PACKERDRAFT 2010 CORNERBACKS

Jerry Gilbert
Not much needs to be said about the current state of the Green Bay Packers cornerbacks. Charles Woodson is an all pro. Al Harris has been a quality cornerback but he will be coming back from a serious injury that will cause him to miss most or all of the off-season, and whether he will be as good as he has been is a concern. His backup and probable successor Tramon Williams has not yet shown the consistency to justify that prediction. Behind Williams there is chaos. Will Blackmon, the most athletic of the group has not excelled at cornerback when given an opportunity, and he cannot stay healthy. Second round draft choice Pat Lee has never stayed healthy long enough to impress anyone. Brandon Underwood and Josh Bell did not make enough of an impression to move ahead of Jarrett Bush. The Packers need another cornerback.

The top prospect is Joe Haden 5-11 190, a junior from Florida. Should he surprisingly drop, the Packers would definitely consider him. This draft is different from the situation last season when Michael Crabtree was unexpectedly available when the Packers picked. Wide receiver was not close to being a priority last season. This year cornerback should be addressed within the first three rounds, and the opportunity to grab a blue chip prospect could prove irresistible. Haden is not only a great cover corner, but he also comes up in run support. He even volunteered to play special teams. Joe Haden will be a good to great player for some team, but it is not likely to be the Packers

After the consensus first talent comes off the board, there is little agreement who will be next. What is fairly clear is that a number of cornerbacks will be off the board before the second pick for Green Bay. That leads to the possibility that a player who General Manager Ted Thompson highly values may be gone before his pick. If that happens we could see a replay of the trade up to land Clay Matthews last season.

Two or three players are in that late first or early second round group. Kyle Wilson 5-10 194 Boise State was thought to be a third round prospect until he stole the show at the Senior Bowl. He followed that with an impressive combine. Wilson is one of the better tacklers in this group and is also a candidate to return kicks. He is an inch shorter than the minimum height for players the Packers have tended to sign in recent years. Moreover, his senior totals of 3 interceptions and 4 passes broken up are not the numbers of a special player.

Others frequently mentioned for the first round are Patrick Robinson 5-11 190 Florida State and Earl Thomas 5-10 208 Texas. Robinson was a star as a junior but dropped off as a senior. Thomas has always played safety which is an issue if he is expected to contribute immediatey.

As already stated, a number of corner backs will be taken in round two. There is no guarantee that a player of interest to Green Bay will still be available. These are some of those second round players. As happened to Kyle Wilson, Devin McCourty 5-11 193 Rutgers raised his profile with great play at the Senior Bowl. All Big East with 80 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 2009, McCourty continued to impress with the fastest 40 time of any prominent cornerback at the Combine, 4.34. He also returns kicks.

Also likely to go in round 2 before the Packers pick is Kareem Jackson 5-10 196 Alabama. A player who goes where the ball is, Jackson had ten pass breakups as a junior and 13 as a senior. Running a 4.41 forty on the slow track at the Combine should have solidified his status. He will probably be chosen before the Packers pick in round 2. On the other hand some of the following talented players could be there when Green bay is on the clock in round 2 or even in round 3

Scouts differ about Brandon Ghee 6-0 191 Wake Forest. Everyone agrees that he had excellent games against big strong receivers including the 6-3 Georgia Tech standout Demaryius Thomas. His detractors point to no interception last season. One fact about Ghee is that his combine height measurement was taller than expected. That is very unusual. He played well at the Senior Bowl and ran a 4.37 forty at the Combine. Ghee is one of the cornerbacks the Packers may consider.

A junior, Dominique Franks 6-0 189 Oklahoma is another player to consider. Selected All Big 12 last season, he had 47 tackles and 2 interceptions. He was also effective returning punts.

Another early entry cornerback with 2 interceptions in 2009 is Amari Spievey 5-11 195 Iowa. He ran a 4.47 forty at the Combine but has generally been over 4.5 More than willing to support the run, Spievey made 124 tackles over two seasons. He was All Big Ten last year.

Perrish Cox 5-11 195 Oklahoma State did it all last year. He covered the best receiver from the other team, broke up 15 passes and intercepted four. Cox has been a top return man for both punts and kicks for three years. His problem is maturity. He broke team rules and was suspended for the Cotton Bowl. He did not prepare and ran a slow forty at the Combine. Cox could be a nice addition if he is ready to work,but he is a risk.

Jerome Murphy 6-0 186 South Florida is an aggressive cover corner and tackler who has consistently made big plays. His totals for 2009 were 77 tackles, 7 passes broken up and 4 interceptions. His 4.52 forty at the Combine did not help his draft position. Murphy could be a combination safety and nickel corner.

Another effective college player whose disappointing forty time may drop him a round or two is Donovan Warren 6-0 187 Michigan. Only a junior, Warren played well in the Big Ten while enduring a revolving door of defensive coordinatos, three in three years. He is another player who may play both cornerback and safety.

Later rounds will also contain some promising defensive backs. Alteran Verner is on several sleeper lists. Playing in the Pac Ten the 5-10 189 UCLA corner broke up 22 passes and intercepted seven over the past two seasons. He registered 144 tackles in the same period. A bit undersized and a bit slow, he is obviously a player who got the job done against top college talent. Verner will play on Sunday, but he is probably too short to be drafted by the Packers

Another capable defender is Walter McFadden 5-11 181 Auburn. Some scouts like his game. Green Bay may shy away from him after their experience with Pat Lee, who also excelled in the Auburn system. He ran the forty in 4.40 at his pro day.

Also available late in the draft will be Crezdon Butler 6-0 185 Clemson. His numbers declined in his final season possibly because teams avoided him. Butler has twelve intercetions and two fumnble recoveries for his career. He is second all time in interception return yardage at Clemson.

The entry of several juniors has made the 2010 NFL draft quite deep at cornerack. The Green Bay Packers should be able to find some help at the position this April.