2012 NFL Pre-Combine
Top Ten Cornerback Rankings
- 2013 Prospects:
Offense
- 2013 Prospects:
Defense
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2012
CFN Post-Combine CB Rankings. No. 11 to 25
1. Morris Claiborne, LSU (Jr.) 5-11, 188 Proj. 1
The problem is that everyone wants to compare him to Patrick Peterson, and that’s not fair. They’re both defensive backs and they both went to LSU, but Claiborne has his own skill set. He wasn’t fast with a slow 4.5 and he wasn’t quite the workout warrior teams might like in a No. 1 corner. However, he wasn’t bad, and it’s all about the tape with him.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Smooth as glass. Cuts on a dime and mirrors even the most elite of receivers without a problem. … Good football speed. He might not be Patrick Peterson speed-wise, but he can move. … Has all the tools to be a lock-down, shut-down, throw him on the island corner.
Negatives: He has good size, but he’s not huge. … An okay tackler, but he’s not all that physical. His worth is in pass coverage. … Was surrounded by phenomenal talents. Didn’t have to do it all alone.
2. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama 5-10, 193 Proj. 1
This is what everyone wanted to see. The 4.46 was terrific and he was quick enough through the short drills. He might not have exploded in the jumps, but he held serve overall and didn’t slip over the weekend.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Dominated when he was at Florida. Has All-America potential and looked like a possible Thorpe candidate. … Annoying in coverage. He shadows his man and doesn’t get shaken. Frustrates receivers. … A good tackler for his size. Not afraid to get his nose dirty.
Negatives: Character question marks. Major-league attitude. … Million-dollar talent, and acts like it. He could be a big problem for a coaching staff. … Can he stay healthy? He has no problems getting physical, but he has shoulder issues.
3. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama (Jr.) 6-2, 186 Proj. 1
Wasn’t quite as big as expected, but he was still among the tallest corners. The 4.51 might not have been in the 4.4 range as hoped for, but for his size it wasn’t bad. The 35” vertical leap was fine, as was the ten-foot broad jump, but there wasn’t anything special. He could use a better pro day.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Excellent size and speed. Has the long arms and build to bully the smaller receivers and hang with the bigger ones. … Provides a pop. Physical enough to be moved to safety if needed. Can tackle. … Athletic. Moves effortlessly and has good cutting ability. He plants and goes without a problem.
Negatives: Was helped by being surrounded by great defensive talent. Didn’t have to do too much on an island. … Didn’t make enough big plays, and it’s not because teams stayed away from him. Didn’t make enough picks. … Concerns about maturity. Got nailed for marijuana possession just when the NFL spotlight was on in January.
4. Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska 5-10, 204 Proj. 1
The 37” vertical was the highlight of an okay workout. He looked fine moving around, but the 4.55 might have been slow enough to end any hopes of him going in the first round. He needs to show something special in further workouts.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: A strong, physical corner who never backs down from a challenge. … Terrific leaping ability. Makes himself bigger with his vertical. … Covers receivers well and without a problem. Good at handling No. 1 targets.
Negatives: Okay speed, but not great. Doesn’t have the elite wheels to be a shut-down NFL corner. … A good tackler, but leaky. Will whiff a bit too much. … Injury problems. Has been banged up throughout his career.
5. Josh Robinson, UCF (Jr.) 5-10, 199 Proj. 4
Everyone knew he’d be decent, but no one was expecting a blazing 4.33. He was smooth as glass flying through short drills, exploded to a corner-best 11-1 in the broad jump, and came up with a 38.5” vertical. It was a special workout that put him on the map and made him a TON of money.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Fast, smooth, and athletic. Has all the raw tools and the size to be a prototype shut-down playmaker. … Productive. Rose to the challenge time and again against the top receivers, and not just in Conference USA play. … Excellent special teamer. Can be used as a kick and punt returner.
