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Cowboys' Draft: Cornering the Corner Profile
Posted by Rafael at Friday, April 22, 2011
Today we look at cornerbacks, with some reference to Dallas' 2010 draft board. Recall, that the team entered that draft with corner high on the list, and the depth at corner and the depth of the team's initial pick (27th) made the position one most connected in mocks. Devin McCourty, Kyle Wilson and Kareem Jackson were players of interest. When the board was exposed, here's how they fell:
1-8 Joe Haden, 5'10", 190 lbs., 4.35 1-7,
1-18 Kyle Wilson, 5'10", 190 lbs., 4.43 1-29
2-25 Devin McCourty, 5'11", 186 lbs., 4.51 1-27
2-35 Kareem Jackson, 5'11", 195 lbs., 4.55 1-20
2-39 Brandon Ghee, 6'0", 196 lbs., 4.46 3-96
3-44 Patrick Robinson, 5'11", 190 lbs., 4.41 1-32
4-72 Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, 6'1", 197 lbs., 4.48 4-126
4-73 Javier Arenas, 5'9", 195 lbs., 4.59 2-50
4-86 Dominique Franks, 6'0", 190 lbs., 4.55 5-135
4-93 Myron Lewis, 6'2", 204 lbs., 4.51 3-67
5-105 Kevin Thomas, 6'0", 189 lbs., 4.55 3-94
5-109 Alterrun Verner, 6'0", 181 lbs.4.55 4-104
5-114 Jamar Wall, 5'10", 204 lbs., 4.55 6-196
7-127 Walter Thurmond, 5'10", 185 lbs., 4.56 4-111
Notable exceptions: Chris Cook, Jerome Murphy, Amari Spievey, Trevard Lindley.
Cornerback, like defensive line and offensive tackle, is a push position, at least from Dallas' perspective. Note how many players were taken higher than their round. This makes sense, as the game creeps more towards the passing game with each passing season.
This board raises the interesting question. With CBs rising and with two ILBs on the board just ahead of Kyle Wilson, both of whom were anticipated to be drafted in the 2nd, might he have been Dallas' choice had Dez Bryant been picked in the first 23 picks? He would have been a solid selection, having played very well for the stellar Jets secondary.
Looking for a size profile? Look for corners at least 5'10", or taller. When looking for style, consider what we discussed about receivers. If you're looking for shorter candidates they must have exceptional speed and agility. The same is true of the guys picked to cover them. If you're a shorter candidate, you better have wheels. Shorter, smaller guys will see lots of footballs coming in their direction.
Look at the speed profiles. Of the first four guys on this list, four who were picked in the 1st round, ranking correspond to speed. I'm sure it's not that simple; other factors also play into the Cowboys thinking, but it also not a pure coincidence. The Cowboys played a lot of man-to-man under Wade Phillips and will likely play a lot of man-to-man under Rob Ryan.
Dallas wants physical corners and this relates to size. It's hard to re-route the Dez Bryants and Sidney Rices if you are short and lightweight.
This year, the Cowboys' love for Patrick Peterson is open and real -- and justified. He's a sure blue chipper. The recent breakdown of the board, which has two QBs in the top five, along with Von Miller and A.J. Green, increases the odds he drops. If Carolina or Denver take Marcell Dareus, he's sitting at six, when factors discussed weeks ago surface:
•Jerry Jones and Mike Holmgren have cut a few 1st round deals in the past, letting Dallas move up and take Ebenezer Ekuban and Mike Jenkins. Holmgren pocketed two #1s in the Joey Galloway deal way back in 2000.
•If the Browns get to 6 and Julio Jones and Peterson are on the board, they could cut a deal, pocket Dallas' 3rd rounder, and still take Jones at 9. They picked CB Joe Haden 7th overall last year and SS T.J. Ward at the top of the 2nd. Peterson likely isn't in their plans.
I can't argue with a player likely rated 1st or 2nd on Dallas' board, but flipping a 3rd would bother me. Dallas flipped its 3rd rounder last year and this team needs every pick it can get. If it starts wheeling and dealing trying to recover that lost 3rd-round pick, we're looking at Patrick Peterson and a possible repeat of '09, when the 2nd round deal downs became a 2nd round deal out, and that became multiple 3rd and 4th round shots in the dark.
If you could guarantee a quality 2nd round offensive lineman to complement Peterson, I'm on board, but if this deal goes down and Dallas enters the 3rd round with no pick and no offensive line help, well, I don't want to think about that. Dallas needs more than one player, no matter how good he is.
