2015 Draft Class: Cornerbacks

[keithjackson]

This year's cornerback class is very risky. Trae Waynes will likely be gone before we pick, and the three best corners left all have major areas of concern: an ACL injury (Ifo Ekpre-Olomu), limited experience (Jalen Collins), and physical limitations (PJ Williams). (You can add a team dismissal (Marcus Peters), and a basketball player (Quentin Rollins) in there too.) The value will be in the second round as one of those players probably fall. There's not much worthwhile in the mid rounds, but there are a few late round keepers under-the-radar.


Here are my favorite cornerbacks in each round...




1st Round - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu#14, ORE
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is a gunslinger. And the best corner in the draft. If it weren't for the ACL, he would be considered a blue chip prospect. He can cover and tackle, has good size (5'10 195) and excellent technique, is versatile and NFL-ready (when healthy); he's basically the "Amari Cooper" of DBs. Powerful legs, good in pursuit/run support, and an excellent open field tackler. Extremely disruptive at the moment of the catch due to immaculate timing. He is truly elite in the redzone, positioning himself perfectly in tight situtations. If he had/develops more quickness, he would project a HOF career.


[video]http://www.draftbreakdown.com/video-embed/?clip=247506 [/video]
Others to watch ORE: Arik Armstead DL, Derrick Malone OLB, Oregon State: Sean Mannion QB, Brandin Cooks WR






2nd Round - PJ Williams #25, FSU
Attack! Attack! Attack! PJ Williams is the toughest CB in the draft. Good size (6'0 195), tenacious, and has a killer instinct. His tackling stands out; if he grabs you, you're not gaining another inch. Excels in run support, can shed blocks, and muscle through traffic. Blitz machine. Excellent timing and recognition. Will go in the first, but I give him a second round grade because will need time to develop on the perimeter, and will never become an "island". Ultimately, he is the ideal nickel, which is a starting position these days.


[video=youtube_share;mJHeu-Q4gBE]http://youtu.be/mJHeu-Q4gBE[/video]
Others to watch LOU: Devante Parker, FSU: Ronald Darby CB, Eddie Goldman DT, Mario Edwards Jr DE.






3rd Round - Kevin White #25, TCU
One of the stars of the Senior bowl, he propelled himself into the mid rounds. Smart and disciplined, he will be an excellent cover corner for 75% of the WRs he'll line up against. Struggles with exceptionally speedy or shifty WRs. Good against big receivers. Has an excellent swivel, losing no speed when making adjustments. Only 5'10 175, he's weak in run support. Depending on his Combine vertical, he may be this draft's Brent Grimes. (Watch him hold WVU's Kevin White to 3/28 in the video.)


[video=youtube_share;T6Rk82OIT-g]http://youtu.be/T6Rk82OIT-g[/video]
Others to watch WVU: Kevin White WR, TCU: Paul Dawson LB, Chucky Hunter DT.








4th Round - Charles Gaines #3, Louisville
Originally a WR, he uses those skills when he plays CB. One of the best coverage corners in the draft, he's fast, with long limbs. Very fluid athlete. WR's ball skills and awareness, constantly making plays on the ball. A playmaker, has scored a touchdown via reception, kickoff return, blocked punt and INT. Excellent as a gunner on special teams. Also has a WR's drawbacks; he's slight at 5'11 175, and has very little muscle. He has the toughness to make the tackle, but lacks the strength. When he bulks up, he will be a quality starter. He is basically an awesome version of Will Davis.


[video=youtube_share;r7f15PRMDeM]http://youtu.be/r7f15PRMDeM[/video]








5th Round - Eric Rowe Utah
Nice size (6'1 204), toughness, and command for the position. Powerful hitter and tackler. Can jam and disrupt WRs on the LOS and on slot/crossing routes. When he is in position to make the play, he does. May have trouble being in position, not super fast and not the best in man coverage. A three year starter at free safety, he may convert back. However, for the right team, he'll be a baller.


[video]http://www.draftbreakdown.com/video-embed/?clip=247506 [/video]
Others to watch Michigan: Devin Funchess WR, Utah: Nate Orchard DE








6th Round - Damien Swann #5, Georgia
At first his tape looks like it's in fast forward. He plays quick and tall (6'0 180). Uses his arms extremely well, a wrap up tackler who sheds blocks better than most. His hands (ball skills) are pretty good too. Athletic, naturally understands how to use his body. Biggest weakness is perhaps reflexes. Looks like an NFL player, with potential to be a starting-quality cover corner. The hidden gem of group, he will be one of the draft's biggest steals on the third day.


