9. Tyron Smith C+

Offensive line was a need for them, especially right tackle, but you don’t take a right tackle at 9. Smith can play the left side, but Doug Free is doing fine there. Why mess with that? All this pick is doing is upgrading the right side, whether they stick Free on the right side and Smith at left tackle or just stick Smith at right tackle. Smith fits the range decently, but I don’t like the idea behind the pick. Prince Amukamara, Cameron Jordan, and JJ Watt all would have made more sense.

40. MLB Bruce Carter D

This was a head scratcher. First off, middle linebacker was not a huge need for them, not compared to defensive end, cornerback, and safety. Second of all, he was projected in the 3^rd round because he’s not going to be able to play much in 2011 with an ACL injury. Third of all, I thought he was overrated even before he was hurt. I never had a first round grade on him. I don’t like this pick at all.

71. RB DeMarco Murray B+

Running back was a need. Marion Barber doesn’t have much left in the tank and will probably be cut when they can do so. Felix Jones hasn’t emerged as the feature back as they imagined him when they drafted him in the first round in 2008. Murray also fits the range well. However, defense needed to be the focus in this draft. They need a cornerback, a defensive end, and a safety early in this draft and instead they got a right tackle, an injured middle linebacker, and a running back. Not exactly what I had in mind.

110. G David Arkin C+

Arkin fills a need at guard for them, but I think he was a reach for them. I had him rated a couple rounds lower.

143. CB Josh Thomas C+

The Cowboys finally fill their cornerback need, but I think Thomas is a reach at this point. I didn’t even have him in my top 300.

176. WR Dwayne Harris A-

Wide receiver was a need of theirs as Roy Williams is overpaid and will probably be cut when they can cut players. Harris was a great value, but again, they need defense. The defense was the problem, not the offense. If they could fix their defense, they could have been a Super Bowl contender in 2011.

220. FB Shaun Chapas B

Fullback was a minor need of theirs and Chapas fits the range, but I think there were better picks here.

252. C Bill Nagy B

Center was a need of theirs, but I think there were better centers.

Overall:

This needed to be a defensive draft. Their offense was very good under offensive minded coach Jason Garrett after he took over and they’re getting quarterback Tony Romo back. I understand the need to protect him by getting a new right tackle for him, but they didn’t need to use the 9^th overall pick on him. Even if Tyron Smith moves to left tackle and Doug Free moves to right tackle, they’re only really upgrading the right tackle position. Free is a good player. They could have gotten a right tackle in the early mid rounds, the 2^nd-4^th. 3 of their first 4 picks were on offensive players and they didn’t add a single end, rush linebacker, or safety and they only added one cornerback in the 5^th round, who I think was a reach. I did like that they got Dwayne Harris where they got him, to replace Roy Williams and taking DeMarco Murray to replace Marion Barber in the 3^rd wasn’t terrible. I do think they could have filled that need in the later rounds though. If they fixed their defense, they could have been a legitimate Super Bowl contender this year. I think they messed that up.

Grade: C-

 

By Jim Keller 

Quick, when was the last time the Dallas Cowboys started a season 0-2, and how did they finish? 

The answer is 2001 when they lost to Tampa Bay and San Diego and finished 5-11.  The Boys also lost their first two in 2000 and finished 5-11, so that seems to indicate the importance of this week’s home opener against the Chicago Bears in Cowboys Stadiums. 

Dallas is 34-15-1 all-time in home openers, losing openers this decade to Philadelphia in 2000, Tampa Bay in ’01, Atlanta in ’03, Washington in ’05 and the New York Giants in ’09.

Dallas comes in having thought they won the game with the Washington Redskins last Sunday after Tony Romo threw an apparent 11-yard TD pass to Roy Williams on the game’s final play.  However, it was called back because right tackle Alex Barron was called for his fourth holding call (third accepted) of the game and the Redskins prevailed 13-7.

