The wide receiver position is by far the deepest crop of talent in the 2014 NFL Draft. As a result, the value of cornerbacks will rise. Who will cover all of these dynamic pass catchers? While this class of corners is no where near as deep, there are some who may be able to hold their own at the next level.
Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech
Teams looking for a plug-and-play corner need look no further than Kyle Fuller. He has all the tools needed to be a number one corner. He is well built and has plenty of speed to shadow receivers. The best part about him is how physical he is. He is eager to come up in run support and more importantly, shows the will and ability to jam and redirect his opponent at the line of scrimmage. If you need a corner to come in and play tomorrow, Kyle Fuller is your guy.
Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State
Justin Gilbert may be the most highly coveted corner in this years draft. He is such a smooth athlete that it’s hard not to get excited about him. His blazing speed is matched by his fluid hips and lateral movement. Pairing that with his long frame, he has all the tools to become a shut down corner at the next level…almost. The one glaring hole in his game is that he NEVER puts a hand on opposing receivers. In the NFL, being able to bump and redirect is an absolute must-have skill for cornerbacks. He certainly has the body to do it but unless he develops the skill and the will to do it, he will struggle at the next level. The ability to do that is most often what makes or breaks corners as they transition to the NFL. Justin Gilbert is the biggest boom or bust cornerback in this class.
Jason Verrett, TCU
When purely studying a players proficiency at his position, one could easily think Jason Verrett is the best corner in the draft. He has a non-stop motor and seems eager to be in on all tackles. His ardent physicality is admirable as he tries to jam and bump receivers off course. He is very fast in a straight line or side to side. The only thing holding him back is his size. At 5’9″ and 189 pounds, Verrett is often beat by bigger or stronger players. Look no further than the LSU game where he would blanket Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry until they either out jumped him or used their arms to easily push him away before making the catch. As a result, he may slide in the draft and may also need to be carefully matched up to avoid bigger receivers at the next level. If he adds strength or is matched up correctly, Jason Verrett has the potential to be a very good cornerback in the NFL.
Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska
Now that the Seattle Seahawks and the “Legion of Boom” have a Lombardi Trophy, everyone is looking for big and physical corners like Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner. At nearly 6’3″ and 218 pounds, Stanley Jean-Baptiste certainly fits the bill. At Nebraska he showed the ability to jam and reroute receivers from the line of scrimmage and he made it look easy. He uses his long frame well to keep his hands on his opponent as well as make elongated plays on the ball. Unfortunately he plays more like Browner than Sherman, lacking the speed to shadow his man deep. His best fit will be in a Tampa 2 system or in a bump-and-run heavy defense that gives him safety help over the top. In the right system, Stanley Jean-Baptiste will flourish as the drafts most physical corner.
Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State
Darqueze Dennard may be the most sound and polished technician of the corner class. He knows how to use the sideline to his advantage better than any of his colleagues. He has a strong build and can use it to play physically. It was rare to see anyone get much separation on him in college. He is comfortable moving to the slot in nickel packages, a skill that is extremely useful and not easy to find. Having said that, there are two things holding him back. One is that he lacks top speed for the position, which is not a big deal considering his savvy technical skills can often make up for it. The other thing is that he needs to play more physical. He very rarely makes contact at the line of scrimmage, usually waiting until he is five or more yards deep to get his hands on the receiver. This is a big problem considering the NFL only allows contact in the first five yards off the ball. He will need to learn how to press on the line but given his polish in other areas of his game, he should be able to pick up the skill quickly. Darqueze Dennard is a relatively safe pick among this years corners and will earn a lot of playing time, if not a starting job, as a rookie.
Bradley Roby, Ohio State
It’s quite possible that the hardest working motor in this crop of corners belongs to Bradley Roby. He simply does not tire and never lets up on his opponents. His quick twitch athleticism is breath taking and when combined with his work ethic, Roby seems to always be around the ball. He seems to thirst for run plays and screens as he always races to make the tackle. Unfortunately, he is not a very sure tackler, preferring to dive for the legs rather than wrap up the ball carrier. Also his ball skills are lacking in coverage. While he has the speed and agility to follow anyone he lines up against, he often seems lost when locating and making a play on the ball. His size also can hamper him against bigger receivers which is a shame considering the aggressive mentality he plays with is so admirable. He will need to develop his ball skills, but Bradley Roby’s stunning athleticism and motor will warrant him high draft consideration and will serve him well at the next level.
E.J. Gaines, Missouri
E.J. Gaines will be a polarizing figure in war rooms around the league. The strengths of his game include explosive quickness and an aptitude for making a play on the ball. He is also very eager to come up and make a tackle on screens and running plays. He is comfortable moving inside to cover the slot. His areas of concern include below average size and a lack of film showing his physicality in coverage. At Missouri he simply did not play on the line of scrimmage. He played far off the ball, often 10 yards back, and waited in a zone or in off man coverage. That works well in the college game but in the NFL he will need to be able to bump his man and at least occasionally play on the line of scrimmage. He may be able to do it but his film does not show any examples so it will not answer the questions teams have of him. Having said that, the parts of his game that he excels at are so strong that someone is likely to fall in love with E.J. Gaines and draft him in the first three rounds.
Keith McGill, Utah
Keeping with the trend toward larger corners in the NFL, Keith McGill has garnered heavy interest from teams. He moves very smoothly for a guy that is 6’3″ and 211 pounds. He showed flashes of being a potentially dominant press-man corner at Utah but was also very inconsistent. His game lacks polish and he does not play as physical as his size would suggest. Keith McGill is an intriguing prospect who will need some help developing at the next level.
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