[video=youtube_share;alreaQlU3U8]http://youtu.be/alreaQlU3U8[/video]
Others to watch Nebraska :Ameer Abdullah RB, Georgia: Ramik Wilson, Amarlo Herrera ILBs.








7th Round - Donald Celiscar #34, Western Michigan
Aggressive, fiery, and always finding a way to get his nose involved in the play, Donald Celiscar will play on Sundays. Very productive, influences everything on the field. He's a lunch pail player who displays good technique in his tackling and angles. He's 5'11 197, runs in the 4.5s, and I'm curious what his arms measure because he also uses them really well. Better at run support than covering the slot. Potential to be outmuscled and outrun. Perhaps another safety convert.


[video=youtube_share;KNcXR7HgbEY]http://youtu.be/KNcXR7HgbEY[/video]
Others to watchMichigan State: Connor Cook QB, Jeremy Langford RB, Tony Lippett WR.

 

[ChambersWI]

Class is very boom or bust. If Marcus Peters didn't have issues with coaches he'd probably be my top corner. In fairness to him he did go to his coaches at UDub after the season and apologized. He's never been arrested or had issues off the field, but when your issues are with coaches it's a problem.

I know hoops says Waynes is not a scheme fit, but I disagree. Think he's talented enough to play any scheme.

Rollins is getting first round love. I'd take a flyer on him in the 2nd but he's a project for sure.

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

If medical checks out Im running the card up if Ifo is there at 47 thats for sure.

I think Waynes could play in our scheme…but he's best suited for press. Im not a fan of taking a kid that high and then making him do something other than what he is best at..thats a recipe for disaster.

Rollins getting hyped up is no surprise…he has ideal build and freakish athletic skills. Reminds me of Vontae Davis in that regard…with only 1 year of college football he is extremely raw though…not sure you can count on him being a starter early.

Im definitely intrigued by Marcus Peters, even with the incident…Jalen Collins, and PJ Williams.

 

[xXwarXx]

I like both FSU corners quite a bit. Darby especially is a guy I think well target.

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

I like both FSU corners quite a bit. Darby especially is a guy I think well target.

PJ looks like a step in start day 1 Nickel…I like him a lot there. Not sure on the outside though.

 

[Fintastic2124]

There's a guy from FIU or FAU I forgot his name. Good head on his shoulders and very fast and disciplined. Like his game.

 

[hoops]

Quentin rollins in the first round is too rich...he doesnt have vontae davis level physical tools to validate it...davis was a burst and explosion player...rollins isnt that level physically gifted...not vontae level

 

[datruth55]

Quentin rollins in the first round is too rich...he doesnt have vontae davis level physical tools to validate it...davis was a burst and explosion player...rollins isnt that level physically gifted...not vontae level

We don't really need a Vontae Davis though, right? Vontae's a press cover corner and we play mostly off coverage. From the few CBs I've seen Ekpre-Olomu is the perfect fit. I wasn't impressed with Jalen Collins athough LSU played more off man coverage than I thought.

---------- Post added at 12:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:59 AM ----------

There's a guy from FIU or FAU I forgot his name. Good head on his shoulders and very fast and disciplined. Like his game.

D'Joun Smith from FAU. I think he may be too slow.

 

[I am Bane]

CBs... I am still up and down on many...

Quentin Rollins I like a lot, but definintely not first round... 2/3 for him, great athlete with a lot of ability. I'm waiting to see him in the combine more... see his speed, running ability, and hips more.

Jaelin Collins also I am waiting for combine for same reasons. He doesnt have much experience and tape overall... but is intriguing.

Ifo may be the only guy that I definitely am solid on, but not first round once again... injury is there

Waynes I think would be a great pick and can be worked into our scheme... he can cover, is athletic, tackles well, just gotta work with him and he seems very coachable.

PJ Williams I have question marks on... kinda becoming more sketched out on him. but still looking into it.

Imoan Claiborne, I gotta look into more still too.... but late late round possability? could have some ability and is said to be hard working and very coachable.

 

[datruth55]

CBs... I am still up and down on many...

Quentin Rollins I like a lot, but definintely not first round... 2/3 for him, great athlete with a lot of ability. I'm waiting to see him in the combine more... see his speed, running ability, and hips more.

Jaelin Collins also I am waiting for combine for same reasons. He doesnt have much experience and tape overall... but is intriguing.

