Cornerback

1) Joe Haden (Florida)-9.5
Joe Haden was a shutdown corner at Florida. He shut down Julio Jones in the SEC championship against Alabama, showing pro scouts that he can play against NFL caliber receivers, and play well. Although he sometimes struggles in zones, and will need to learn quickly in the NFL, he is very consistent in all other facets of the game. He plays the run well, and he plays the screen game well, as he reacts quickly and explodes towards the ball. In coverage, he has fluid hips and uses his hands well to keep receivers where he wants them. He is string enough to jam at the line and fast enough for go routes. All signs point to: shutdown corner in the NFL.

2) Donovan Warren (Michigan)-9.1
Warren is an excellent corner, and may push for Haden’s spot, as we get closer to April. He is bigger than Haden, and has similar ball skills. He is also a quick learner, as he played for three different defensive coordinators in his three years at Michigan. He is below Haden on this list because he is just overall a lesser candidate. In every facet of the game, Haden is a little more polished, in his hips, the run game, and breaking up passes he is very efficient, but does not match Haden’s abilities.

4) Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State)-8.7
If you haven’t figured it out yet, CB, and DBs in general, are the deepest positions in the draft this year. All five players on this list, and 4 out of the five in the list of safeties, could easily end up being the staple at that position for years to come for whichever team drafts them. Cox is a bit different because of his size. He is 6’0”, nearly 200 pounds, but he plays like a much smaller player. He mirrored good receivers all year, and also did a good job returning kicks. He is very efficient in zone, and in fact, a year ago many scouts thought he would only be a zone corner in the NFL. After 4 picks and 15 passes broken up this past season, he has proved he can stick 1 on 1 with receivers as well. With his size, he could be a Charles Woodson type player in the NFL, jamming receivers and sticking with them if they can break off the line. He may be the #2 corner in the coming weeks.

4) Javier Arenas (Alabama)-8.6
Arenas is high on my list because of his dynamic ability to return punts and kicks, as well as cover very well. He is small (5’8.5”), which has dropped him out of the top five on many lists, but his small size makes him incredibly fluid in and out of his cuts. He can mirror receivers VERY well, and that is a key in the NFL. Even with his height, he has good leaping ability, which allows him to knock away passes to taller receivers. Still, match him up with A Marques Colston, and he will struggle, so he may need to be matched on a team with a bigger corner. I can see Arenas sticking with elite slot guys like Wes Welker, and there are a lot of teams that could use that, for sure. He also has a knack for this big play, he’s not afraid to jump routes, and when he gets the ball in his hands, look out. He also just started in his Junior campaign playing corner, so he is a very fast learner, and NFL teams love that.


5) Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest)-8.2