Chicago won in just about opposite fashion last week. The Bears beat the Detroit Lions 19-14, but only after an apparent 25-yard scoring pass from Shaun Hill to Calvin Johnson with 25 seconds remaining was ruled incomplete by the officials and upheld by the replay booth. Johnson appeared to have possession with both feet on the ground, but the ball popped loose when he hit the ground while holding it with one hand.

What will Dallas have to do to get back on track of becoming the first of 36 teams whose cities hosted a Super Bowl to actually make it to the season’s biggest game?

Offense

It appears that Dallas has the same problem, albeit just the preseason and Game 1 as a small sample size, as last season – converting yards into drives.

Dallas was second in total offense last season but 14^th in scoring and Romo completed just 44 percent of his tosses inside the 10-yard line. On Sunday at Washington, The Boys racked up 380 total yards – fourth most in the NFL in Week 1 – and managed just seven points.

The main culprit in this one was penalties and the offensive line.  Dallas had 12 penalties for 91 yards and Washington declined two other holding penalties. Right tackle Alex Barron was whistled four times and continued his preseason horrendous play.  Fortunately for Dallas, starting right tackle Marc Colombo is set to return along with left guard Kyle Kosier, both out with knee injuries.

But having those starters back isn’t a cure-all.  The average age of the line is 32 years and they combine for about 1,600 pounds.  A study by Football Outsiders determined that lines of this age don’t win Super Bowls let alone improve as they age. So that doesn’t bode well for improving upon an 11-5 mark to advance to the Super Bowl.

Hopefully, with the line intact this week against a good Chicago defense, Romo will have more time and confidence in his line and the game plan will be to challenge Chicago more vertically than horizontally.

Last week it was obvious the game plan called for short and flat passes as nine of Romo’s 31 completions were for two yards or less. Romo used quick 3-step drops and relied on “smoke routes” that didn’t go anywhere, screens and flares. He threw only 2-3 balls more than 20 yards downfield all night, but he did show maturity, trying to force only one ball.

I’ll be looking for Romo to utilize big play weapons Miles Austin (10 catches, 146 yards) and Dez Bryant (8, 56) down the field more and try to get Felix Jones (24-yard reception on first touch) out in space.

Chicago’s defense held Detroit to under 200 yards and just 21 yards on the ground, but it was the Lions and they played without starting QB Matthew Stafford for the second half. Julius Peppers knocked Stafford out of the game with a first-half sack on a play that drew a fine by the league office for going to the head – albeit ever so slightly.

Dallas will have to keep an eye on Peppers, who will probably be moved all over the line to create a good matchup.  Former Pro Bowler Tommie Harris is also a pressure guy and will have to be maintained, but linebackers Brian Uhrlacher and Lance Briggs, coming off a combined 17 tackles, one sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery performance against Detroit, will be coming for Romo and will use their quickness against the beef and age of the Dallas front.

Dallas has one of the best run games in the NFL and averaged 4.7 yards last week, but ran it just 22 times with a long run of 12 yards, but only one carry resulted in negative yardage.   

Many experts have questioned that run-less strategy and it has called rancor in Cowboys Nation about who is running the show, coach Wade Phillips, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett or head man Jerry Jones.

Dallas shouldn’t return to the ground on a more heavy-dose plan this week because that simply isn’t what the Cowboys do.  They are a pass-first, run second team that relies on Romo, its best and most important weapon first and foremost.

Defense

Dallas held Washington to a pair of field goals, McNabb completed under 50 percent of his passes and the Redskins’ ground game was shut down completely for three quarters until making some solid runs and first downs in the fourth to help control the clock.

DeMarcus Ware, who is scheduled to play after straining his neck on a collision with Skins RB Larry Johnson late in the fourth, had one sack and provided solid edge pressure all night.

However, the Cowboys couldn’t put a consistent rush on McNabb without gambling with an extra blitzer and didn’t come close to forcing a turnover or making any big plays.

