CORNERBACKS
Teez Tabor, Florida, #31
Game Film Evaluated:
Missouri (2016)
Florida State (2016)
Arkansas (2016)
Vanderbilt (2016)
Summary: Plays off coverage, comfortable in zone and will attack the ball. Good ball skills and will go for it if the QB stares down receivers. Not a press corner, does not use his hands well to knock receivers off their routes. Extremely passive corner, not physical against receivers and plays off at times. Poor tackler and cannot get off blocks from receivers. He does not seem interested in playing the run. He has good speed but plays overly cautious giving lots of cushion at pre snap. His ball skills and aggressive in coverage is impressive. Teez Tabor is a puzzling prospect, his ball skills are amongst the best in the class. However the rest of his game is poor and there is reason for concern if he can provide the level of man coverage to stick with NFL receivers to live with his flaws. He does not challenge receivers at the line and gives cushion which will be turned into easy receptions and out muscled by NFL receivers constantly. He may need to make a position change in the NFL to free safety but his poor tackling becomes a major concern there as well. He has first round ball skills and athleticism to be a starting corner but his overall game has scars that may limit his ability to ever reach his potential. Member of the All-Knucklehead team due to failed drug tests and had a reported run in with a teammate in practice. Third round grade.
Tre-Davious White, LSU, #16
Game Film Evaluated:
Florida (2016)
Texas A&M (2016)
Wisconsin (2016)
Mississippi State (2015)
Summary: He can be out muscled by physical receivers. He has excellent speed, ability to flip his hips and run with ease. Extremely vulnerable to inside routes, he struggles when receivers attempt to cross his face on post and in routes, he will get beat and often. He has the short area quickness. He can go up and challenge passes in the air. Poor hands and will drop interceptions when in position. The tools are there to be a more than adequate corner in the NFL but he is only potential at this point. Tre-Davious White went to the Senior Bowl and was out played by corners from smaller schools which sums up his career, tremendous potential but too often the ability does not meet the production. Fourth round prospect who has first round ability but he plays like a backup.
Damontae Kazee, San Diego State, #23
Game Film Evaluated:
San Jose State (2015)
Summary: Extremely fast and aggressive corner. He has top notch athleticism for the position but is a bit on the smaller side. However he does not play like a undersized corner, he can tackle like a safety and attacks the ball in the air even on inside routes. He goes through the receiver to the ball and does not play a passive game at all. He will make the interception when in position. He got 15 INTs over the past two seasons and he returned punts in college. Damontae Kazee is a fine cover corner and natural playmaker who will make plays based on his athleticism and style of play which project well to the next level. He will be out matched against taller receivers due to his frame but he will not get out muscled for the ball. He may be limited to a slot nickel corner and punt returner who can stick with quick receivers. He would be a fine nickel corner and someone who could start on the outside on occasion especially with his playmaking ability. Second round grade.
Sidney Jones, Washington, #26
Game Film Evaluated:
Oregon (2016)
USC (2016)
Colorado (2016)
Summary: Strong cover corner who lacks top ball skills but is comfortable in different types of coverage getting the job done. He lines up at the nose of the receiver and will jam them, bail at the snap and play off man. He has a feel for zone coverage and attacks the ball when needed in the run game. He does not turn to locate the ball consistently and that will get him into trouble at the next level. He comes up with interceptions throughout career but those numbers will likely go down at the next level. Fluid hips and has good burst to close when beaten initially. He was not tested often in 2016, most of the action went to opposite on games observed. Sidney Jones isn’t an elite cover corner but he is solid in all areas, would prefer a bit more playmaking ability but he is a starter in the NFL who is a solid #2 corner. Update: Sidney Jones ruptured his achilles during his pro day workout in early March and will likely miss his rookie season. Mid second round grade based on film but now a early 4th round grade.
Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State, #2
Game Film Evaluated:
Penn State (2016)
Oklahoma (2016)
Michigan (2016)
Clemson (2016)
Summary: Top level man cover corner. Below average tackler who looks to give a shoulder but rarely wrap up with his arms. Awful at getting off blocks from receivers, he will get completely blown out of the play and turn a short play into a big play. Top level ball skills who can make the difficult INT and he looks to make a play on the ball. A bit over aggressive and always plays on the line. He has the athleticism of a small corner and may not be as tall in reality as reported in the media guide. He can be beaten on inside releases, was beaten for a TD on this against Michigan. Marshon Lattimore is a supreme man coverage corner, you will be disappointed in the rest of his game but ask him to stick to a receiver in man coverage and he can do that better than most. He can recover when beaten and looks to make a play on the ball and come away with the difficult catch. He needs to keep his hands off as he transitions to the pros. He will disappoint you if ask to tackle, get off blocks from receivers. First round grade with some red flags to his game but can’t knock what he does well and thats covering receivers which is the primary job for the position.