Ifo may be the only guy that I definitely am solid on, but not first round once again... injury is there

Waynes I think would be a great pick and can be worked into our scheme... he can cover, is athletic, tackles well, just gotta work with him and he seems very coachable.

PJ Williams I have question marks on... kinda becoming more sketched out on him. but still looking into it.

Imoan Claiborne, I gotta look into more still too.... but late late round possability? could have some ability and is said to be hard working and very coachable.

If you haven't gotten a look at Charles Gaines he's a fit too I think. Good looking kid. Damian Swann's not a bad prospect either.

 

[xXwarXx]

PJ looks like a step in start day 1 Nickel…I like him a lot there. Not sure on the outside though.

Ive watched more of Darby than PJ, Its hard to imagine Darby doesn't become a pretty good NFL DB. He just moves extremely well. Plays super confident, which at that position is an incredibly important trait.

 

[I am Bane]

Ight..... spent a lot of time watching film and figuring out my thoughts on CBs a bit.... here they are:

Trae Waynes- Michigan St.: good athlete who runs well with, he uses length and leverage well, gets to the inside well, can be a lock down defender with great ball skills, needs to use hands more in press, and though said to be press and strong he doesnt play very physical or seem strong, especially with his thin frame, tackling needs work. I like him and he seems very coachable to fit our needs in our scheme... I want to see him in the combine with his overall hips and quickness.

Kevin Johnson- Wake Forest: great footwork, runs well with and has great long speed and quickness, uses his hands well too, great hips and flexability and great route awareness, he has a nose for the ball to go tackle and make plays but isnt strong and is EXTREMELY thin frame.... needs to add strength, definitely in the lower body... he is wiry. great instincts, and seems to play with an attitude that can be positive and/or negative

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu- Oregon: thicker solid build and good against the run but doesnt get off blocks well, his footwork is decent, but has great break on the ball with good route awareness, seems to be a very hard worker with a good motor, not sure if he is an overall athlete... has very nice speed but overall long speed? solid prospect here

Quinten Rollins- Miami (Ohio): very nice feet and changes directions well with great hips, he has great ball skills and finds it well in air, needs to use his hands more as well as work on his overall technique, route awareness needs improvement and he seems to get beat inside often, im not sure on his overall acceleration either especially in recovery.... great athlete with definite ability to cover man to man as well as make plays on the ball.

Jalen Collins- LSU: athlete, very fast and runs well with long speed, backpedaling is off and he isnt quick out of it as well as not quick off of the line (could be due to recognition) but his footwork isnt the best, needs to use his hands more, he is a very good tackler against the run... seems raw but has a lot of ability and a great athlete.

Steven Nelson- Oregon St.: awesome hips and feet, awesome acceleration and runs well with, he is always on the WR and has great route awareness, great ball skills and is great at getting his hands on the ball aggressively, at 5'10'' 199 he plays bigger and physical... tackling wise it seems like he wants too but needs a lot of work on it, doesnt get off blocks well either.... I like this kid a lot, seems like a workhorse too and a great mid-round draft pick.

Jacoby Glenn- Central Florida: has great hips and quickness, and is very explosive with great burst, he has great ball skills as well and makes plays, he plays physical with a good frame and is a good tackler, his technique and recognition needs work, needs to learn the position more, and he backpedals high and is slow out of his breaks, off balance sometimes too.... someone to keep an eye on possibly later rounds

Imoan Claiborne- North Western St.: very physical player, very physical sure tackler, and adds a pop to the chest into WRs and into blocks, has good route awareness and reaction and an amazing motor on all types of plays, he has very good ball skills as well, the questions are his footwork and hips needing work, and whats his overall speed and acceleration?... i like this kid a lot, could be a very late round draft pick to maybe undrafted.... he is said to be very coachable, and i liked what he did a lot in the Senior Bowl drills and all.

Kevin White- TCU: very quick and a very smooth runner with great hips, he runs well with and can lock down WRs, problem is obvious with his size and huge lack in length he can lose those battles easy, though he can jump and make plays on the ball, he will let up a lot against bigger WRs, and I question his overall route awareness too... he is a willing tackler. ... still is a great prospect who had a great showing at Senior Bowl... and talk to the WR Kevin White about him too.

Marcus Peters- Washington: he is very physical and uses his hands well, can turn and run well with, seems to have great speed and quickness, has very good recognition too, but his footwork is okay and needs work on technique, he obviously has the red flags and small sample size in Washington this year... seems to also not have a motor, and plays slow on plays, maybe giving up.

