Buyer Beware ... Cornerbacks

[Mr. Laz]

CFF Overview: CB – Buyer Beware
Gordon McGuinness | April 17, 2015
CFF-overview-CB-beware

As we continue to look through the mass of CFF data we have collected, we’re turning our attention to cornerbacks. After bringing you the top of the crop and sleepers earlier in the week we now turn our attention to the Buyer Beware section.

The top of this cornerback class is filled with question marks and you can still find players 10-15 spots deep that aren’t too far away from the guys at the top. That means the guys at the top come with the added question mark of how much of a gamble you are taking by spending a high draft pick on them. So here are five players who we think teams should be wary of in the NFL draft.

Trae Waynes, Michigan St.

Waynes is regarded by many as the top cornerback in this class and at times it’s easy to see why. He has speed to burn and shows confidence, never looking worried about being beaten deep. He also holds the point well against a block and performs well against the run. Despite all that, though, there are some question marks that make him a risk to be selected as high as many are predicting.

His awareness at times is questionable, and there are times when he lost the ball in the air by focusing too much on the wide receiver in front of him. Those lapses leave him flapping after noticing the ball in the air, leading to contact which could lead to more flags in the NFL. His tackling can also be a bit suspect as he has a tendency to throw himself at tackles in space, a little bit like Asante Samuel, rather than wrapping up. That’s something that will cost him a few big plays when he misses, and something he must clean up in the NFL.

Signature stat: Missed a tackle once every 8.3 attempts.

Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest

CFF-inset-kevin-johnsonJohnson is also regarded as a first-round draft pick by many, but in a similar way to Justin Hardy at wide receiver he’s someone that neither myself nor Sam see the hype with. He does have great balance which stops him from being beaten immediately off the line where so much damage can be done, but there are too many question marks in the rest of his game.

He doesn’t possess great top-level speed on the field. This will lead to him losing plenty of one-on-one battles with NFL receivers and at times it looked like he was deliberately playing off to protect his speed. The need to jump up from there and attack under routes led to him being beaten on double moves on more than one occasion. Like Waynes, he too can be a bit of a sloppy tackler at times, tilting his head down and trying to tackle blind far too often which led to 10 misses last season.

Signature Stat: Missed a tackle once every 5.1 attempted, tied for the ninth-worst of all draft-eligible cornerbacks in this class.

P.J. Williams, Florida St.

CFF-inset-pj-williamsWilliams is arguably the most frustrating cornerback in this draft class and is the perfect example of how subset scouting can lead to a guy being overhyped. In his best games, he looked very good when getting his hands on a wide receiver early and attacked the run and screen passes aggressively, launching himself through blockers.

The problem with Williams is inconsistency. As good as he looked against Louisville and DeVante Parker, he played very poorly against Syracuse, North Carolina State, and Georgia Tech. Very good when he gets his hands on a receiver, but as soon as he loses direct contact he struggles, something that will be a big issue in the NFL. Like the previous two we mentioned, he missed too many tackles in 2014. It’s not something he doesn’t look capable of, but poor technique such as arm tackles and trying to swat at the ball when he’s in a bad position give him big problems.

Signature Stat: Williams allowed a quarterback rating of 100.0 on all passes thrown into his coverage.

Eric Rowe, Utah

CFF-inset-roweRowe is a cornerback who divides opinion, with some seeing him as a better prospect at safety than cornerback, while others think he’s a better fit at the position he played during his final season in college. One thing you can say for Rowe is he’s very strong. In the Washington State game he was too physical for the receivers he went up against and made life miserable for them. He’s physical enough that he makes contested catches tough on wide receivers, and works best in press-man when he’s able to get his hands on the wide receiver.

The problem with Rowe is he looks very uncomfortable in off-coverage at times, looking lost and struggling to get a feel for everything around him. He also struggles with recovery speed so when he loses at the line of scrimmage he’s in trouble. Any success he has in the NFL will come from being able to get a good jam on wide receivers at the line of scrimmage unless he can improve his work in off-coverage.

Signature Stat: Was targeted once every 6.6 snaps in coverage.



College Football Focus Home Page

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...-buyer-beware/

[O.city]

No. They don't.