This week the D will be up against the team that amassed over 400 yards of total offense with QB Jay Cutler throwing for 372 yards and 2 TDs to Matt Forte.

The Bears will have a choice. Cutler was sacked four times last week and 10 times in limited play during the preseason, and Chicago’s run game was stagnant last season, so do they try to attack Dallas downfield and become vulnerable to sacks and Cutler’s questionable decision making – he led the NFL with 26 picks last season – or do they try to establish the run game, control the ball and limit turnovers – they had an interception and 3 fumbles lost last week.

Dallas likes corners Michael Jenkins and Terence Newman, and will probably man-them up on the outside against Devin Hester and Johnny Knox.  They will try to stuff the run and pressure Cutler. With Chicago’s suspect line, the Cowboys hope to apply pressure, confuse Cutler and force him into bad decisions.

Special Teams

Despite missing just one FG all preseason, Dallas must be concerned with David Buehler, who missed his first career attempt from 34 yards last week.  An excellent kickoff man, Buehler has a reputation for being erratic on FGs.

Dallas punter Matt McBriar, who has one of the strongest legs in the game, missed two opportunities to pin Washington deep when he booted punts into the end zone.  The kick coverage team allowed 76 yards on two returns and the Boys’ didn’t have much in punt or kick returns.

Bears FG kicker Robbie Gould is one of the most accurate kickers in the game but is challenged length-wise.  Hester is one of the best return men in the game, but his effectiveness has dropped off in recent seasons and he averaged just three yards per punt return last week.

Prediction

It’s the Cowboys home opener, a game Dallas needs for more ways than one – Phillips’ security, don’t want to start 0-2, end talk of offensive and red zone woes – against an opponent that is beatable.

With Colombo and Kosier back and another week for Bryant to get comfortable with the offense, the Boys’ offense should be more efficient but still not where it needs to be. The Bears’ 19 points on over 400 yards wasn’t efficient either, and Dallas’ D is a step or two ahead of Detroit’s, so Cutler will not be as effective, will make some poor decisions and Dallas will prevail 23-13.

Leftovers

14 first downs, 20 minutes of possession in first half last week without scoring a point

Dallas inside Redskins 40 in three of first four series without a point

Perhaps the stupidest two plays since Leon Lett against Dolphins on Thanksgiving and in Super Bowl in Miami.  It was the fifth time in series history that the Skins returned a fumble for a TD.  Washington won four of those games by less than a TD.

Bryant had no big-play impact in pass or kick game; caught eight passes for 56 yards, a club record for catches in first career game and the most by a rookie making his debut since Denver’s Eddie Royal had nine catches for 146 yards in 2008.

Roy Williams was a no-show as usual; three catches for 21 yards but could have had the game-winner; probably had five balls his way all night

Last week was the fourth time Dallas had amassed 380 yards of ffense in the opener and lost.

Sixth time in franchise history Dallas has been held to seven points or fewer in the opener, and first since 2001 against Tampa Bay (0-6)

Austin is third player in franchise history to record 10+ receptions in opener, joining Tony Dorsett (1984) and Frank Clarke (1962&64), and Austin’s 146 yards receiving is sixth most in an opener

Romo completed 31 passes and lost just one other time in his career, in last year’s home opener to the Giants; Troy Aikman did it twice, Danny White once and Steve Pelleur once.

http://www.respectthestar.com

 

This makes sense. The Colts are switching to a 3-4 defense and don’t have a lot of players who have played in the scheme. They could have used another 3-4 defensive end and Redding has experience in Chuck Pagano’s scheme from Baltimore. They also got the 16^th ranked 4-3 defensive end by ProFootballFocus for a reasonable rate, 3 years, 10.5 million with an undisclosed amount of guaranteed money.

