NFL Draft Info - NFL Draft Blog

"The island.”

It’s the loneliest place on the football field—a desolate area where cornerbacks live and die, bent on turning every receiver's visit into an inescapable, three-hour-long nightmare. A good cornerback can shut down an opposing team's receiver. A great cornerback can shut down the entire half of a field for an opposing team's offense. Which of these would you rather have?

The 2011 cornerback class is as deep and talented as it gets. Lofty praise, for sure, but even a quick glance at the game tape of LSU's Patrick Peterson, Nebraska's Prince Amukamara or Colorado's Jimmy Smith will confirm the insane amount of cornerback talent available this year. And the best part is you've only scratched the surface of this class with these three island standouts...

1) Patrick Peterson, LSU (6’1”, 211 lbs)

As gifted a cornerback prospect as you’ll find, Patrick Peterson brings rare size, jaw-dropping athleticism and very good technique to the island. And his equally impressive ability in the return game should make him a top-5 lock in this year’s draft. In fact, the only area of concern with Peterson is his attitude, and even that doesn’t appear to be much of an issue at this point.

2) Prince Amukamara, Nebraska (6’1”, 208 lbs)

If Peterson is the knockout physical marvel of this cornerback class, then Prince Amukamara is the burly technician. Amukamara is the epitome of a shutdown corner prospect—big enough to handle even the most physical receivers and smart enough to know every tendency of the wideouts he lines up against. And his technique is good … very good. Yet, Amukamara might actually slide a bit due to questions about his speed. No one will confuse Amukamara with Darrell Green anytime soon, but the former Nebraska standout has more than enough speed to stay in any receiver’s back pocket. And he gets to the ball in a flash, too—just ask any Big 12 receiver unlucky enough to have caught an out pass in front of Amukamara.

3) Jimmy Smith, Colorado (6’2”, 203 lbs)

For such an underrated prospect, Jimmy Smith sure brings a few eye-popping measurable to the table. The former Colorado Buffalo possesses the length and wheels (he’s expected to run the 40-yard dash in the mid-4.3s at the NFL Combine) necessary to be an outstanding press corner in the NFL. And his closing speed allows him to eat up the space between him and the ball in a hurry. Smith’s hips are above average, and his backpedal is very clean for a draft prospect, which means the only concern standing between him and a top 15 pick is his ability to diagnose and attack receiving routes

4) Brandon Harris, Miami (5’11”, 195 lbs)

It’s hard to believe Harris is one of the smaller corners in this draft class, but his excellent feel and timing in man coverage will more than make up for his sub-six-foot frame. Harris is a very smooth athlete with good speed and footwork for the position. And though he’s not the most physical corner you’ll find, he’s a strong tackler in the open field. Harris’ skills in zone coverage aren’t nearly as developed (or instinctive) as his work in man-to-man situations, but his outstanding hips and ability to essentially glue himself to anyone he lines up against will likely have him off the board somewhere within the first 25 picks.

5) Aaron Williams, Texas (6’1” 195 lbs)

Good lord, what are they feeding these college cornerbacks? Williams is yet another corner prospect well over six feet tall, and though he certainly has the speed and physical approach to be an excellent corner in the NFL, his footwork really isn’t anything to write home about. That kind of flaw can be corrected, however, and Williams’ willingness to come up and smash ballcarriers (running backs and receivers alike) qualifies him as arguably one of the most physical cornerbacks in this draft class. He’s also an excellent leaper and makes jump-ball interceptions look startlingly easy. A fringe first-round/early second-round talent.

6) Ras-I Dowling, Virginia (6’2”, 210 lbs)

Simply put, Ras-I Dowling is too big, fast and strong to not be an effective starter in the NFL. Dowling could have been a first-round pick if he had declared last season, but a season-ending ankle fracture in 2010 has him currently slotted as a second-round pick. The former Virginia Cavalier standout has the strength and long arms ideal for a press corner, and his height and speed should make him a nightmare in man coverage. Where he really shines, however, is as an open-field tackler, where he consistently flashes excellent technique as well as the instinct to shoot in and squash any receiver-out pass. Oh, and he’s a hard hitter, too.

7) Johnny Patrick, Louisville (5’11”, 195 lbs)

Johnny Patrick’s currently one of the more underrated prospects in this entire draft class, but his blistering speed and highlight-reel-worthy hits in the open field are almost a guarantee that several teams will know his name by the time April rolls around. And his rare ability to immediately close the gap on any ballcarrier certainly won’t hurt his case, either. Patrick is the kind of defensive back who won’t mind getting his uniform dirty at the next level, but his solid man-coverage skills and underrated footwork means he’s much more than just a big hitter at the corner position. Patrick’s instincts and recognition skills are still a bit of a question mark at this point, but physically, he’s the total package. A mid-second-round pick, for sure.

8) Curtis Brown, Texas (5’11”, 180 lbs)

Curtis Brown may not have the intimidating physical appearance of his corner-mate Aaron Williams, but Brown is an absolutely explosive prospect at the position, capable of keeping up with any receiver who lines up across from him. Brown’s ball skills are also superb, and he has the ability to diagnose and attack any receiving route he sees. The main flaw in Brown’s game is his lack of physicality and an inability to deliver the big hit, but he’s adequate tackler who doesn’t whiff on the ballcarrier too often. Not too bad of a compromise, eh?

9) Rashad Carmichael, Virginia Tech (5’9”, 185 lbs)

It would be cruel (but not unusual) to underrate a player like Rashad Carmichael because of this year’s insanely deep cornerback draft class. But lack of name recognition shouldn’t detract from one very simply fact about Carmichael: he’s got some serious wheels for the cornerback position. Carmichael is similar to Brandon Harris, in that he’s mainly a finesse corner who specializes in man coverage. However, Harris’ physicality is far superior to Carmichael’s, and the former Hokie’s lack of height really isn’t helping his cause, either. And yet, Carmichael’s speed will likely be irresistible to a team looking in the second round for a corner with elite athleticism and blossoming man-to-man skills.

10) Kendric Burney, UNC (5’9”, 181 lbs)

A mid-round pick just a few weeks ago, Kendric Burney is now in the mix to be taken in the second or third round. How? Because he basically glued himself to opposing receivers during Senior Bowl week, that’s how. Burney’s a bit undersized for the position (in this draft class, at least), and his speed is somewhere in the average range. But all of his flaws shouldn’t mask the fact he’s an outstanding cover corner who is effective against the run and possesses excellent instincts and recognition skills when defending against the pass. And he can really do himself a favor by running a halfway decent 40-yard dash time at the combine or his pro day.