2011 NFL Combine
Cornerback Rankings
2011 NFL Combine Results
- QBs |
RBs |
WRs |
TEs
| Cs |
OTs |
OGs
- DEs |
DTs |
ILBs |
OLBs |
Ss |
CBs
2011 NFL Combine Position Analysis
- QBs |
RBs |
WRs |
TEs
| Cs |
OTs |
OGs
- DEs
|
DTs
| ILBs |
OLBs |
Ss |
CBs
1. Patrick Peterson, LSU 6-0, 219
Positives: The near-perfect corner prospect. He has size, speed, quickness, ball skills, and all the athleticism that every team wants. … A true No. 1 cover-corner. He can line up and erase any receiver. He can get physical when he needs to and he can run with anyone. … Extremely confident, and not in a bad way. He knows he’s good and he plays like it.
Negatives: Used to doing whatever he wants. He’ll have to get used to being a big part of a system rather than being able to freelance. … Not necessarily consistent. He rose to the occasion, but he needed the challenge. … Might be a safety but will be paid like a corner.
2. Prince Amukamara, Nebraska 6-0, 206
Positives: An excellent combination of size, speed, and athleticism. He has the NFL look and skills to be a No. 1 corner for a long time. … A pure cover corner who doesn’t play soft. He’ll hit. … Strong in run support, and he made a ton of plays against the pass even though everyone stayed away from him.
Negatives: Didn’t pick off a pass last year after taking away five as a junior. Broke up passes, but didn’t come up with the really big play. … Okay at tracking the ball on deep plays, but not elite. Hands are just decent. … Not a huge player. Doesn’t have a large frame.
3. Aaron Williams, Texas (FS) 6-0, 204
Positives: Versatile. He might be a free safety in the NFL and can be used in a variety of ways. He’s athletic enough to do a variety of things extremely well. … A good, sound tackler. He isn’t afraid to get physical and has the body to provide a bit of a pop. … Silky smooth in his cuts. Turns and runs well with extremely loose hips.
Negatives: Not fast enough to be a No. 1 corner. He wants to be a corner and wants to get paid like a corner, but he’s likely going to be move to safety very early on. … Didn’t pick off any passes last year and came up with just four in 37 games. … Will be a better pick because of his versatility than for any one position. He’ll be a starter, but he might not be an elite player at any spot.
4. Brandon Harris, Miami 5-9, 191
Positives: Fast. Plays fast on the field and times well enough off of it. Doesn’t get beaten deep. … Tough as nails. He’s not soft in any way and he has no problems sticking his nose into a running play. … Great instincts. Doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and doesn’t waste any steps.
Negatives: Fast, but not a jaw-dropping blazer. He’ll have to get used to facing faster receivers. … Didn’t do enough when the ball was in the air. He only picked off four passes in 39 games. … A good all-around corner with zero bust potential, but he doesn’t have elite skills.
5. Jimmy Smith, Colorado 6-2, 211
Positives: The measureables are there. He’s very big, very fast, and is physical. He can shove around the bigger receivers. … Could end up being a killer of a safety. He’s a corner for now, but with his skills and his frame he could be a Pro Bowl free safety with a little bit of time and work. … He has the frame to get bigger. He could end up being a big, cut 220 pounds without losing a thing.
Negatives: Smooth as a three-day beard. Tight, TIGHT hips and doesn’t move all that well. He’s big, and he moves like it. … Not a great pass defender. A better pass defender and tackler than a pure cover corner. … Will get blown away by any quick receiver he doesn’t get his hands on.
6. Ras-I Dowling, Virginia 6-1, 198
Positives: Good size and length. Has a great frame and he uses it well. … Very quick and cuts well. He’s fluid enough to be a decent No. 1 corner, and has the athleticism to be a rock of a No. 2. … Great character and a hard worker who doesn’t miss a stop. He’s not physical enough, but he’s sound.
Negatives: Hurt. Missed most of last year banged up. He has to prove now that he can stay healthy. … Fast enough, but he’s hardly a blazer. He’s going to struggle against the smaller, jitterbug receivers. … Might need to be in the right system. He’s not going to be for every defense and might need to be in a Cover-2.
7. Brandon Burton, Utah 6-0, 190
Positives: Quick. He cuts well and moves like an NFL corner. A good all-around athlete. … Makes plays. Erased the good receivers who lacked the big-time wheels and was great when the ball was in the air. … Instictive. He sniffs out plays well and knows how to get to the ball.
Negatives: Slow. Lacks the top-end speed and needs to be in the right system. … A willing tackler, but not strong enough to move to safety any time soon if needed. Not a big hitter. … Lack of raw speed a problem. He got beaten from time to time by the speed receivers.
8. Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State 6-0, 191
Positives: A four-year producer who has been through the wars and has grown into a solid all-around defender. … Fast. He moves extremely well and gets in and out of his breaks in a hurry. … A good tackler who has no problems stepping up into run support. Gets physical for his size.
