Darqueze Dennard – Michigan State – CB
Though not physically imposing, Dennard is as physical and tough as they come at cornerback. At Michigan State, Dennard routinely played in tight man-to-man coverage, and was rarely beat despite lacking exceptional long speed. Dennard has showed a knack for swiping the ball out of receivers’ hands to break up completions and for ripping the ball out of the runners’ hands. He shows all the tools to be an excellent press corner and run defender as well, making him a versatile and valuable commodity. Though he was dominating in deep coverage over his collegiate career, he could have trouble containing quicker receivers in the NFL, as he does not have the long speed or burst to recover when he gets beaten. Because of his blanketing coverage, quarterbacks usually tried to overthrow the ball on deep routes in the hopes that only his receiver could get it, throws which most college QBs are not adept at making, but NFL QBs may be able to exploit. Dennard is best suited for a team that employs a lot of physical man coverages and could very likely be the first corner taken in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Comparison: Prince Amukamara
Grade: 9.4 (mid-1st Round)
Justin Gilbert – Oklahoma State – CB/KR
Gilbert, like Dennard, is a strong man-to-man cover cornerback, though not quite the tight, dominating cover man that Dennard is. Gilbert is field fast and fluid to fly across the field and matchup well downfield. Lined up mostly in off coverage, Gilbert is tough and physical but not yet suited to be a press corner. Gilbert still has a lot of work to do with his technique and eyes, and is still a raw prospect at this point. He still gives up too much separation in routes and can be late to identify his man. Though Gilbert plays physically, he gets too grabby and has drawn several pass interference calls, which could only multiply in the NFL. Aside from his skills as a man cover corner, Gilbert is an exceptional kickoff returner as well, returning six kicks for touchdowns over his career at Oklahoma State. Gilbert has great straight-line speed, vision, and fluidity to go the distance as a return man and after hauling in interceptions. Though not quite ready to go up against the elite receivers in the game, Gilbert has the potential to develop into a lockdown man cover corner.
Comparison: Terence Newman
Grade: 9.2 (mid-1st Round)
Jason Verrett – Texas Christian – NB
A very diminutive defensive back, Verrett plays bigger than his size. At only 5’9”, a height that few successful NFL corners have measured at, Verrett plays the run very capably and adds plenty of value as an effective blitzer. Verrett accelerates in a flash and can get upfield fast to wrap up the QB in a hurry. Additionally, Verrett plays excellent coverage, whether in man-to-man or particularly zone. Verrett flies across the field and is a capable playmaker. He is very instinctive and is always in position to make a play. Because of his stature, Verrett is not adept in press coverage, nor is he an ideal fit on the outside in the NFL. Verrett will likely be relegated to a nickel role in the NFL, but should become one of the league’s best, given his athleticism and instinctiveness. Though not an ideal player in the first round, Verrett has the skill to lead evaluators to overlook his size and select him late on day one of the draft.
Comparison: Antoine Winfield
Grade: 9.0 (late-1st Round)
Click Here to Read All the Draft Articles
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOS_Sibo. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Football writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
