IRVING, Texas – With the NFL Draft just one short day away, here are some of the cornerbacks that to keep an eye on:
· DJ Hayden Houston
Was way too late on this guy, but happy I got there before this draft….quick pedal and transition….plays to the short side of the field…can get off blocks and make tackles…plays square the majority of the time…can adjust and handle routes that break outside…doesn't give the receiver much room at all…drives well on the ball…has quickness to spin out of trouble…is in the position to make plays on the ball…works to stay in position…has a burst to close on the ball…does a really nice job of staying off the receiver in coverage when the ball comes his direction…position…relaxed backpedal…has the speed to catch up…hard guy to run away from…can be physical in the press…can slow the receiver down if he gets his hands on him…not many wasted steps…can cut off the slant…with his back to his man can play the fade…knows how to play the ball in the air…best trait is his ability to play the slot…will drive on the cross…not many areas that are poor in his game…
· Darius Slay Mississippi State
Plays as the field corner….plays a sideways technique to funnel receivers inside…will step up and tackle…able to turn and adjust to the receiver on the move…can adjust in his route…had a nice interception against Auburn by adjusting in front of the receiver…shows quick reactions…gets his head around quickly…miss played a ball against Justin Hunter of Tennessee but for the most part is in good position…plays with a burst…able to run down Patterson on a reverse…will use his hands to get off blocks…saw the ability to wrap up as a tackler but also had a couple of plays where he was a block down guy…will play tight in coverage and not allow much separation in route but needed to be stronger against Patterson when he let him push off on a corner route in the red zone…makes quick turns…will drive on the ball when he sees it…plays with awareness…has quick feet…can stay in position up the field…reacts well out of the zone…likes to undercut routes…has confidence in his ability…beautiful play against LSU when he adjusted between two receivers, spun to the outside and knocked the ball out of the receiver's hands to save a touchdown…doesn't bite on the double move…plays with a great deal of feel to his game…would not call him a gambler but he makes some plays where you think he has no shot and he pulls it off…has the ability to be a very early selection on the second day…
· Blidi Wreh-Wilson Connecticut
Looks like he has some size on tape…not afraid to throw his body around…will drive forward and tackle…will wrap up for the most part but there were a couple of times where he did miss in space and off the edge…plays as the short side corner…not in the mold of foot quickness like Slay or Hayden but more physical than the two…will take on blockers to defend the screen…can sink in the zone and do the job…will read the route and react to the ball…able to knock the ball away against Rutgers…have seen him take correct angles when he playing the ball…will play with a sideways technique but have seen him adjust to the ball to the outside…can keep the receiver from his route when he gets his hands on them…will fight for the ball down the field…not as smooth in his movements but again, physical…have seen him undercut routes like in the South Florida game and get in good position but the ball was thrown too high on the goal line…best when he can play in zone coverage…can sink and react…kind of like the corners that the Bears have technique wise in this scheme…have seen good tackling but has also some misses…like how physical he is…
· David Amerson North Carolina State
Played at left cornerback for the Wolfpack….is a low tackler when he gets the chance…doesn't like the physical side of the game…not an aggressive tackler at all…is a ride down tackler…gave up touchdowns at a high rate in the games I studied…against Tennessee got caught looking in the backfield and Patterson ran an out and up on him and he never reacted and when he did, he couldn't catch up…had another play where he did a poor job and showed no awareness of not seeing the receiver in his zone and not even reacting to him for another touchdown…tends to let receivers get inside of him on the slant…jumped outside in coverage for no reason and the ball went inside for another touchdown…tends to drift in zone coverage…will struggle in press coverage because he doesn't want to be physical…doesn't try to jam…gave up a touchdown against Miami on a "9" route when he missed with his hands and the receiver went vertical on him…gets blocked a lot….struggles to disengage….looks like he is always reaching for the tackle…don't see him throw his body in there…numbers say that he was a ball hawk but I honestly didn't see it…people project him to play safety but hard to play the position when he freelance and make mental mistakes plus he is an awful tackler….going to let someone else be a hero here, select him and prove me wrong….
