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Cornerback Profiles
By: John McMullen
It's a good year for cornerbacks and it may be the deepest, most talented position in the draft with at least four and as many as six carrying first round grades if as expected, juniors Champ Bailey and Dre` Bly declare themselves eligible. Bailey is truly an elite Charles Woodson type talent as a cover corner, returner and wide receiver who could easily be a top five guy. Here's a look at Bailey and the rest of the top corners:
- Champ Bailey Georgia 6-1 185
Bailey is an elite athlete who is a total package and can be a game breaker in all three phases of the game. He has great man to man coverage skills, the body control of an elite wide receiver, the toughness of a strong safety, the speed of a track star and the ball awareness skills of a wide receiver. His only weakness at this point is his thin frame which looks prone to a breakdown but that's nit picking. Bailey is a top five talent who will be an elite cover corner and return man fairly early in his NFL career. He can also help the offense as a fourth receiver type, stretching the defense in passing situations. I won't call him another Deion Sanders yet but he is the equal of Charles Woodson and his versatility is astounding.
- Chris McAllister Arizona 6-0 199
McAllister had a great senior year and vaulted above every corner outside of Bailey. He has cleared up any doubts about his hips and man to man coverage ability. He is a flat out playmaker who has great size for a cornerback and can overcome somewhat average speed with a nice closing burst on the ball. Chris has great instincts and can play man to man or zone, he can fill on run support and even return kicks if necessary. His versatility is also a plus as he could easily move inside and play free safety. A really well rounded player.
- Dre` Bly North Carolina 5-10 195
Bly actually slipped a little this year after gaining a little weight and looking lacksedasical in some games. Of course, that also may be attributed to former defensive teammates Greg Ellis, Brian Simmons and K. Mays playing on Sundays. He certainly has the tracking skills and natural instincts of an elite corner. His size and speed ratio are not outstanding but they are well above average and he has shown the closing burst to the ball that can't be measured. His biggest weakness seems to be that he shys away from contact and doesn't support the run very well. Bly is certainly a first round pick and I think he will continue to move slowly up the board as we head toward April.
- Fernado Bryant Alabama 5-10 175
Bryant is the only the second senior on the list. He lacks great size but has explosive speed and great athletic ability. He is a good cover corner with excellent body control, good hips, quick feet and a nose for the ball . He doesn't like to mix it up in the run game and has been labeled as a bit of an underachiever but his cover skills are good enough to place him in the first round.
- Antoine Winfield Ohio State 5-8 180
Winfield is a painfully small cover cornerback who makes too many big plays to ignore. He runs a 4.4 forty , has great athletic ability and amazing quickness along with the best instincts in the draft. Winfield should be a good man to man cover corner but with his size, how in the world will he match up with the jumbo receivers littering the NFL and even though he doesn't shy from contact how much of a factor can he be in run support ? I wouldn't take him until the second round because his long term future appears to be at nickel back due to the lack of size.
- Daylon McCutcheon USC 5-9 180
Another short fast cover corner that is very similar to Winfield. McCutheon is an excellent athlete who has been a really solid cover cornerback at USC with nice closing speed and good ball awareness. He might have the best hips of all the cornerbacks and can change direction on a dime. His size makes it tough for him in press coverage and he will obviously have trouble with the Randy Moss' of the world. McCutcheon can also help in return game where he has been a game breaking home run type at USC. Overall, a pretty solid second round talent.
- Tyree Talton Northern Iowa 5-11 208
Talton is a gifted small college guy who has the size, skills and athletic ability that are en vogue now for NFL corners. At Northern Iowa, Talton has been a dominating player in the past who had a bit of a down year but that may be due to boredom. He certainly has all the tools you look for. He is very physical in press coverage with a strong jam in man to man coverage and the hips to turn and run. He has great range and an amazing closing burst in zone coverage. Talton is a sleeper who is a complete corner and the only question about him is his level of competition.
- Fred Vinson Vanderbilt 5-11 178
Vinson is a solid player who has good athletic ability and can run He is a very smooth player with good coverage skills but isn't very aggressive and would be best suited for a zone scheme. Fred could also add some bulk if he wants to become an every down corner at the next level.
- Ralph Brown Nebraska 5-9 180
Brown is a junior with some pretty good attributes. He has been a very productive ballhawk with solid cover skills and a great closing burst when the ball is in the air. On the downside, he lacks great size and will have trouble against the giants and in run support.
- Andre Weathers Michigan 6-1 188
Weathers is a paradox. He has the size, speed, instincts and athletic ability that make NFL teams drool but he plays extremely soft. Weathers would be a nice mid round pick for a team that plays a lot of man to man and has a coach that is a proven motivater.
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