Grade: A

 

 

The fit is natural here. The Rams have cap space after cutting veterans like James Hall, Fred Robbins, Justin Bannan, Jason Brown, and Ron Bartell and their thin secondary certainly had the need for a cornerback, especially a #1 cornerback like Cortland Finnegan, who ProFootballFocus ranked as their 3^rd overall cornerback last year. Finnegan is also only 28 so he’s young enough to fit in with the rebuilding Rams and he has familiarity with coach Jeff Fisher. Did they overpay a bit? When you look at Johnathan Joseph’s deal from a year ago (5 years, 48.5 million with 23.5 million guaranteed), maybe they did a little giving Finnegan 5 years, 50 million, with 26.5 million guaranteed, but that’s nitpicking. This is a good deal.

Grade: A

 

 

QB RB WR TE OT G C NT DT 3-4 DE DE RLB OLB MLB CB S K P

Updated 4/17/10 

100 Once in a decade prospect 

95-99 Elite talent 

90-95 Solid top 10 pick 

85-90 Solid first round pick 

80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd 

75-80 Solid 2nd round pick 

70-75 Solid 3rd round pick 

65-70 3rd-4th round pick 

60-65 4th-5th round pick 

55-60 5th round pick 

50-55 6th round pick 

45-50 7th round pick 

40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp 

30-40 Career practice squader 

20-30 No NFL future 

0-20 No football future 

 

1. Joe Haden (Florida) 91     

3/18/10: Turns out that 4.57 40 from his Combine was a result of a sore back. Haden ran a 4.43 40 at his Pro Day, in the rain nonetheless, so I’ll move him back to his Pre-Combine status. He’s still, by far, my top cornerback.         

3/2/10: Not going to knock him down too much, but the 4.57 at 5-11 193 hurts his chances to go in the top 10 as he competes with Derrick Morgan, Rolando McClain, and Jason Pierre Paul to go 7^th to Cleveland. I do expect him to run a little better at his Pro Day, but really his lack of speed today can be attributed to his running style, which shouldn’t hurt him on the football field. He doesn’t have good track speed, but he has football speed.

A former quarterback and wide receiver, Haden has all of the physical tools necessary for the NFL and he showed this year that he can be an amazing shutdown corner. He plays with great physicality and strength and uses those to shutdown the opposing wide receiver. He doesn’t scream #1 corner at me just yet, but he’s only 20 and in his 3^rd year playing the position so if his development continues as it should, the sky is the limit for him. He is good against the run and as a blitzer which are rare, but useful skills for a cornerback to have.

2. Kyle Wilson (Boise State) 84

3/2/10: He didn’t run, but he didn’t need to. First he benched 25 reps of 225 pounds at 5-10 194. Then he ended his day by being, by far, the most impressive cornerback in the drills. If his 40 time is under 4.5 at his Pro Day, which it should be, he could be a first round pick lock.

1/27/10: Another impressive cornerback, Wilson has shown once again why, before his disappointing senior year, he was a possible 1st round pick. He has probably brought himself back into 2nd round contention with his good Senior Bowl week.  

He had a bit of a down year this year which hurts because his athleticism at 5-10 185 doesn’t jump off the page and that could drop him to the 3^rd round in a strong cornerback class. However, he projects as a nice nickel back with the potential to be a #2 corner at the next level. He also is a good punt returner.

3. Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest) 83

3/2/10: Ran a very impressive 4.37 at 192. He’s an even better athlete than I believed and has a ton of upside if the coaches can bring it out of him. He probably isn’t going to slip out of the first 50 picks

Excellent size for a corner at 6-1 195 and he used that size to frustrate corners this year. His stats don’t jump out at you with only 1 interception in his entire college career, but he has 4 forced fumbles which is amazing for his position and he’s got good shutdown abilities and great athleticism. He projects as a nice #2 corner or nickelback at worst.

4. Donovan Warren (Michigan) 82      

3/18/10: Didn’t look great at his Pro Day, running a 4.62 and struggled in drills some as well. I still am very high on him and his shutdown skills, but it doesn’t look like a lot of people agree with me.                              