Negatives: Has used his good speed to make up for mistakes, but he won’t be able to do that at the next level. … Not a lock-down corner. A good player, but he doesn’t make enough plays. … Not a No. 1 corner and might end up being nothing more than nickel or dime defender. He’ll have to get more physical to be a No. 2.
9. Davon House, New Mexico State 6-0, 200
Positives: A good all-around athlete with strong measurables. Has good size and just enough speed to get by. … Made a ton of plays for a bad defense. Teams stayed away from him and he still came up with 11 career picks and 37 broken up passes. … A solid tackler. Good in the open field.
Negatives: Mediocre ball skills. The numbers don’t lie, but he has average hands and will drop balls. … Not an elite athlete. Good all-around skills, but not great ones. … Needs work. Is used to being a great player on a bad team, but he needs to prove he can produce when people are challenging him.
10. Curtis Brown, Texas 6-0, 185
Positives: A quick, tough corner who can fill a variety of roles. He’s a corner, but he has just enough skills to eventually transition into a safety. … Smooth. Cuts on a dime and is fluid. Great hips and flies around effortlessly. … A special teamer who can be a return guy and will willingly do what’s needed.
Negatives: Slow. He doesn’t have the raw, flat-out speed to hang with the faster targets. … Strong, but he’s not a great hitter. He’s a decent tackler, but he’s hardly special. … Only two picks in 52 career games. He broke up 32 passes, but he didn’t come up with too many big plays.
11. Rashad Carmichael, Virginia Tech 5-10, 192
Positives: Very quick and very fast on the field. He makes up for mistakes with his athleticism. … A lot of picks. He came up with ten over the last two years and was great at coming up with big plays. … Will work to do more. Good, coachable character who’ll make himself into a better player.
Negatives: The deep speed isn’t there. He plays fast, but he won’t time all that well. … Needs work on being more fundamentally sound. Got by in college on being far more athletic and quicker than everyone else. … Not a great run defender. Just an average tackler.
12. Brandon Hogan, West Virginia 5-10, 192
Positives: Very, very quick. Moves and cuts on a dime and can hang with the speed targets without a problem. … Has the right attitude to be a No. 1 corner. The raw skills are there and he knows it. … Great hands. He’s still scratching the surface and could be a whale of a value pick.
Negatives: Seemed to take last year off in run support. He was a far more physical player earlier in his career. … Off-the-field concerns and lots of homework will have to be done on his character. … Not quite physical enough to be able to hang one-on-one with the bigger NFL targets.
13. Johnny Patrick, Louisville 5-11, 191
Positives: Grew into a ball hawker who came up with a terrific senior season. Became more of a pickoff artist while still being strong against the run. … Moves well on the field. Has no problems staying with the faster receivers. … Not a finesse player in any way. He doesn’t shy away from contact.
Negatives: Not fast. He might be fluid, but the straight-line speed isn’t there. … Not strong enough to be moved to safety right away. He might have a future in nickel and dime packages. … Not known for being a top-character guy. Will have to be coached up.
14. Kendric Burney, North Carolina 5-9, 186
Positives: A very effective tackler who made a ton of plays over the last four years. Not afraid to do the dirty work and is strong at coming up to help out against the run. Tough. … Smart and instinctive. He has a knack for being around the ball and making the play. He has nice hands and great ball skills. … Quicker than fast. Moves well and cuts smoothly.
Negatives: Slow. SLOWWWWWW. Will take ten minutes to get through the 40. … A better football player than an athlete. He’ll have a limited upside because of his lack of raw skills and his smallish size. … Was abused in the Senior Bowl by Miami’s Leonard Hankerson. Was picked on for a reason.
15. Chris Rucker, Michigan State 6-1, 195
Positives: Likes the challenge and will take on any receiver. Wants to battle against the best and has the attitude of a No. 1 corner. … Big and physical. He likes to jam receivers and he uses his strength and tougnhness well. … Doesn’t miss stops. Could end up being a safety or a strong nickel and dime defender.
Negatives: Lacks the raw deep speed. If he misses the jam or he’s not battling a faster receiver, it’s over. … Inconsistent. He tends to give up a few too many key plays. Thinks he’s better than he is. … Doesn’t have the make-up quickness and will allow catches. He makes the tackle, but he gives up the play.
16. Shareece Wright, USC 5-11, 185
Positives: Turned into a great tackler. Came up with a surprisingly strong senior year making 73 stops and became the player everyone was hoping he’d be out of high school. … Great speed. Not a top-shelf burner, but he’s fast. … Physical. He’ll push around receivers and will jam without a problem.
Negatives: Injury issues. He missed most of 2008 with a broken neck and missed almost all of 2009 with academic problems. A one-year wonder. … Not enough elite physical skills to overcome the red flags. He’s not all that smooth.
