2010 Cornerbacks

This years corner class is a very exceptional group...off the top of my head there are approximately 10 guys that could go in the first 2 rounds. Thats impressive.

One name who isn't talked about a lot is Chris Cook from Virginia. Cook is probably a second round lock but there are rumblings that the Vikings like him enough to possibly take him at #30 overall.
Cook is 6'2 212 lbs and runs a mid 4.4 40. Those triangle numbers are extremely intriguing. He is a good athlete, and has excellent hips and change of direction skills. He has good ball skills as well. Though his technique isn't that great and he isn't very physical, Cooks athleticism and triangle numbers are enough to have a team gamble on him. With good coaching and in the right situation the sky is the limit on this kid.

My favourite corner in this draft is probably Donovan Warren from Michigan. He is a great athlete, with exceptional ball skills, and he plays the run extremely well. He is physical, a good tackler, and is comfortable being left alone on an island with a receiver. His problem? Speed. He ran an awful 40 yard dash at the combine. Now for some positions, the 40 doesn't mean much. For corners however it means a lot. Warren ran a 4.64. Thats pretty bad. If he ran, say a 4.44 then Warren would most likely be a 2nd rounder, but unfortunately for him he could fall to round 4. I like Warren a lot despite of his speed. Put him in a zone situation where he doesn't often have to turn and run with receivers down field and instead can keep his eye on the line of scrimmage and pitch in on the run game, and you could have yourselves a poor man's Antoine Winfield.

Now there is a lot that can be said about guys like Joe Haden and Kyle Wilson, who are virtual first round locks. I want to discuss another guy who could slip into round one but doesn't get much publicity...Kareem Jackson.
Jackson has size, speed, and physicality. He is scheme diverse and is a very good run defender. He does get burned sometimes and has issues with separation from speed receivers but he has the skill set and athleticism to overcome those issues. Jackson got overlooked on Alabama because his team was stacked with so many other stars, but on draft day his name could be called earlier than most casual fans realize.

Here are my rankings:
1) Joe Haden, Florida (Round 1)
2) Kyle Wilson, Boise State (Round 1)
3) Devin McCourty, Rutgers (Round 1-2)
4) Kareem Jackson, Alabama (Round 1-2)
5) Chris Cook, Virginia (Round 1-2)
6) Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State (Round 2-3)
7) Dominique Franks, Oklahoma (Round 2)
8) Patrick Robinson, FSU (Round 2)
9) Donovan Warren, Michigan (Round 4)
10) Jerome Murphy, USF (Round 2-3)