Our top pick may surprise you,
but in a super deep crop of defensive backs Cromartie has
the most long term upside out on the islands.
Top
Cornerbacks
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Antonio Cromartie, 6-2, 208, Florida State (Jr.):
We list him first due to his amazing potential, he will probably not be in the
top 3 cornerbacks taken, but we feel he will be the best of the group in 2 years
time. He is a big play type of player on the defensive side, because he is the
type of player that finds a way to get his hands on the ball and make things
happen, and he has the speed and hands of a wide receiver. Make no mistake, he
is the best true cornerback in this draft, whether his draft position shows that
is beside the point.
Cromartie elected to make the NFL leap
after missing the entire 2005 season with a knee
injury. While he is still one of the true enigmas in
the 2006 class, Cromartie's showing at the combine
at least helped to verify his health and impressive
combination of size, speed and athletic ability. Not
only did he pass his physicals and look smooth
during coverage drills, Cromartie ran the 40-yard
dash in 4.41 seconds and also led all defensive
backs with an 11-foot broad jump. We would still be
reluctant to spend first round money on him,
Cromartie will be worth the risk in Round 2.
FoxSports:
Great size and speed for the position. Had
reportedly timed in the 4.3s previous to the knee
injury. Might have been viewed as a top 10 pick
heading into next year if he returned to school and
played to expected levels.
2. Jimmy Williams,
6-3, 213, Virginia Tech: You will not find many
DB's better than Williams in college football. He is
a smart and savvy player who has all the physical
tools to succeed at the NFL level. He switched over
to cornerback from safety following his Sophomore
season and never missed a beat. Excelling at both
positions he is a very physical gifted athlete.
Williams has great size and outstanding speed. He
should be a high draft selection, good chance he may
even be the top DB taken but some question whether
he will play cornerback or safety in the NFL.
There are some that think Williams will
be a better fit at as a free safety in the NFL, but
we think his best value will be at the cornerback
position so long as he is developed properly and
shows the work ethic. Williams has exceptional speed
and athletic ability for his size, and he projects
as a playmaking "shutdown" cover corner in the NFL
if he reaches his potential. In short, Williams has
top-15 talent but could slip to the bottom-half of
the first round as a result of his inconsistency and
baggage
FoxSports:
Physical defender whose hard-hitting style is
linebacker-like. Might move back to free safety at
the pro level, a position he played earlier in his
college career. Since becoming starter in 2003, was
on the field for more plays (702) than any other
Tech defender. Moved from safety to corner in 2004
and led the Atlantic Coast Conference with five
interceptions and deflected 14 passes. Has more
upside than any other defensive back in the country.
3.
Tye Hill, 5-10,
185, Clemson:
Hill will be one of the fastest players available in
this year's draft. He has won the ACC outdoor
100-meter dash as well as the indoor 60-meter dash,
so you know range won't be a problem for him. But it
is his change of direction skills that make him an
elite corner prospect. Hill's size will give a few
teams some caution, but he makes up for what he
lacks in height with quickness and aggression. Hill
is still a little raw at the position, especially in
zone coverage. His speed and quickness make up for
his deficiencies on the college level, but he will
need good coaching to further develop.
Hill's NFL potential is somewhat limited
by his poor size. He also is relatively
inexperienced at the cornerback position and still
needs polish before he will be ready to contribute
on the NFL level. However, he is a terrific athlete
who possesses the most explosive top-end speed of
any prospect in this year's class. He also is a
natural playmaker with impressive ball skills. After
strong showings at the Senior Bowl and combine, Hill
is very much a prospect on the rise and it would not
surprise us if he comes off the board in the top-20
overall picks.
FoxSports:
Established himself as a future star in 2004,
operating opposite second-round pick Justin Miller.
Deflected a school single-season record 21 passes,
most coming on third-down plays, and was responsible
for killing 15 scoring drives, including one on
fourth down. Was rarely challenged in 2005. Despite
his first-round status, Hill elected to play at the
Senior Bowl, where his rare athleticism made him an
obvious standout.
4.
Jonathan Joseph, 5-11, 193, South
Carolina (Jr.):
Jonathon is one of the fastest players
in the draft. He has good strength for a relatively
skinny corner. Adjusts well to the ball and has good
hands. Jonathon has been an underrated prospect who
could climb up the draft board into the last first
round. Although Joseph probably won't make an
immediate impact, he has a huge long term upside.
He has adequate size, excellent speed
and natural playmaking instincts and ball skills.
Joseph also supports the run hard and is a solid
tackler, which should lend to him contributing on
special teams right away in the NFL. However, the
uncertainty generated by lack of experience and
durability issues makes Joseph somewhat of a
dangerous proposition. From what we've seen of him
in comparatively limited viewing, Joseph possesses
the potential to develop into a difference maker as
a fulltime starting cornerback in the NFL. Overall,
Joseph grades out as a second round prospect.
FoxSports: Junior college transfer emerged as an
instant starter in 2004, but was lost for the season
after only two games with a broken foot. Was back at
100 percent in 2005 and finished among team leaders
in both tackles (55) and tackles for loss (3.5)
while leading the team in interceptions (4) and
finishing second in passes broken up (9). Elite
speed was demonstrated at the Combine (4.31 seconds
in 40 yards). All-conference honors as a defensive
back at Coffeyville J.C. in 2003
5.
Ashton Youboty, 6-0, 189, Ohio State (Jr.): Ashton
has good size and exceptional athletic ability. He
is a solid cover man and shows good footwork that
will allow him to play the position well. He went up
every day in practice against Santonio Holme, which
shows he has the talent to cover top players at the
position. He also has good ball skills and should
prove to be a top corner in the league some day.
Scout:
Youboty is an early
entry prospect with loads of upside but also lots of
room to improve. He possesses an outstanding
combination of size, athletic ability and speed, and
he also flashes playmaking skills as a man-to-man
cover corner. However, he inconsistent in terms of
his technique and recognition skills in coverage,
which leads to entirely too many big plays allowed
on his watch. In short, Youboty is by no means a
finished product but he has the potential to develop
into a shutdown cover corner in the NFL, which is
why he could come off the 2006 draft board late in
the first round.
FoxSports:
Emerging talent
started final nine games in 2004 and finished season
with 61 tackles, four interceptions and a
team-leading 14 passes broken up. In 2005, he led
the team in passes broken up (9) even though most
teams used great caution in passing to his side of
the field. Is not only effective in coverage but
will come up to support the run, ranking fourth on
the Buckeyes in total tackles (56). His blazing 4.39
40-yard time solidified his first-round status.
The rest of the best
*
Michael Huff, 6-1, 2-4, Texas Kelly Jennings, 5-11, 178, Miami Richard Marshall, 5-11,
189, Fresno State
Alan Zemaitis, 6-1, 194, Penn State
*
We listed Huff as a
safety, he would be in the top 3 as a cornerback as
well.
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