Marlon Humphrey, Alabama, #26
Game Film Evaluated:
Tennessee (2016)
Texas A&M (2016)
Clemson (2016)
Summary: Very physical corner. Good frame for the position and likes to use his hands on receivers at the line and muscle them downfield. He can get his hands into the receivers grip when trying to make the catch but he does not locate the ball and make a play on it when in the air especially in man coverage. Extremely strong tackler, he will blow up receivers with good form tackling. He has good athleticism to stick in coverage and speed to stay on the deep pass. He is not the most fluid corner and will struggle against undersized quick receivers but his press physical style should match that granted he always plays on the outside. Marlon Humphrey is a very good corner but needs to go to the correct scheme to utilize his talents properly. A scheme that favors physical taller corners who will out muscle receivers who are not afraid to make tackles on the outside. Second round grade but needs to go to a scheme that prefers zone coverage primarily and has a lot of taller receivers in the division to match up well against.
Rasul Douglas, West Virginia, #13
Game Film Evaluated:
Oklahoma (2016)
Iowa State (2016)
Summary: Ideal frame with tall height and good frame and top speed to go along with it. He has a knack for turnovers, he can knock the ball out from backs and receivers and then come away with the INT when in position. Plays with a bit of a tight hips which is expected for someone with his size. He needs to improve his technique getting press at the line and not let receivers cross his face and get a clean release off the line. He lacks the elite recovery speed and has a bit of a stride to recover when beaten. Adequate tackler but there is room for improvement. Rasul Douglas is one of the top potential prospects in the entire draft with his size and speed combination along with the ability to cause turnovers. He will get overdrafted as a result of that IMO but he is a good player, just not a great one at this point. He will need time and patience from whoever drafts him and would benefit if he wasn’t asked to start as a rookie in the top pair. Fast forward a couple of years and he might be one of the best in the league against the bigger more physical receivers. Second round grade based on potential.
Howard Wilson, Houston, #6
Game Film Evaluated:
San Diego State (2016)
Cincinnati (2016)
Summary: Very comfortable in zone coverage. He has smooth hips and quickness in his backpedal and able to transition to close on the ball with speed. Very good ball skills, he plays with tremendous awareness on the field to attack the ball and make the difficult catch. He attacks the action in the run game, not a finesse defender. He was not a physical press corner and very rarely saw time in man coverage. He has good speed but there are questions about his deep speed and able to show fluid hips in man coverage. Although he is a aggressive tackler, he is only an average tackler and needs to break down better in space versus always going low. Howard Wilson is a very good but limited prospect projecting to the next level. He is one of the best zone cover corners in the draft who is one of the most comfortable to create turnovers. However he is not an experienced man cover corner and there remain to be questions about his ability to stick in man coverage and protect against the deep pass. He needs to go to a zone heavy scheme but has competent safety play to give him over the top help. Very good player and 2nd round grade.
Fabian Moreau, UCLA, #10
Game Film Evaluated:
Stanford (2016)
Virginia (2015)
Summary: Good size with adequate speed and comfortable in both zone and man coverage. He has some stiffness to his hips but he has good physical style of play in man coverage. He likes to get his hands on receivers at the line and downfield. He has got to learn to keep his hands off the receiver downfield or he will get called for penalties all day in the pros. He doesn’t turn to locate the ball consistently but he is able to provide some close coverage. Fabian Moreau is not a lockdown corner but he is comfortable in both coverage and he can provide close coverage on the outside getting physical on receivers. Late 3rd round grade.
Gareon Conley, Ohio State, #8
Game Film Evaluated:
Penn State (2016)
Clemson (2016)
Michigan (2016)
Wisconsin (2016)
Summary: Below average tackler, needs to force the run back inside and not give up the outside. He has very good ball skills and can locate the ball in the air and make a play on it even in man coverage. He’s got good coverage skills, not the most fluid who can change directions quickly. Not physical with receivers in coverage, bigger physical receivers eat up space and position him. He is a gambler in coverage looking to jump routes. He has experience blitzing and timing it well and finding the gap to shoot through the line. Gareon Conley is a plus man cover corner who will get you interceptions but he is not a complete corner. He is not someone who will knock receivers off their routes and press them at the line. He has some stiffness in his hips which prevent him from staying in tight coverage on in and out routes. He has excellent ball skills who can will go after the ball when in the air. He is below average tackler but he is more than capable of playing good coverage and causing turnovers, he has got to learn to become more physical with receivers or he will get eaten up at the next level. Second round grade, not an elite corner but he would be a fine number 2. UPDATE: He was implicated in an alleged sexual assault in Cleveland just days before the draft. The evidence is unclear but teams will have to determine whether they will invest a high pick in someone implicated in an alleged sexual assault.