3/2/10: Didn’t come out and impress at all today like I was expecting. I’m a big supporter of his, but I have to knock him down a bit after a poor day which started with a 4.59 40 at 5-11 183.

Not getting the hype yet, but I’m not sure why. This former elite recruit had an amazing freshman year, but a down year in his sophomore year, before bouncing back in an amazing why this year as a junior. Guys simply didn’t throw on him because he was able to turn some of the best receivers into guys that simply weren’t open. Despite not getting thrown on a ton, he managed 66 tackles and 4 interceptions, showing his good hands, position, and strength against the run. Despite being only 6-0 182, he’s very physical against the run and against his man and for that he has drawn premature comparisons to former Michigan great Charles Woodson.

5. Javier Arenas (Alabama) 78

He could be a decent nickelback and showed good abilities at the cornerback position this year in his 2^nd full season at the position, with 70 tackles, 5 sacks, and 5 picks, but his value is as a kick returner. He is one of, if not the best kick returners in the nation so in addition to being a solid nickel corner at the next level, he’ll be a great kick returner as well. He may also pull a Devin Hester and switch over to wide receiver as he’s shown good hands and abilities in the open field.

6. Kareem Jackson (Alabama) 77

3/2/10: Not necessarily known as a speed guy, but a 4.41 40 at 5-10 196 could have moved him up into the 2^nd round. He ran over an entire tenth of a second faster than teammate Javier Arenas, who was always known as the speed gu

The other Alabama corner, Jackson is the better of the two in terms of potential at the cornerback position, though he doesn’t have Arenas’ kick returning abilities. Jackson would be the best fit in a bump and run scheme at the next level where his size 6-0 200 and physicality will reign over his projected poor 40 time. In the right scheme, he’s a #2 corner.

7. Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt) 77                          

3/2/10: Kind of like Chris Cook, a cornerback with free safety size who had questions about his athleticism and speed. A 40 time alone won’t kill all of those concerns, but a 4.45 at 6-2 203 certainly helps as he tries to get drafted on day 2.

Suffers from the Sean Smith dilemma, is he a big, slow corner or just a safety. How NFL scouts answer that question could be the difference between 2^nd and 3^rd-4^th round for him. It may help him some that Sean Smith did a decent job in his first year as a starter this year for the Miami Dolphins. The 6-3 205 Lewis had 169 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 5 sacks, and 10 picks in his 4 year career at Vanderbilt.

 

8. Domonique Franks (Oklahoma) 75

A bit of a surprise entry into the NFL draft after two years as a starting cornerback for Oklahoma, Franks played in the shadow of Oklahoma’s offense for 2 years, but is very good, especially athletically in his own right. Whether he puts his athleticism together and becomes something in the NFL is a question that has not yet been answered.

9. Devin McCourty (Rutgers) 74            

3/2/10: Had the fastest (official) 40 time of any defensive back (though tape suggests Taylor Mays did run faster and the Combine measurers just messed up) running a 4.34 at 5-11 193. He could be the Raiders’ pick in the top of the 2^nd round and he could actually go higher than that. He was impressive in the Senior Bowl and combine drills as well.

1/27/10: Not very big, but he really is scrappy and hustles on the field in a big way. He covers very well and also can kick into a zone style scheme.

What McCourty lacks in size, 5-11 190, he makes up for in heart. He doesn’t do one thing particularly well, but he should fit into any scheme as a #2 guy.

10. Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State) 74

Good size, 6-0 195, and hands, 10 picks in 4 years, but unless he improves his man skills better he’s nothing more than a nickelback or free safety in a man scheme. He has better potential in a zone scheme though and he’s also a good kick returner, though not Javier Arenas esque. His 4 years of experience at the position are both a plus and a minus because he has the experience, but you’d think that for his athleticism, after 4 years of a position, he’d be a much better shutdown corner, which he is not. 

11. Syd’Quan Thomspon (California) 73

He’s ready for the NFL right now as a nickelback, but he lacks the upside, athleticism, and coverage skills to be a future starting cornerback. He is 5-9 and could run a 40 in the 4.5s which could drop him into the 4^th round. He also returns punts well.

