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Combine Position Series: DB
Cornerback class has elite talent
Three corners could be top-10 picks, but no safety carries a first-round grade
By Kevin Weidl
ESPN.com
There are three elite prospects in this year's cornerback class -- LSU's Patrick Peterson, Nebraska's Prince Amukamara and Colorado's Jimmy Smith -- all of whom possesses a nice combination of size and athleticism and currently are ranked among Scouts Inc.'s top 10 overall prospects.
Miami's Brandon Harris and Texas' Aaron Williams hold high-second-round grades and have a chance to get into the first-round conversation with solid workouts at the NFL combine, but there is less top-shelf talent at safety.
Rahim Moore of UCLA is atop our safety board but carries a second-round grade. There is a drop-off after Moore because Quinton Carter (Oklahoma), DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson) and Robert Sands (West Virginia) all have good size but are limited in coverage and must prove their quickness and fluidity in Indianapolis.
Most to prove: CB Aaron Williams, Texas
Scouts will keep a close eye on Williams during drills to see if he has the fluidity, explosiveness and top-end speed to match up with NFL slot receivers and warrant fringe-first or high-second-round consideration.
Under the radar: CB Joshua Thomas, Buffalo
Thomas needs some coaching in terms of technique but he possesses a nice combination of size (5-foot-101, 196 pounds), speed and strength to hold up in press man coverage and develop into a valuable sub-package reserve.
Under the microscope
Just like a number of other prospects, this trio of cornerbacks will have to stand up to intense scrutiny to maintain their standing.
CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado
Smith will have to answer questions during the interview process relating to off-the-field baggage and character concerns to ease the concerns of teams considering him in the top half of the first round.
CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
Dowling will be under the microscope during the physical process after first suffering a lingering hamstring injury that hampered his production in 2010, and then fracturing his left ankle and sitting out the remainder of the season.
S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson
McDaniel will be grilled during individual team interviews about character issues dating back to an assault and battery charge in June 2008.
Below is a look at our ranking of all defensive backs invited to the 2010 combine, plus those defensive backs who were Day 1 picks in the 2009 draft.
2011 NFL Combine Defensive Backs
Patrick Peterson CB LSU 6-1 211 97
Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska 6-0 203 96
Jimmy Smith CB Colorado 6-2 203 95
Rahim Moore S UCLA 6-1 196 89
Brandon Harris CB Miami 5-10½ 193 88
Aaron Williams CB Texas 6-0½ 192 87
Ras-I Dowling CB Virginia 6-1½ 201 81
Brandon Burton CB Utah 6-0 187 80
Quinton Carter S Oklahoma 6-0⅝ 211 80
DeAndre McDaniel S Clemson 6-0⅛ 213 79
Robert Sands S West Virginia 6-4⅞ 221 78
Curtis Brown CB Texas 5-11⅝ 180 74
Jaiquawn Jarrett S Temple 5-11⅞ 196 74
Kendric Burney CB North Carolina 5-9 181 73
Deunta Williams S North Carolina 6-1½ 204 73
Ahmad Black S Florida 5-9⅜ 183 72
Johnny Patrick CB Louisville 5-10½ 185 70
Rashad Carmichael CB Virginia Tech 5-9⅝ 185 68
Marcus Gilchrist CB Clemson 5-9⅞ 193 65
Tyler Sash S Iowa 6-1 210 64
Eric Hagg S Nebraska 6-0⅜ 206 63
Shareece Wright CB USC 5-11 182 63
Chimdi Chekwa CB Ohio State 5-11 192 61
Chykie Brown CB Texas 5-11½ 187 58
Davon House CB New Mexico State 6-0 190 57
Brandon Hogan CB West Virginia 5-10 194 56
Jermale Hines S Ohio State 6-1¼ 215 55
Devon Torrence CB Ohio State 5-11⅝ 190 55
Jerrard Tarrant S Georgia Tech 6-1 205 54
Joshua Thomas CB Buffalo 5-10⅛ 196 54
Chris L. Rucker CB Michigan State 6-1⅜ 196 53
Andrew McGee CB Oklahoma state 6-0 192 52
Curtis Marsh CB Utah State 6-0⅛ 194 51
Vance Cuff CB Georgia 5-10¼ 171 49
Chris Culliver CB South Carolina 6-0 197 47
Da'Norris Searcy S North Carolina 5-10⅝ 216 46
David Sims S Iowa State 5-9⅜ 208 45
Justin Rogers CB Richmond 5-10⅜ 183 44
Will Hill S Florida 6-0½ 205 42
Kevin Rutland CB Missouri 5-11⅞ 191 41
Shiloh Keo S Idaho 5-11½ 224 40
Byron Maxwell CB Clemson 6-0¾ 207 39
Mario Butler CB Georgia Tech 6-0⅜ 183 38
Joseph Lefeged S Rutgers 5-11¼ 208 37
Demarcus Van Dyke CB Miami 6-0¾ 168 36
Brandyn Thompson CB Boise State 5-9⅜ 188 35
Jalil Brown CB Colorado 6-0⅛ 202 34
Buster Skrine CB Tennessee-Chattanooga 5-9⅝ 186 33
Jeron Johnson S Boise State 5-10¼ 211 32
Mark LeGree S Appalachian State 6-0 211 31
Cortez Allen CB Citadel 6-1½ 197 30