17. Buster Skrine, UT Chattanooga 5-9, 186
Positives: Fast. FAST. Extreme speed with the raw athletic ability to use in a variety of ways. … Smooth as glass. Cuts on a dime and effortlessly flies around. Fluid. … Could become a whale of a return man. Could be a gamechanger.
Negatives: Really, really raw. An athlete more than a football player and needs technique work. … Not big. He doesn’t look the part. Very lean and short. … Not physical. He’ won’t push anyone around. Strictly a speed corner.
18. Jalil Brown, Colorado 6-1, 204
Positives: Good size. He could quickly be turned into a safety or a tough nickel defender. … Extremely strong and makes lots of tackles and lots of plays. He brings a good attitude and will do whatever a coaching staff wants. … Battles hard. He’s a competitor.
Negatives: Not quite as physical as he should be for his size. He should maul more receivers and bring far more pop. … Lacks the deep speed and will struggle against the faster receivers. Will need help and can’t be on an island. … Will get by on want-to and attitude more than physical ability. He’ll get picked on.
19. Chykie Brown, Texas 5-11, 190
Positives: Very quick and good all-around athleticism. Fluid, he moves extremely well and changes directions on a dime. … Good size and a nice frame. He’s long and could put on another few pounds without a problem. … Scratching the surface. Could be a far better pro than a collegian.
Negatives: Mediocre production. Only two picks, both in 2009, in 47 career games. ... Nothing special against the run. He’ll tackle, but he’s not great at it. … Doesn’t seem to have the same feel for the game like other top Texas defensive backs.
20. Chris Culliver, South Carolina (FS) 6-0, 199
Positives: Part safety and part corner, he’s versatile enough to play just about anywhere in the secondary. … Extremely fast and moves well. He runs well enough to handle himself at corner and looks like he belongs one-on-one against a receiver. … Decent size. Physical enough to get by.
Negatives: Not really a NFL corner and not really an NFL safety. There’s not a sure-thing place and position for him. … Not a big hitter. He’ll tackle, but he’s not going to blast anyone. … Looks the part more than he plays it. He’ll test well, but he’ll have to be a cog in a system.
21. Marcus Gilchrist, Clemson (FS) 5-10, 195
Positives: Extremlely strong. He’s tough enough and strong enough to eventually be a safety, even at his size. … An elite tackler. Made a whopping 107 stops as a junior and 66 last year. Very willing and very productive against the run. … Good energy and good fire. Always fired up and doesn’t take plays off.
Negatives: Not fast. He’s not a blazer to be a corner and will make most of his plays in run support. … Lacks the raw size to be a thumper of a safety. He’s a bit lean and not bulky at all. … One pick in 53 career games.
22. Devon Torrence, Ohio State 6-0, 199
Positives: A good tackler who can get physical. He has good size and good upside. … Moves well. Quicker than fast, he’s better in short range and sniffs out plays in a hurry. … Decent ball skills. Still developing and could just be scratching the surface.
Negatives: Still needs a lot of work. The instincts aren’t quite there as he’s still learning on the fly. He’s a former receiver. … Needs to be in the right system and used in the right way. He doesn’t have the speed to be anyone’s lockdown corner.
23. Curtis Marsh, Utah State 6-0, 192
Positives: Extremely quick. Moves easily and cuts on a dime. … Fast. He stays with every speed receiver without much of a problem and has just enough size to hang out with the bigger targets. … Has grown into a ball hawk. Has a nose for breaking up passes.
Negatives: A former running back who’s still learning how to play the position. … Fast, but not a blazer. He doesn’t have elite deep speed. … Just okay in run support. A good tackler, but he’s not going to beat anyone up.
24. DeMarcus Van Dayke 6-1, 176
Positives: Fast, fast, fast, fast, fast. Elite top-end speed and won’t get beaten by any NFL receiver deep. … Moves extremely well. Cuts and changes direction without a problem and gets into his speed well. … Could be used in a variety of ways just to get his speed on the field.
Negatives: Way undersized. Tall and thin. Not built to make an NFL tackle. … Couldn’t stay on the field in a starting job. Only a spot starter on a team that could’ve used more help in the secondary. … Raw. He has uncoachable speed, but he needs to become more of a football player.
25. Josh Thomas, Buffalo 5-10, 191
Positives: Fast. Good enough speed to get by and is strong for his size. He’ll push some people around. … Moves well. Cuts well enough and he closes in a heartbeat. … A good four-year producer against the run who made a lot of tackles. More than willing to help out in run support.
Negatives: Not an elite athlete and lacks top-end speed. He’s not a blazer. … Didn’t come up with enough big plays with just two picks in 47 games and one in the last three seasons. … Doesn’t do any one thing at a high level. He might be on a team for a while, but he won’t be more than a backup.