PJ Williams- Florida St.: another thick physical player who uses his hands well, he is very aggressive especially against the run he is good, he runs well with and can smother WRs, he has very good ball skills as well, he seems to lack consistent effort as well as runs high on the WRs not reading overly well and allowing double moves and comebacks to beat him easier... seems like he only would be best in press coverage too.

Ronald Darby- Florida St.: not a physical player at all, has very nice speed hips and great backpedal, seems like an athlete, but route awareness is poor with lacking in footwork and technique, he doesnt have the best ball skills either.

Charles Gaines- Louisville: running game and his tackling is quite poor, he is fast and is a runner with great hips, and he runs well with, he seems to have very good route awareness and has good ball skills and good hands to make plays, his footwork is not so good though.... very small frame he brings as well. not overly experienced at CB due to being a WR and it shows... doesnt cover properly quite often, but looks more to make catches on the ball.

Alex Carter- Stanford: his footwork is odd, he takes weird steps wasting a lot of movement at times, he is physical and aggressive though with good length and a good frame, once again i dont like his footwork and i am not sure on his overall speed and acceleration. doesnt seem to recover well.

D'Joun Smith- Florida Atlantic: very quick feet, great recovery speed and acceleration, great footwork, great hips and burst... very good athlete here, plays physical too, he doesnt find the ball well though, and doesnt have great route recognition.... seems very raw and a work in progress but has ability to play... i need to see a lot more film on him

Ladarius Gunter- Miami: 6'1'' 200 but does not seem to play physical at all, seems slow with a high long stride (unless he is turning and running with), slow footwork, his ball skills are poor and cant get his head around to find the ball, in zone he seems to be very patient though and makes good reads aggressively at the ball... not overly fond of him after watching much tape.

Lorenzo Doss- Tulane: very quick feet and he reads and reacts extremely well, ball skills are very good too, but his overall speed and acceleration i question, he tends to play behind WRs and try to make plays on balls instead of man, he will tackle but needs to wrap up more. ... i need to see more on him too, but he is said to be a ball hawk with a lot of int.

Josh Shaw- USC: very physical frame and he uses it, very smart and patient in zone and seems reliable out there, very aggressive to the ball and uses his hands well to make plays on it, his hips are just okay, his speed and acceleration seem okay... he played a lot of CB and Safety, and I am not sure which one he seems to fit more in, but I might be saying Safety... I would like to see more on him.

Quandre Diggs- Texas: this guy just seems average at best in everything (if not below average) hips, speed, athletic, footwork.... whatever, though he does seem to be a smart player with good technique.... i dont think his ability is going to thrive in the NFL

Doran Grant- Ohio State: very physical towards the ball, reads very well and plays great against the run, recognition at the line and in routes seem very good, his hips speed and feet seem poor though, he plays very high, footwork isnt great with his balance, not sure what upside he brings.... i think what you see is what you get.

Senquez Golden- Ole Miss: mini mini man but thick frame and seems strong, plays strong, great feet and footwork, has an explosive burst and is aggressive at the ball, his mechanics and ball skills are very poor though, seems to make poor decisions, leaves his responsibilities in zones, lets up big plays.... undisciplined, I wouldnt touch.


these arent in any necessary order, just my thoughts from what I saw.... what are your thoughts???

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

Nick Marshall intrigues me a lot in the later rounds. Excellent build and looked really fluid at he Sr. Bowl. Quick twitch athlete…I think he has a ton of potential but your going to have to sit on him for a year at least to develop.

 

[I am Bane]

these guys are running and in drills in the combine now.... thoughts on many CBs are above

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

There are some corners with nice size in this draft that would seem to fit what Miami needs. I love Quinten Rollins, but not at #14. If Miami finds a trading partner and moves down in round 1, I could see Rollins, Jalen Collins and Kevin Johnson being targets. IEO in round two would be nice. He's much more like Grimes as a player.

There are two wildcards to me. One is Trae Waynes and the other is Shaq Thompson. Lots of debate on this site as to whether Waynes is a fit. That's a good concern, but if he's there at #14 I could definitely see the Dolphins taking him. I could also see the team going to more press coverage, which Waynes fits.

In terms of Thompson, there's just so many creative things you can do with him. He could be that hybrid safety/linebacker enabling Miami to go to a 4-2-5 base defense.