Indianapolis Colts Draft Preview: Cornerbacks
Last week, I previewed some of the top EDGE rushers the Colts could look at in the 1st round of the upcoming NFL Draft. Another need the Colts could look to address in the first round is finding a cornerback to line up opposite of Pro-Bowl CB Vontae Davis. The Patrick Robinson experiment failed after Robinson failed to produce last year and then ultimately found himself on the inactive report which resulted in his release last month, he has since landed himself on the Philadelphia Eagles roster. Luckily, like this year’s EDGE class, the cornerback class also has tons of talent in every round. It has become unclear recently just how many cornerbacks could go in round one. Marshon Lattimore appears to be the only for sure CB to go in round one, but as many as six more could go in the first. Let’s review some of the top cornerback’s in this year’s draft.
Marshon Lattimore (6’0” 193 lbs.) Ohio State
Lattimore is an athletic, physical corner who is not expected to drop out of the top 10. He does about everything you could ask for in a corner as far as defending passes, interceptions, stays balanced, excellent footwork, as well as running a 4.36 40 at the combine. Only knocks against Lattimore include a lingering hamstring injury as well as only starting a year at Ohio State, being behind last year’s 1st-round pick Eli Apple. Like Apple, Lattimore will hear his name called in the first 10 picks of this year’s draft.
Marlon Humphrey (6’0” 197 lbs.) Alabama
Like Lattimore, Humphrey is also a fast, physical corner who is not afraid to get in and do the dirty work. While he tends to struggle in zone coverage, Humphrey has the ability to shut down his side of the field with his speed, ability to find the ball, and then close in to make the play. Since he has the tendency to be impatient in zone coverage, he doesn’t get burnt by his man which makes him a viable option for the Colts at 15.
Teez Tabor (6’0” 200 lbs.) Florida
A lot of people (me included) were disappointed with Tabor’s 40 time at the Combine when he ran a 4.62. Teams don’t draft slow corners high, that’s a proven fact. Tabor’s problem on the other hand, he cited a hamstring injury for his slow 40 time at the Combine as well as his 4.77 40 at Florida’s pro day. Everyone was shocked by these times because when you watch Tabor on tape, you would guess his 40 time would be in the same range as Lattimore and Humphrey. Tabor’s strength is being able to play zone up-close and deep in coverage. While his speed didn’t time well, his closing speed helps him recover to make a play on the ball. While his stock continues to drop to potentially the 2nd round, he has first round talent and might be the last premier corner that someone could justify using the 15th overall pick on.
Gareon Conley (6’0” 195 lbs.) Ohio State
I cannot name another cornerback, heck maybe just another player overall, who’s stock has gone up more than Conley’s these last couple of weeks. Conley’s stock has risen so much that some scouts grade him as highly as his teammate, Marshon Lattimore. So, what does he do so well to get so highly regarded? Well, luckily for the Colts, he excels in press coverage which is a match for the Colts bump-and-run style. He’s a lengthy CB which allows him to bat down and defend passes better than some of the other top CB prospects. Another part of Conley’s game I liked was his ability to turn his head and find the ball, not putting himself at risk for penalties. The one thing I did not see when watching Conley was him blitzing or making a play in the run game, I know that is not a big deal for CB’s, but still would have been nice to see some aggressiveness on those plays.
Sidney Jones IV (6’0” 186 lbs.)
If it were not for an unfortunate Achilles injury on his pro day, it would have been a guarantee that Jones’ name would be called on Thursday night. Jones is slimmer than the other 1st round prospects at only 186 lbs., but his speed makes up for the lack of upper body strength. Jones also plays the ball more than he plays his man, tallying 9 interceptions during his time at UW while also defending passes at a high rate. Despite only running a 4.47 40, Jones’ quickness cannot be ignored either, but with his recent injury some might question how long it will be before Jones is back to full strength. Due to his injury, Jones may slide to day 2 of the draft and if he does, he may be one of the first off the board if his Achilles checks out before then.
Tre’Davious White (5’11” 192 lbs.) LSU
I’ll be honest, I don’t care for White on the outside. I feel like White can be one of the NFL’s best nickel corners in a couple of years. Now is it worth it to draft a potential nickel corner in the 1st round? I don’t think so. But, the Raiders drafted a kicker in the 1st round, the Bucs traded up to take a kicker in the 2nd round, and who can forget the Jags taking a punter ahead of Russell Wilson and TY Hilton? If a team thinks they can develop White into a better outside corner, go for it. I’m not saying the potential isn’t there, the guy is a potential 1st round pick for a reason. White has the speed like other top corners, just lacks the physicality and strength. Often criticized for playing “soft,” White has the potential to be a good NFL corner, could just be a multi-year project rather than a guy you can plug into a hole and contribute right away.