Posted by Rafael at Friday, April 22, 2011
Today we look at cornerbacks, with some reference to Dallas' 2010 draft board. Recall, that the team entered that draft with corner high on the list, and the depth at corner and the depth of the team's initial pick (27th) made the position one most connected in mocks. Devin McCourty, Kyle Wilson and Kareem Jackson were players of interest. When the board was exposed, here's how they fell:
1-8 Joe Haden, 5'10", 190 lbs., 4.35 1-7,
1-18 Kyle Wilson, 5'10", 190 lbs., 4.43 1-29
2-25 Devin McCourty, 5'11", 186 lbs., 4.51 1-27
2-35 Kareem Jackson, 5'11", 195 lbs., 4.55 1-20
2-39 Brandon Ghee, 6'0", 196 lbs., 4.46 3-96
3-44 Patrick Robinson, 5'11", 190 lbs., 4.41 1-32
4-72 Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, 6'1", 197 lbs., 4.48 4-126
4-73 Javier Arenas, 5'9", 195 lbs., 4.59 2-50
4-86 Dominique Franks, 6'0", 190 lbs., 4.55 5-135
4-93 Myron Lewis, 6'2", 204 lbs., 4.51 3-67
5-105 Kevin Thomas, 6'0", 189 lbs., 4.55 3-94
5-109 Alterrun Verner, 6'0", 181 lbs.4.55 4-104
5-114 Jamar Wall, 5'10", 204 lbs., 4.55 6-196
7-127 Walter Thurmond, 5'10", 185 lbs., 4.56 4-111
Notable exceptions: Chris Cook, Jerome Murphy, Amari Spievey, Trevard Lindley.
Cornerback, like defensive line and offensive tackle, is a push position, at least from Dallas' perspective. Note how many players were taken higher than their round. This makes sense, as the game creeps more towards the passing game with each passing season.
This board raises the interesting question. With CBs rising and with two ILBs on the board just ahead of Kyle Wilson, both of whom were anticipated to be drafted in the 2nd, might he have been Dallas' choice had Dez Bryant been picked in the first 23 picks? He would have been a solid selection, having played very well for the stellar Jets secondary.
Looking for a size profile? Look for corners at least 5'10", or taller. When looking for style, consider what we discussed about receivers. If you're looking for shorter candidates they must have exceptional speed and agility. The same is true of the guys picked to cover them. If you're a shorter candidate, you better have wheels. Shorter, smaller guys will see lots of footballs coming in their direction.
Look at the speed profiles. Of the first four guys on this list, four who were picked in the 1st round, ranking correspond to speed. I'm sure it's not that simple; other factors also play into the Cowboys thinking, but it also not a pure coincidence. The Cowboys played a lot of man-to-man under Wade Phillips and will likely play a lot of man-to-man under Rob Ryan.
Dallas wants physical corners and this relates to size. It's hard to re-route the Dez Bryants and Sidney Rices if you are short and lightweight.
This year, the Cowboys' love for Patrick Peterson is open and real -- and justified. He's a sure blue chipper. The recent breakdown of the board, which has two QBs in the top five, along with Von Miller and A.J. Green, increases the odds he drops. If Carolina or Denver take Marcell Dareus, he's sitting at six, when factors discussed weeks ago surface:
•Jerry Jones and Mike Holmgren have cut a few 1st round deals in the past, letting Dallas move up and take Ebenezer Ekuban and Mike Jenkins. Holmgren pocketed two #1s in the Joey Galloway deal way back in 2000.
•If the Browns get to 6 and Julio Jones and Peterson are on the board, they could cut a deal, pocket Dallas' 3rd rounder, and still take Jones at 9. They picked CB Joe Haden 7th overall last year and SS T.J. Ward at the top of the 2nd. Peterson likely isn't in their plans.
I can't argue with a player likely rated 1st or 2nd on Dallas' board, but flipping a 3rd would bother me. Dallas flipped its 3rd rounder last year and this team needs every pick it can get. If it starts wheeling and dealing trying to recover that lost 3rd-round pick, we're looking at Patrick Peterson and a possible repeat of '09, when the 2nd round deal downs became a 2nd round deal out, and that became multiple 3rd and 4th round shots in the dark.
If you could guarantee a quality 2nd round offensive lineman to complement Peterson, I'm on board, but if this deal goes down and Dallas enters the 3rd round with no pick and no offensive line help, well, I don't want to think about that. Dallas needs more than one player, no matter how good he is.