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By Russ Lande
For Sporting News
Throughout the season, Nebraska's Prince Amukamara has been hyped as an elite, shutdown cornerback prospect even though he hasn't shown that type of ability on a consistent basis.
There is little doubt he is a quick, athletic corner with the size (6-1, 205), strength and toughness that NFL teams love. But there are concerns about his explosiveness, speed and ability to make plays on the ball.
Amukamara has proved he can stay with receivers on short and medium routes in tight man-to-man coverage, but his lack of speed hinders his ability to stay with fast receivers on deep routes. Though he is an intelligent, instinctive player, his footwork and technique are not as sharp and polished as they need to be. He also doesn't always transition out of his backpedal quickly to close on the ball in time.
These issues were apparent against Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game Saturday night, when he allowed five catches and never really came close to making a play on the ball.
He did show he has the size, strength, aggressiveness and hands to jolt receivers effectively and throw off the timing of their routes. He also is very quick and aggressive at coming up and making good hits in run support.
Amukamara showed Saturday he has many of the traits to be a very good NFL defensive back, but the question is whether he will be explosive and fast enough to play cornerback. He reminds us of 2009 Saints first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins, who entered the NFL as a corner and is now a good, productive starting safety.
Moving up
When the 2010 season began, almost everyone viewed Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor as a far better athlete than quarterback. As the season progressed, however, Taylor displayed dramatic improvement as a passer, which has moved him up draft boards.
Before the season, he was considered a likely priority free agent as a QB who might get drafted late based on his athleticism and maybe get a look at a different position. Now, he will be a late-round pick who will be given a chance to prove himself as a QB. No one ever questioned that he had the arm strength to make every throw, but before the season his passes were all over the place.
This season, he has shown much more consistency in his footwork and release, leading to a dramatic improvement in accuracy. He also has made much better decisions with the ball. That was evident against Florida State in the ACC championship game on Saturday night, when he consistently made good throws for big plays and didn't make the big mistake that plagued him early in his career.
On the outside
Oregon WR Jeff Maehl hasn't received a lot hype as a key player in the Ducks' prolific offense, but he has impressed NFL scouts. Maehl doesn't have have elite, game-changing speed, but he is a polished receiver with decent height (6-1), excellent hands and natural receiving skills.
On Saturday night against Oregon State and throughout the season, he has displayed the ability to consistently separate from defenders. He knows how to find open spots in coverage, has outstanding hands to reach out and pluck the ball away from his body and is a productive runner after the catch. Not only does Maehl lack elite speed, but he is very thin for his height, which will likely keep him from being a high pick. But he has been very productive this year (68 catches, 943 yards, 12 TDs) and don't be shocked if he ends up being drafted between the third and fifth rounds.
Lesser known players
USC TE Jordan Cameron's stats Saturday night against UCLA don't jump out (3 for 29 yards), and neither do his numbers for the season (16 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD). But he is an interesting prospect who will get a chance in the NFL over many college players who have been much more productive.
A converted wideout, Cameron is a tall, smooth and fluid athlete who has shown the hands and body control to make tough catches on off-target passes. He began his college career at BYU, then went to junior college and transferred to USC, where he has also played basketball. He hasn't been an impact player, but his size (6-5, 235), athleticism and potential should lead him to be drafted late or, more likely, signed as a priority free agent.
For Sporting News
Throughout the season, Nebraska's Prince Amukamara has been hyped as an elite, shutdown cornerback prospect even though he hasn't shown that type of ability on a consistent basis.
There is little doubt he is a quick, athletic corner with the size (6-1, 205), strength and toughness that NFL teams love. But there are concerns about his explosiveness, speed and ability to make plays on the ball.
Amukamara has proved he can stay with receivers on short and medium routes in tight man-to-man coverage, but his lack of speed hinders his ability to stay with fast receivers on deep routes. Though he is an intelligent, instinctive player, his footwork and technique are not as sharp and polished as they need to be. He also doesn't always transition out of his backpedal quickly to close on the ball in time.
These issues were apparent against Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game Saturday night, when he allowed five catches and never really came close to making a play on the ball.
He did show he has the size, strength, aggressiveness and hands to jolt receivers effectively and throw off the timing of their routes. He also is very quick and aggressive at coming up and making good hits in run support.
Amukamara showed Saturday he has many of the traits to be a very good NFL defensive back, but the question is whether he will be explosive and fast enough to play cornerback. He reminds us of 2009 Saints first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins, who entered the NFL as a corner and is now a good, productive starting safety.
Moving up
When the 2010 season began, almost everyone viewed Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor as a far better athlete than quarterback. As the season progressed, however, Taylor displayed dramatic improvement as a passer, which has moved him up draft boards.
Before the season, he was considered a likely priority free agent as a QB who might get drafted late based on his athleticism and maybe get a look at a different position. Now, he will be a late-round pick who will be given a chance to prove himself as a QB. No one ever questioned that he had the arm strength to make every throw, but before the season his passes were all over the place.
This season, he has shown much more consistency in his footwork and release, leading to a dramatic improvement in accuracy. He also has made much better decisions with the ball. That was evident against Florida State in the ACC championship game on Saturday night, when he consistently made good throws for big plays and didn't make the big mistake that plagued him early in his career.
On the outside
Oregon WR Jeff Maehl hasn't received a lot hype as a key player in the Ducks' prolific offense, but he has impressed NFL scouts. Maehl doesn't have have elite, game-changing speed, but he is a polished receiver with decent height (6-1), excellent hands and natural receiving skills.
On Saturday night against Oregon State and throughout the season, he has displayed the ability to consistently separate from defenders. He knows how to find open spots in coverage, has outstanding hands to reach out and pluck the ball away from his body and is a productive runner after the catch. Not only does Maehl lack elite speed, but he is very thin for his height, which will likely keep him from being a high pick. But he has been very productive this year (68 catches, 943 yards, 12 TDs) and don't be shocked if he ends up being drafted between the third and fifth rounds.
Lesser known players
USC TE Jordan Cameron's stats Saturday night against UCLA don't jump out (3 for 29 yards), and neither do his numbers for the season (16 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD). But he is an interesting prospect who will get a chance in the NFL over many college players who have been much more productive.
A converted wideout, Cameron is a tall, smooth and fluid athlete who has shown the hands and body control to make tough catches on off-target passes. He began his college career at BYU, then went to junior college and transferred to USC, where he has also played basketball. He hasn't been an impact player, but his size (6-5, 235), athleticism and potential should lead him to be drafted late or, more likely, signed as a priority free agent.