Quincy Wilson, Florida, #6
Game Film Evaluated:
Alabama (2016)
Alabama (2016)
Florida State (2016)
UMass (2016)
Missouri (2016)
Summary: Big tall corner. He looks like a safety playing corner. He has ideal size for the position and he has good speed. He can close quickly and attacks the action especially on crossing routes. Taller corners struggle staying low and getting in/out of breaks quickly. He is physical with receivers and doesn’t mind pressing at the line and getting physical with receivers downfield. He can tackle effectively. He will challenge the catch, not necessarily make a play on the ball, he will get his hands into the receivers grasp and break it up. Quincy Wilson looks physically imposing as a corner but he lacks the skills to stick with NFL receivers especially the smaller undersized ones. If he stays at corner, it has to be in a press scheme that keeps him on the outside and can live with the completions he will give up if he fails to get a good press at the line. He would be better suited to be a safety and able to cover tight ends and receivers at times. Intriguing player but there is a wide range how he will go depending on the situation he lands in. 3rd round grade.
Jourdan Lewis, Michigan, #26
Game Film Evaluated:
Penn State (2016)
Wisconsin (2016)
Florida State (2016)
Ohio State (2016)
Summary: Good long speed, has some quickness. Sloppy with technique, grabs too much and not good at the LOS getting a press on the receiver. Struggles in transition to turn and run downfield. Poor tackler. He has good catch up speed but burners will go past him. Jourdan Lewis has the tools to be an effective corner but he has to clean up a lot to his game. He needs to improve his technique, work hard to improve his transition, reset his feet to turn and run without losing speed. He needs to get better with his hands at the LOS and especially downfield, he’s a grabber and will get a lot of flags thrown his way. The ball skills are there but doesn’t display them consistently, he tries to knock the pass away instead of picking it off. The INT against Wisconsin will always be on his highlight heel but that is not a accurate description of his game, just one play. He projects to be a secondary corner who should be a good match up outside or might make a good living inside if he can refine his technique. He leaves a bit of his talent just waiting to be found. Just outside the top 100, 4th round grade.
Adoree’ Jackson, USC, #2
Game Film Evaluated:
Stanford (2016)
Washington (2016)
Notre Dame (2016)
Cal (2016)
Summary: There are 2 players when it comes to Adoree’ Jackson, there is the player on defense and then the player not on defense. As a defender, Jackson has plenty of athleticism, quickness and speed to stick with receivers in man coverage. He can line up on the nose of the receiver but fails to get a good press at the LOS nor is he able to redirect and knock them off their routes. He fails to get physical with receivers which will hurt him if he stays on the outside. He is aggressive in run support but not a plus tackler, he gives good effort in this area but will miss tackles. He is not a ball hawk nor a playmaker on defense. He will drop INTs and takes a rather conservative approach in coverage playing off man a lot. He turns into an electric gamebreaker when not on defense in a way that resembles Dante Hall or Devin Hester. He will return kicks, punts and can be used on offense. Adoree’ Jackson will get over drafted due to his game breaking ability but understand the player in the return game is not the same player on defense. Defensively he has the skills to be a starter but he has got to clean up his technique in zone, get physical with receivers at the line, learn how to press and redirect receivers. All the tools are there as a corner but hasn’t matched up to his level as a returner. As a defender, he looks like a 3rd round pick but the return game element can flip a game quickly. Whoever drafts Jackson has got to let him to continue to return kicks and punts, that is part of his game. If they want him to focus soley on defense, he’s a 3rd round grade. He can be justified as a 2nd round grade but only if he continues to improve on defense, put in the work and also utilized as a full time returner.
William Likely, Maryland, #4
Game Film Evaluated:
Ohio State (2015)
Michigan State (2015)
Summary: Elite change of direction ability, he can start and stop on a dime and get to full speed before most players. Very good potential as a returner in both kickoff and punt returns. He plays a physical style at corner, not afraid to mix it up with receivers, taken on blockers and making a tackle. He locates the ball and looks to make a play on it. He lacks top recovery speed when beaten at the line and a tad slow to react in zone coverage. He is best in man coverage. Very fluid hips, he can get in and out of breaks with speed. More quick than fast. William Likely is a plus man cover corner who is severely undersized but he is an ideal nickel corner candidate. Most offenses require a nickel corner most of the time so Likely has starting ability. He could play on the outside in a pinch but taller more physical recivers will give him trouble near the goaline but he will not back down from anyone. He is a good returner, plus man cover corner who looks to make a play on the ball and is competitive player. Late 2nd round grade.