Christopher Conte S California 6-2½ 223 30
Dejon Gomes S Nebraska 5-10¾ 203 30
Richard Sherman CB Stanford 6-2 212 30
2010 Defensive Backs in Rounds 1-2
Eric Berry S Tennessee Kansas City Chiefs 1 (5)
Joe Haden CB Florida Cleveland Browns 1 (7)
Earl Thomas S Texas Seattle Seahawks 1 (14)
Kareem Jackson CB Alabama Houston Texans 1 (20)
Devin McCourty CB Rutgers New England Patriots 1 (27)
Kyle Wilson CB Boise State New York Jets 1 (29)
Patrick Robinson CB Florida State New Orleans Saints 1 (32)
Chris Cook CB Virginia Minnesota Vikings 2 (34)
Nate Allen S South Florida Philadelphia Eagles 2 (37)
T.J. Ward S Oregon Cleveland Browns 2 (38)
Taylor Mays S USC San Francisco 49ers 2 (49)
Javier Arenas CB Alabama Kansas City Chiefs 2 (50)
The following is a graphic representation of the number of offensive linemen selected in each round of the previous three NFL drafts. Most NFL teams use this type of chart to study position trends when setting up their respective draft boards each year.
S Market Trend
Rnd...........2010.......2009.......2008.......... Average
1.................2............0............1..... ...........1
2.................3............5............1..... ...........3
3.................3............1............4..... ..........2.6
4.................2............3............2..... ..........2.3
5.................5............3............0..... ..........2.6
6.................2............3............5..... ..........3.3
7.................3............5............4..... ...........4
Total...........20..........20...........17...... . ......19
CB Market Trend
Rnd...........2010.......2009.......2008.......... Average
1.................5............2............5..... ...........4
2.................2............5............5..... ...........4
3.................5............9............3..... ..........5.6
4.................3............3............7..... ..........4.3
5.................7............5............4..... ..........5.3
6.................4............8............1..... ..........4.3
7.................7............5............3..... ...........5
Total...........33..........37...........28...... . .....32.6
Cornerback class has elite talent
Three corners could be top-10 picks, but no safety carries a first-round grade
By Kevin Weidl
ESPN.com
There are three elite prospects in this year's cornerback class -- LSU's Patrick Peterson, Nebraska's Prince Amukamara and Colorado's Jimmy Smith -- all of whom possesses a nice combination of size and athleticism and currently are ranked among Scouts Inc.'s top 10 overall prospects.
Miami's Brandon Harris and Texas' Aaron Williams hold high-second-round grades and have a chance to get into the first-round conversation with solid workouts at the NFL combine, but there is less top-shelf talent at safety.
Rahim Moore of UCLA is atop our safety board but carries a second-round grade. There is a drop-off after Moore because Quinton Carter (Oklahoma), DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson) and Robert Sands (West Virginia) all have good size but are limited in coverage and must prove their quickness and fluidity in Indianapolis.
Most to prove: CB Aaron Williams, Texas
Scouts will keep a close eye on Williams during drills to see if he has the fluidity, explosiveness and top-end speed to match up with NFL slot receivers and warrant fringe-first or high-second-round consideration.
Under the radar: CB Joshua Thomas, Buffalo
Thomas needs some coaching in terms of technique but he possesses a nice combination of size (5-foot-101, 196 pounds), speed and strength to hold up in press man coverage and develop into a valuable sub-package reserve.
Under the microscope
Just like a number of other prospects, this trio of cornerbacks will have to stand up to intense scrutiny to maintain their standing.
CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado
Smith will have to answer questions during the interview process relating to off-the-field baggage and character concerns to ease the concerns of teams considering him in the top half of the first round.
CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
Dowling will be under the microscope during the physical process after first suffering a lingering hamstring injury that hampered his production in 2010, and then fracturing his left ankle and sitting out the remainder of the season.
S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson
McDaniel will be grilled during individual team interviews about character issues dating back to an assault and battery charge in June 2008.
Below is a look at our ranking of all defensive backs invited to the 2010 combine, plus those defensive backs who were Day 1 picks in the 2009 draft.