Negatives: An okay tackler, but could be better. Needs to be more consistent against the run. … Relied on his speed and talent to make up for mistakes and occasionally got sloppy. … Not all that long. He’s not small, but he’s not a bigger corner.
6. Brandon Boykin, Georgia 5-10, 182 Proj. 3
He didn’t run and didn’t work out, but he measured smallish and showed the needed to add a few pounds of muscle and more bulk. He’ll be fine when he runs on his pro day.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Phenomenal athlete. Runs, jumps, and moves like an elite NFL defensive back. … Quick and fast. Has the straight line speed to go along with the cutting ability to stay with the quicker receivers. … Terrific return man and could be better on special teams than on defense.
Negatives: Not all that huge. Doesn’t have the build to get any bigger. … Not a top run defender. Can be erased by anyone who gets a hand on him. … Needs to be surrounded by good talent. He’ll need a top safety to help the cause.
7. Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech (Jr.) 5-10, 178 Proj. 3
The 4.47 moved his stock up significantly. He’s not all that big, and no, the 40 wasn’t blazing, but it was good enough to make up for a few issues. He’s small, and he only came up with 11 reps, but for now the 40 time was good enough.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Productive. 12 interceptions over the last two years and excellent production as top punt returner. … Bust his tail. A hard worker who’ll do all the little things needed to improve. Cares about being better. … Extremely fast. Great recovery speed.
Negatives: Slight. Has a slender frame and isn’t going to be physical. Purely a cover man. … Not strong. Has to hit the weights hard, but even an extra ten pounds of muscle won’t help too much. … Needs to be a bit more consistent technique-wise. Slipped a bit at times last year.
8. Trumaine Johnson, Montana (S) 6-2, 204 Proj. 2
He measured as big as hoped for and he showed good quickness through the short drills for his size. The jumps were par for the course and he moved well, but the 4.61 wasn’t a plus. No one was expecting a 4.4, but it was still a slow run.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Big. Has intimidating size and can jam receivers and take them out of a play before it gets started. … Moves well. Smooth as glass and could end up working as a terrific free safety if needed. … Long. Long arms, long frame, and has the jumping ability to make himself bigger.
Negatives: Didn’t always play up to his talent. Had a good career, but not a great one. … Does he want it? Not known for doing all the little things right. … Might need the right coaching staff. It’s all there, but he’ll need a fire lit under him.
9. Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina 6-1, 190 Proj. 3
Fantastic. Not only was he big, but he was fast and quick with a terrific 4.4 to go along with a phenomenal 3.94 in the shuttle. Throw in the 36” vertical and he had a tremendous workout that upped his stock in a big way.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: Fast and big. Has a great combination of size and speed. Has all the raw tools. … A nice tackler. Willing to step up and make a stop and is physical when he needs to be. … Big upside. Could just be scratching the surface.
Negatives: Needs a lot of refinement. A LOT. He has the talent and the upside, but he needs a ton of technique work. … Not always smooth. Cuts quickly, but not effortlessly. … Gets flattened. He’ll tackle, but he can be blasted.
10. Leonard Johnson, Iowa State 5-10, 196 Proj. 2
Uh oh. Fine, so he’s supposed to be a baller and he’s supposed to be feisty, but he needed to run well to overcome his smallish size and he came up with a disastrous 4.71. The short drills were fine, but he only came up with a 32” vertical and didn’t stand out.
Pre-Combine Analysis Positives: A fighter who’ll battle with the best of the best. He holds his own. … A nice tackler for this size. Isn’t afraid to get physical and he’ll get in on tackles. … Good football speed. Works well within the system and is crafty enough to overcome shortcomings. A better football player than an athlete.
Negatives: Slow. Doesn’t have the top-shelf speed. Can struggle with the quick targets. … Once he’s beaten, he’s beaten. He’ll need safety help. … Small. He can still add a little weight, but that might make him more of a safety than a corner.
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2012
CFN Post-Combine CB Rankings. No. 11 to 25