The NFL Draft is over a month away, and the Scouting Combine has just concluded. Many teams will be turning to rookies to help shore up their defenses. Positional flexibility has become increasingly paramount for defensive players, and the secondary is no exception. The distinction between cornerback and safety is becoming nonexistent, as evidenced by Demarious Randall of the Packers moving from college safety to cornerback his rookie season. This year Jalen Ramsey made the same change at Florida State for his junior season, and Sean Davis did the same thing at Maryland as a senior. I will do my duty and provide some analysis on my top prospects while cornerback still exists as a distinct position. Let’s mosey on down and take a look…
2016 Cornerback Prospects: The Young Whipper-Snapper Review
Jalen Ramsey, Florida State – He has excellent size, speed, change of direction skills, and leaping ability. Ramsey complements his athleticism with pro-ready coverage skills, particularly in zone. One would expect fantastic tackling from a former safety, but Jalen Ramsey has room for significant improvement. He frequently aims too high and tries to arm-tackle opponents instead of using his whole body to bring them down. While those are bad habits he is an adequate tackler, especially for a cornerback. What is truly troubling about Jalen Ramsey is his continuing saga of dropping passes that should be easily intercepted. In three seasons at Florida State he had three interceptions, including zero in 2015 (he also had zero forced fumbles in 2015). His struggles catching, while somewhat correctable, have kept Jalen Ramsey from being included in my top five overall prospects. I’d be more comfortable drafting him in the 10th-15th pick range, no earlier than seventh overall pick.
Eli Apple, Ohio State – A rangy corner with good size and speed. He could stand to improve his tackling (most corners in this draft class could too). What truly excites me about Apple is his tremendous block-shedding. His ability to extricate himself from would-be blockers is the exact skill needed to be an elite press cornerback. Jefe Manzana is the paradisiacal choice for the Oakland Raiders (may they always reside in Oakland, amen) and could become on of the best press corners in the NFL. There is some debate amongst pundits over whether he is worthy of a first round pick; some see him as a second rounder at best. While I don’t see him as top ten pick he is a first round talent, and the Raiders can’t afford not to get him at pick 14.
Mackenzie Alexander, Clemson – At one point he was my second-rated cornerback prospect. I would be remiss not to mention that Mackenzie Alexander had zero interceptions in his two year career at Clemson (he redshirted in 2013). The zero interceptions in his college career are why there is some chatter that he is a mid-to-late round pick. The case could be argued that he had zero picks because his coverage skills results in opponents not targeting him often. He has plus speed and agility for a cornerback in addition to decent size. The most transcendent part of Mackenzie Alexander’s game is his leadership skills. As a redshirt sophomore he was the player who made sure his teammates knew their assignments. The Clemson secondary’s implosion in the National Championship Game after his injury perfectly encapsulated how integral he was to the team. He should go anywhere from ninth to 25th overall.
Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida – I was initially uber-critical of Hargreaves tackling. At one point I claimed his being on the field would effectively leave his team with only ten players to stop the run. UPON FURTHER FILM REVIEW THOSE CLAIMS WERE FOUND TO BE HYPERBOLIC AND INACCURATE. Vernon Hargreaves, while not one to deliver smashing hits, is a perfectly passable tackler. He is a quick twitch athlete with elite speed and agility. He is the best man corner in the draft. He will occasionally lose track of his assignment in zone coverage. Size is the main complaint pundits have when evaluating Hargreaves. Honestly I haven’t seen his perceived lack of stature interfere with his job of being a number one cornerback. His ability to match up well against speed or size is reminiscent of Packers sensational corner Sam Shields, who I feel is Mr. Hargreaves best NFL equivalent. I think the Ravens have a hard time saying no to taking Hargreaves with the sixth pick, and he shouldn’t fall past the Redskins at pick 21.
KeiVarae Russell, Notre Dame – After his suspension in 2014 for academic dishonesty he rebounded with an excellent junior campaign. Russell brings good size, solid recovery speed and a knack for making plays on the ball to the cornerback position. He is a willing and able tackler. KeiVarae Russell suffered a stress fracture in his right tibia on November 22 and has had a rod inserted into his leg. His estimated recovery time was originally six to eight weeks and the NFL Combine will be an opportunity to show off his health and recovery. While most pundits have Russell as a mid round pick, I am so bullish on him that I believe he is one of the top five cornerbacks in the 2016 draft and worthy of a first round pick. While I do vehemently believe this most if not all pundits would try to use this opinion as proof of my extremely delusional mental state, but I assure you all my cognitive faculties are better than ever. KeiVarae’s health will dictate how early or late he goes, but pick 20 sounds about right.
Thus concludes the first tier of my cornerback prospects. I have found it easier to arrange prospects into tiers, because honestly the talent difference between the first and the fifth, or the 60th and the 100th, is often negligible. Add the fact that what is required of a position can vary greatly between team and scheme, and I’ve found that by themselves extensive numerical rankings are archaic and inadequate as tools and expressions of analysis. Thanks for stopping by, and until next time let’s be good to each other.