Cameron Sutton, Tennessee, #23
Game Film Evaluated:
Virginia Tech (2016)
Appalachian State (2016)
Alabama (2015)
Summary: Adequate tackler unless a big power back is coming his way, he wanted no part of Derrick Henry. He likes to get his hands on receivers at the line, has good length. He is not a playmaker nor someone who prefers to attack the ball in coverage. His ball awareness improved in 2016, he followed the QB’s eyes in zone coverage and made a great play to get a pick. He is vulnerable to double moves but has some recovery speed. He consistently fails to locate the ball in man coverage, he prefers to play the man. He has a burst to close on the ball, effective defender on screens to make the play before the blockers set up. Quick feet and able to stick with receivers in man coverage on the outside. Average punt returner, not a dynamic threat. Cameron Sutton is a solid cover corner but not plus or elite in any one category. He has good athleticism to stick in coverage but not physical at the line with receivers or able to box them out of position. Bigger more physical receivers will have their way with him. He can make plays on the ball but only in zone coverage. He is a willing tackler unless you are going against a big physical runner, he will make business decisions on them all day. He is a willing punt returner but not a game breaker returning threat. He would be best served as an outside corner who plays against smaller receivers and not big physical possession type threats. Early 3rd round grade.
Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson, #25
Game Film Evaluated:
Virginia Tech (2016)
Troy (2016)
Ohio State (2016)
Summary: He has good athleticism and solid frame. He likes to get his hands on the receiver at the line and downfield a lot. He will have to work on that or he is a flag machine in the NFL. He has the skills to stick in coverage and has good awareness in zone coverage. Average hands as he dropped several INTs on film but then came away with picks vs Va Tech and Ohio State. Poor tackler, he comes up empty way too often even for a corner. He locates the ball and looks to make a play on it in the air. Better in man vs zone coverage. He let receivers get over the top on him bit too often, concern whether he has the long speed to keep up with top speedsters. Cordrea Tankersley is a puzzling projection, I like his athleticism and like the fact the ball finds its way to him. However he has got to keep the hands off the receiver or he will get flagged all day and his lack of tackling is frustrating. He needs to improve to become an average tackler, improve his technique to learn to press at the line and then keep the hands clear downfield. If he does that, you got something here. He needs to be mentally strong as his confidence might take a hit having to adjust to the game at the next level. He doesn’t play with top long speed on film and there are concerns about leaving him on an island against speed threats like Will Fuller at Houston would be a concern. He would be best utilized in a scheme that wants more man coverage than zone and will match up against bigger physical receivers than smaller fast ones. Late 2nd round grade.
Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado, #4
Game Film Evaluated:
USC (2016)
Stanford (2016)
Washington (2016)
Michigan (2016)
Summary: Physical tackler, he will not back down from trying to make a tackle. He plays special teams coverage units. Physical in coverage, gets his hands on the receiver at the line and downfield. Comfortable playing in off man and press man coverage. He looks to make a play on the ball and play the man to knock it away. Held his own athletically vs John Ross at Washington who is a first round prospect. Chidobe Awuzie is a plus solid corner who is one of the best man cover corners in the draft who is also a plus tackler. He is not the biggest corner in the class but he will not get out muscled for a ball. He is not a playmaker though in coverage, often the ball went elsewhere in college. He is comfortable lining up and outside as well as inside and doing a good job. He may never be a plus starter but definitely a starter in the NFL and able to get the job done effectively against any type of receiver. It is rare to find a corner that isn’t afraid nor have trouble bringing down receivers after the catch. Early 2nd round grade.
Kevin King, Washington, #20
Game Film Evaluated:
Alabama (2016)
USC (2016)
Arizona State (2016)
Summary: Big physical corner who is a good tackler. Not the most fluid cover corner. He prefers to go low when tackling on the perimeter. Made unbelievable play against Arizona State on fade route to the goaline coming away with one handed INT. Doesn’t play with great long speed nor someone with plus recovery speed. He doesn’t have the burst to recover if the press at the line doesn’t work. Kevin King is one of the most physically talented corners in the class with elite size and has some good cover skills to go with it. He is a physical tackler and is capable of making a play on the ball in coverage. He has got to refine his technique at the line so receivers can’t get away from him at the line since he will not be able to recover when beaten. King and Marlon Humphrey are similar corners with King getting the edge as he is better in man coverage. King is an ideal fit to a scheme that wants man cover corners who will get physical with even the biggest of receivers and able to run with them downfield effectively. He could even move over to safety but he has got to stay up when making tackles, going low everytime will get you coming up empty in the NFL. Smaller receivers will absolutely destroy him in coverage, he has go to a division that has a lot of bigger types to match up against them on the outside. Despite all the highlight reel INT he is not a playmaker in coverage. Second round grade.
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