12. Walter Thurmond (Oregon) 72

He was a future 1^st round prospect in 2007 after 103 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5 picks, 1 touchdown, and 18 pass breakups. However, he has had a ton of injury issues since then. He played alright through injury in 2008, but only managed to play 4 games last year thanks to a bum knee. He didn’t work out at the combine which shows he may still not be healthy, but when healthy he’s an amazing talent. He was the most promising young corner in the country as a freshman in 2006 as well as a sophomore in 2007.

13. Patrick Robinson (Florida State) 71                         

1/30/10: You have to take Robinson’s good game with a grain of salt, because he only seems to play well when people who can give him money are watching, but it was a good game nonetheless. He showed his excellent footwork and size and was probably the best cover corner in the game. He almost had 2 interceptions as well, though both were just out of his reach.

All of the athletic skills in the world, but there’s a rumor going around that he hasn’t been playing hard in college because he’s worried about not getting hurt and ruining his NFL career. That’s not a good sign. He was good in the Senior Bowl and Combine, but I believe he was just playing for money there. If he actually tries in the NFL, he’s a first round prospect, but I have some concerns about whether or not he’ll do that.

14. Jerome Murphy (South Florida) 70

A good corner with good size, and long arms, who plays vertically, but his cover skills need some work and he doesn’t have good recovery speed.

15. CB Rafael Priest (TCU) 67

3/15/10: Didn’t run because of his foot injury. He’s still a favorite sleeper of mine, but I was expecting his foot to be healed by now.

He did an excellent job as a shutdown #1 corner for TCU. He played in 11 games and had 6 pass deflections, but only had 18 tackles. There are two ways you could possibly explain how he played that many games and had that few tackles, one, he let every receiver he guarded go for a touchdown, or two, quarterbacks rarely completed passes on him. Two is the most logical answer and it is the correct one. He didn’t have the toughest competition, but he shutdown everyone he faced. There are some concerns, how will he adjust to more athletic NFL corners, especially since Priest’s athleticism doesn’t jump off the page. He’s also small and not good against the run, but you can definitely see the upside here. He reminds me a lot of Quincy Butler, a former TCU cornerback, now of the St. Louis Rams. In his first season in the NFL, after bouncing around practice squads for years, Butler was a very good shutdown corner for the Rams this year, though in limited playing time, as opposing quarterbacks went 11 for 25 for 145 yards and a touchdown against him this year.

16. Chris Cook (Virginia) 65                               

3/2/10: He has free safety size, but he’s looked like a natural corner in this draft preseason, impressing as a big corner in the Senior Bowl and during Senior Bowl practices. A 4.43 40 surprised me a ton at 6-2 212 and is just the cherry on top for a guy who is quietly moving himself up very quickly. He could be a 3^rd rounder.

1/30/10: I was confused about why he was invited to this game, but he proved me wrong making some nice plays and being a very tough physical cover guy. He’s still a tweener, not fluid enough to play cornerback, but not quite big enough at 6-1 210 to be a free safety, but I can see him getting drafted in the late rounds.

He’s a bit of a tweener as a free safety and a cornerback, too small for safety, not fluid enough to play safety, but he has good upside at two positions.

17. Trevard Lindley (Kentucky) 64

3/2/10: Only benched 9 reps of 225 pounds and had a 4.53 40 at 5-11 183, but he was one of the worst cornerbacks in the cornerback drills. He has really disappointed in this draft preseason and has fallen from one of my favorite underrated prospects, to a 4^th or 5^th round guy

1/27/10: Whether it be his injuries that are still plaguing him or whatever, this is not the same guy we saw at Kentucky in 2007 and 2008. He looked like a stick figure at his weigh in and was 2 inches shorter than what he was listed at in college and he really has looked out matched by almost every wide receiver he has faced this week and has had a really hard time breaking out of the jam at the line of scrimmage, which is not a surprise because of his extreme lack of bulk.

