Oh, how far away August seems from now. It feels
like it was just yesterday when everyone with a
keyboard was predicting who the best cornerbacks
available for the 2006 draft would be; 95% of the
time these lists had the same exact 4 or 5 players
in some order of personal preference. People
cavalierly threw out opinions about how the next
group would dwarf the 05 class, which had put 3 CBs
in the top 9, and 5 overall in the first round, with
no fears of anything standing in the way of the top
players who, free from the intense pre-draft
inspection that appears to be geared solely to take
each guy down a few pegs, seemed untouchable.
However, like with everything else in the draft
world, we’ve been taught our lesson in a big way
that nothing is ever a sure thing.
In
terms of potential, athleticism, and pure skill,
you’re not going to beat Antonio Cromartie. The
Florida State junior corner stands a legit 6-3,
weighs in at 200+, and can run with just about any
player in the entire country. His smooth, fearless
style let him create a name for himself during his
sophomore year, gathering four interceptions despite
not starting until late in the year, and emerging as
a very dangerous return man. Not to mention, his
play in the opener against Miami, in which he fought
off cramps to score the Noles lone TD on a 61 yard
fumble return. A guy like this was bound to shine
when given his chance on the big stage during his
junior year right? Well, that was the plan, until a
torn ACL midway through the summer ended any chance
of him playing during the 2005 season, and sent the
draftniks in search of the next guy to prop up as a
potential top 5 pick at the position. That search
didn’t last too long, with the eyes of a nation
being cast just down the Florida coast to Miami. On
a side note, don’t worry too much about Cromartie’s
future. He’s spending his time as a go between for
the players and the defensive coaches up in the
press box, and helping the Noles young corners do so
well trying to hold down his spot.
Devin Hester started off the 2004 season as an
enigma to many. He was an all world recruit as a
cornerback in High School, played WR in a limited
role his first year at Miami after sitting out a
season for academics, then news broke just weeks
before the opener against that he’d be moving back
to corner for his sophomore year. Cane fans
patiently awaited his chance on the defensive side
of the ball, in the mean time enjoying him on
special teams, not only showing up as perhaps the
most dangerous return man in the nation, but also as
a demon covering kicks, where he seems to have honed
his tackling ability. It wasn’t until an injury to
Antrel Rolle that he was put in on defense, and he
responded, leading the team in INTs in half the
games as the other starters. Of course, all good
things come to an end, and Hester just hasn’t been
able to recapture the magic he had last year. He’s
no longer starting (though he usually plays in
Nickle sets), and has been played all over the
offensive side of the ball on occasion. One might
expect him to return for his senior year in hopes of
upping his stock, but few believe he’ll do so. He’s
already 23 years old and has a fiancée, so maybe the
college life isn’t the best for him, not to mention
the fact that his 4.3 40 will get him in the 2nd,
at lowest. Plus, he hasn’t developed much in his
first three years at Miami, so who’s to think he
will in one more.
Tennessee’s Jason Allen is a bit more of a hard
luck case, if anything, just because he’s now in a
situation that leaves him very little room to
maneuver. Many thought that Allen, at the beginning
of the season, had the best coverage skills of any
cornerback in the country, or at the very least, the
senior class. His history as a Safety made him
versatile and tough in the eyes of some, and a
tweener in the minds of others, but if one thing is
true, it’s that he can play either spot at a high
(think all conference) level. After quietly leading
the SEC in tackles, reread that in case anyone wants
to question his physicality, he was well on his way
again this year to big numbers when it all fell
apart. When tackling Georgia’s 6-8, 260 lb tank of
a TE Leonard Pope in the Vols October 8th
matchup with UGA, a joint in Allen’s hip popped out
of, then back into place. With an expected recovery
time of 6-8 weeks, you can guarantee that he won’t
be back for UT during the regular season, and with
the way he and the staff seem to be taking the
injury, there’s a very real chance that he’s played
his last game in a Volunteer uniform. Now the big
question is just how healthy he’ll be by the time
NFL workout season roles around, especially with
hips being so important to a corner, both in drills
and on the field. If he shows that he hasn’t lost
anything, and that the injuries aren’t lingering,
he’ll be able to solidify his first round grade, but
hip injuries have a way of taking serious turns.
At
this point, one might start to believe that it’d be
better to have not been starting the season with any
hype, but there is one player who, to this point, is
doing what we all expected/knew he was capable of,
Virginia Tech’s Jimmy Williams. It’s not often,
especially in a year with as many strong LBs as
this, that you hear from many that a cornerback
might be the best defensive player in the country,
but if you pay attention there are many out there
who believe it. He, like Allen, has played safety;
he, like Cromartie, has excellent size at 6-3, 215;
and he, like Hester, is born to make plays. This
year teams are just avoiding him, because they know
that their WRs simply aren’t good enough to get
anything past him, and if you make a mistake
throwing to Jimmy Williams side, you will regret
it. The only knock is that he might not be as
smooth as some of the smaller guys, but when you
need a corner who can shut down a WR of any size,
speed, or experience level, you need a player like
Jimmy Williams.
So, if you’re concerned about the health of this
year’s corner class, and need some other names to
look out for, here’s a few to keep in mind. Alan
Zemaitis, the big, physical corner from Penn St.;
Will Blackmon, a guy whose meant to be playing CB,
but is moonlighting at WR this year for BC; Cletis
Gordon, the token small school corner prospect, and
Marcus Maxey, the man that took Hester’s job at
Miami.