It's not 1995.

They need athletes who can run and not have to come off he field on 3rd down.

[DaKCMan AP]

2016 CB class is better.

Vernon Hargreaves
Kendall Fuller
Cam Sutton
Eric Murray

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Rausch

For our 3-4 we definitely do need a thumper...

I think that's only because they haven't been able to acquire the right pieces.

They had high hopes for JMJ but he hasn't been the Malcolm Smith type guy they had hoped for initially. They're looking for guys like Smith and Wagner and once they acquire them, look out. This defense will be Top 5, at least.

[Warpaint69]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I think Kendrick and Anthony will both be better, immediately, than any version of DJ from 2005-2009.

The Chiefs don't need a "Thumper". They need two athletic, smart ILBer's like the Seahawks have in Smith and Wagner.

My thoughts as well. Would love to have 2 ILB's that can play all 3 downs.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Rausch

For our 3-4 we definitely do need a thumper...

Eh, I don't necessarily disagree, but in today's practical run-n-shoot NFL, ILB'ers that are mobile and can cover are every bit as important as the Levon Kirkland types that are there essentially to stop the run.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by O.city

No. They don't.

It's not 1995.

They need athletes who can run and not have to come off he field on 3rd down.

I doubt we keep 4 LB's on the field on 3rd down.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Not for this team.

And, IMO, he's a better CB at the same level in the same system as Sean Smith was.

His initial jam is near perfect and he's got better turn and flip than Smith at the same stage.

He is a safety in the NFL.....

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Rausch

I doubt we keep 4 LB's on the field on 3rd down.

If the Chiefs had the "right" ILBers, then absolutely, they'd be on the field for all three downs.

It's been their Achilles Heel (pardon the pun, DJ) for the past decade or more: ILBer's that can't cover TE's or slants and wheel routes.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

If the Chiefs had the "right" ILBers, then absolutely, they'd be on the field for all three downs.

It's been their Achilles Heel (pardon the pun, DJ) for the past decade or more: ILBer's that can't cover TE's or slants and wheel routes.

It depends on what DJ comes back like. If he's almost his old self we'll be fine there. With our pass rush and the addition of another corner at some point in the draft that should hopefully keep our pass D in the tops of the NFL.

I think it's much more important to keep teams from being able to run it down our throats. That running game tires and slows the pass rush...

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That's only because the Chiefs linebackers can't cover. You put a guy like Eric Kendricks in there and it all stops.

Look at Denver in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks. Their ILBers can cover and disrupt crossing and wheel routes, which resulted in shutting down Denver's offense.

It's all about the ILBers, IMO.

I agree. I can also see Paul Dawson being an option. He ran a 4.75 at his pro day and he plays fast.

The guy understands how to play In coverage and he can shed OL.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Waynes' shuttle is slower than his 40. Has that EVER happened with a CB previously? Do not want.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by RunKC

I agree. I can also see Paul Dawson being an option. He ran a 4.75 at his pro day and he plays fast.

The guy understands how to play In coverage and he can shed OL.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Rausch

It depends on what DJ comes back like. If he's almost his old self we'll be fine there. With our pass rush and the addition of another corner at some point in the draft that should hopefully keep our pass D in the tops of the NFL.

I think it's much more important to keep teams from being able to run it down our throats. That running game tires and slows the pass rush...

He's still 32 years old. The Chiefs need to find his successor, whether it's this draft or next year.

[Easy 6]

I'm seeing Dane and some others make a pretty good case for a guy like Kendricks, its kinda starting to sway me.

Pro - my draft guides are a mix of "an instinctive, aggressive, sure tackler with the speed and fluid athleticism to turn and run with with most tight ends", sounds great for handling the aforementioned crossing routes.

Hey, sounds pretty ****ing good to me, but...

Con - 6'0 230, does he have the kind of frame to handle another ten pounds? I dont wanna see Donnie Edwards being dragged all over the field again.

Perryman intrigues me too, he's short at 5'11 but love descriptors like "very active sideline to sideline, sheds blockers, good instincts, a very violent tackler... like that part in particular, this defense still needs a dude that plays with very bad intentions.