2011 NFL Combine Defensive Backs
Patrick Peterson CB LSU 6-1 211 97
Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska 6-0 203 96
Jimmy Smith CB Colorado 6-2 203 95
Rahim Moore S UCLA 6-1 196 89
Brandon Harris CB Miami 5-10½ 193 88
Aaron Williams CB Texas 6-0½ 192 87
Ras-I Dowling CB Virginia 6-1½ 201 81
Brandon Burton CB Utah 6-0 187 80
Quinton Carter S Oklahoma 6-0⅝ 211 80
DeAndre McDaniel S Clemson 6-0⅛ 213 79
Robert Sands S West Virginia 6-4⅞ 221 78
Curtis Brown CB Texas 5-11⅝ 180 74
Jaiquawn Jarrett S Temple 5-11⅞ 196 74
Kendric Burney CB North Carolina 5-9 181 73
Deunta Williams S North Carolina 6-1½ 204 73
Ahmad Black S Florida 5-9⅜ 183 72
Johnny Patrick CB Louisville 5-10½ 185 70
Rashad Carmichael CB Virginia Tech 5-9⅝ 185 68
Marcus Gilchrist CB Clemson 5-9⅞ 193 65
Tyler Sash S Iowa 6-1 210 64
Eric Hagg S Nebraska 6-0⅜ 206 63
Shareece Wright CB USC 5-11 182 63
Chimdi Chekwa CB Ohio State 5-11 192 61
Chykie Brown CB Texas 5-11½ 187 58
Davon House CB New Mexico State 6-0 190 57
Brandon Hogan CB West Virginia 5-10 194 56
Jermale Hines S Ohio State 6-1¼ 215 55
Devon Torrence CB Ohio State 5-11⅝ 190 55
Jerrard Tarrant S Georgia Tech 6-1 205 54
Joshua Thomas CB Buffalo 5-10⅛ 196 54
Chris L. Rucker CB Michigan State 6-1⅜ 196 53
Andrew McGee CB Oklahoma state 6-0 192 52
Curtis Marsh CB Utah State 6-0⅛ 194 51
Vance Cuff CB Georgia 5-10¼ 171 49
Chris Culliver CB South Carolina 6-0 197 47
Da'Norris Searcy S North Carolina 5-10⅝ 216 46
David Sims S Iowa State 5-9⅜ 208 45
Justin Rogers CB Richmond 5-10⅜ 183 44
Will Hill S Florida 6-0½ 205 42
Kevin Rutland CB Missouri 5-11⅞ 191 41
Shiloh Keo S Idaho 5-11½ 224 40
Byron Maxwell CB Clemson 6-0¾ 207 39
Mario Butler CB Georgia Tech 6-0⅜ 183 38
Joseph Lefeged S Rutgers 5-11¼ 208 37
Demarcus Van Dyke CB Miami 6-0¾ 168 36
Brandyn Thompson CB Boise State 5-9⅜ 188 35
Jalil Brown CB Colorado 6-0⅛ 202 34
Buster Skrine CB Tennessee-Chattanooga 5-9⅝ 186 33
Jeron Johnson S Boise State 5-10¼ 211 32
Mark LeGree S Appalachian State 6-0 211 31
Cortez Allen CB Citadel 6-1½ 197 30
Christopher Conte S California 6-2½ 223 30
Dejon Gomes S Nebraska 5-10¾ 203 30
Richard Sherman CB Stanford 6-2 212 30
2010 Defensive Backs in Rounds 1-2
Eric Berry S Tennessee Kansas City Chiefs 1 (5)
Joe Haden CB Florida Cleveland Browns 1 (7)
Earl Thomas S Texas Seattle Seahawks 1 (14)
Kareem Jackson CB Alabama Houston Texans 1 (20)
Devin McCourty CB Rutgers New England Patriots 1 (27)
Kyle Wilson CB Boise State New York Jets 1 (29)
Patrick Robinson CB Florida State New Orleans Saints 1 (32)
Chris Cook CB Virginia Minnesota Vikings 2 (34)
Nate Allen S South Florida Philadelphia Eagles 2 (37)
T.J. Ward S Oregon Cleveland Browns 2 (38)
Taylor Mays S USC San Francisco 49ers 2 (49)
Javier Arenas CB Alabama Kansas City Chiefs 2 (50)
The following is a graphic representation of the number of offensive linemen selected in each round of the previous three NFL drafts. Most NFL teams use this type of chart to study position trends when setting up their respective draft boards each year.
S Market Trend
Rnd...........2010.......2009.......2008.......... Average
1.................2............0............1..... ...........1
2.................3............5............1..... ...........3
3.................3............1............4..... ..........2.6
4.................2............3............2..... ..........2.3
5.................5............3............0..... ..........2.6
6.................2............3............5..... ..........3.3
7.................3............5............4..... ...........4
Total...........20..........20...........17...... . ......19
CB Market Trend
Rnd...........2010.......2009.......2008.......... Average
1.................5............2............5..... ...........4
2.................2............5............5..... ...........4
3.................5............9............3..... ..........5.6
4.................3............3............7..... ..........4.3
5.................7............5............4..... ..........5.3
6.................4............8............1..... ..........4.3
7.................7............5............3..... ...........5
Total...........33..........37...........28...... . .....32.6