He was one of my favorite cornerbacks in 2008 and could have been a 1^st round pick, but then he got hurt this season and was never the same. His shutdown skills were strongly lacking this year and his athleticism is pretty bad. He’s very skinny and pretty slow and has looked really bad in everything he has done in this draft Pre-Season, but I still see some upside in him. I still see some of the player I loved in him so this is a wishful 4^th round grade.

18. Crezdon Butler (Clemson) 63

3/2/10: A very impressive 4.41 at 6-0 191, plus he did well in his positional drills, which I find to be the most important thing from him as a late round prospect.

A fairly standard cornerback who should be a good depth guy at the next level, but he’s pretty skinny and doesn’t do anything extremely well. He’s a solid pick.

19. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (IUPUI) 61

4/9/10: First of all, how did his parents name him, hit random keys on a keyboard (or typewriter, considering his birth date)? Second of all, there’s an Indiana in Pennsylvania? What? All that aside, AOA is a very athletic cornerback with good speed and amazing kick returning ability. His 4.31 40 time, a major improvement over his 4.43 from the Combine, shows more of that amazing speed we were expecting from him. He could get drafted in the 4th on upside and he’s certainly one of the more intriguing small school mid round prospects. He averaged 29.7 yards per return on kick returns last year and 12.5 yards per return on punt returns. He also scored 5 special team touchdowns.

Could be a decent nickel corner with his speed and good hands, but if he’s drafted, it’ll be as a kick returner first and a depth cornerback second. He scored 5 special teams touchdowns last year and ranked among the best in the league in both kick and punt return yards. He had 8 picks in 2008 though, but only 2 last year.

20. Amari Spievey (Iowa) 59

If you’re looking for a cornerback you’ve never heard of that could go in the 2^nd rounder, this guy is your guy. Several teams, including reportedly the Falcons, have given him a first round grade, which means we could see him go off the board a lot higher than we expect. He could also fall into the 5^th because of the depth of this cornerback class. That’s how deep the class is. I will be fairly conservative with his grade because I think he lacks elite coverage skills.

21. AJ Jefferson (Fresno State) 57

An athletic freak that caught many people’s eyes at the Combine, including Mike Mayock, who said he could be a 3^rd rounder when it’s all said and done. I love his physical upside, 6-0, long arms, 44 inch vertical, a 4.43 40 and I have no doubt that he could be a good cornerback in the league someday, but the key word is could. At the very worst, he’s a #3 or #4 cornerback who can help on special teams. He’s very similar to Antoine Cason.  

22. Jordan Pugh (Texas A&M) 56

A three year starter against some of the toughest quarterbacks and wide receivers in the college game and he has held his own against some talented receivers. He isn’t a true shutdown guy, but he should be rated higher than most scouts, who put too much value on interceptions, have him. He only has 4 career picks.

23. Patrick Stoudamire (Western Illinois) 53

For my exclusive interview with Patrick Stoudamire, click here.

24. Alterraun Verner (UCLA) 53

25. David Pender (Purdue) 50

26. LeRoy Vann (Florida A&M) 49

27. Walter McFadden (Auburn) 49

28. Kevin Thomas (USC) 46

29. Devin Ross (Arizona) 44

30. Chris Hawkins (LSU) 42

31. Mike Newton (Buffalo) 41

32. Bryan McCann (SMU) 41

 

Cormac Eklof is an avid New England Patriots fan and creator of ‘Boston Irish’, primarily a Red Sox and Patriots blog.

He has compiled a 129-46 record pitching for the Dublin Hurricanes in the Irish baseball league and has pitched for the Irish National baseball team since 1996. He played three years in the Irish American football league as Quarterback for the DCU Saints, where they never called late hits on the Quarterback. He does not like hard tackling Middle Linebackers.

       Email: cormac.arthur.eklof@gmail.com

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