other good players who should be taken on day two include Kyle Fuller, Lamarcus Joyner and Bradley Roby.
Draft or sign? Sign- It is not usual to see seven corners taken in the first two rounds of the draft, and this year should be no exception. But the opportunity to pick up some of the best young players at the position at free agency will be more enticing proposition for those that have enough money.
Safety
Cardinals, Ravens, Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Broncos, Colts, Chiefs, Vikings, Saints, Jets, Eagles, 49ers, Rams, Washington
Any team that has a decent amount of cap space and needs a safety will be ecstatic with the options in free agency, with three of the top six players available. The best of these is Jairus Byrd, who is likely to get a large long-term contract after getting the franchise tag last season. Bryd has missed just four tackles in the past two seasons, although the fact he missed the first eight games of the year may concern some. There continues to be talk that the Bills will franchise tag Byrd again, and they have until 4:00 pm EST on Monday to do so. The move would result in a tender offer of $8.3 million to Byrd.
If Byrd is tagged, the other top options are TJ Ward and Donte Whitner, who both finished the year with a PFF grade of over 10. Although not stars, Chris Clemons, Louis Delmas and Bernard Pollard are all viable starters.
When it comes to the draft, one safety has stood out at the top throughout the season. Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix is incredibly quick and athletic and has been an important part of Alabama’s since his freshman season. The only other player who has a chance of going on day one is Calvin Pryor, who has been one of the biggest rises since the season ended. There is a good chance for the fourth time since 2009 more than five safeties are taken in the first three rounds this year, and some of the players who could make that happen include Jimmie Ward, Dion Bailey and Deone Bucannon.
Draft or Sign? Sign- The options in the draft are by no means bad, with at least two players with elite potential. But it is no match for a free agent group which includes three of the six best players already in the league.
Kickers and Punters
As always, the short length of most kicker’s contracts means there are a large range of options available in free agency, although some of the best have already re-signed with their team. The best remaining is Steven Hauschka, who only missed two all year, and none from beyond 50. Other players to look out for are Phil Dawson, Adam Vinatieri and Josh Brown. There are far slimmer pickings at punter, where the only players available who are good enough to start are Pat McAfee and Donnie Jones.
Despite it being rare for a kicker to go earlier than the 4th round (unless one of the GMs in Michael Lombardi), multiple young players have seem success in recent years. The player atop of most boards at the moment is Rice’s Chris Boswell, who finished his career with 13 kicks of over 50 yards and had an impressive kick-off touchback percentage of 77% in 2013. The class is also includes 2013 Lou Groza finalist Anthony Fera and 2012 winner Cairo Santos. At Punter, the consensus best player is Kirby Van Der Kamp, who ended his college career with 99 punts inside the 20 yard line. Other players who could be drafted are Tom Hornsey, who won the Rey Guy award this year, and Pat O’Donnell, who excelled at the combine with more bench press reps than Jadaveon Clowney.
Draft or Sign? Draft- The rise of Greg Zuerlein, Justin Tucker, Dan Bailey and Blair Walsh makes the idea of drafting a kicker a more attractive one to many, especially with their lower contracts. Add to this the lack of free agent punters, and it makes sense to wait till May if you’re after a specialist.
Series summary: Draft-6 (FB, WR, TE, QB, OG, K/P), sign-7 (RB, OT, C, DT, LB, S, CB), tie-1 (‘edge rushers’)
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