Possible CBs to draft in Rounds 1 or 2

[hawaiiansteel]

we need to draft a CB in Rounds 1 or 2, here is a write-up on Brandon Harris who the Steelers would have to draft in Round 1...


Pittsburgh 2011 Draft Preview: Brandon Harris | CB | Miami

Well, it’s time to look ahead to the 2011 NFL Draft, and what better way to start that season than by looking at a few potential Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft selections?

Exactly! There IS no better way. That’s why I pay the big bucks to keep this place running. Or something like that.

The first one will be a special treat for me, because it brings the best of two worlds to my fingertips – the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami’s own Hurricanes. We’ll be taking a look at cornerback Brandon Harris.


Height: 5’11”

Weight: 195

40 Yard Dash: 4.41

Projected Round: Top 25 Pick

Harris can do it all from the cornerback position, which makes him all that more valuable to the Pittsburgh secondary which is lacking in not only depth, but in overall talent. Ike Taylor’s contract is technically up with the finish of Super Bowl XLV, and William Gay and Bryant McFadden are performing at very levels.

Harris isn’t really great at anything in particular, but he’s good at a lot of things, including the all too overlooked run support. Not enough NFL corners want to come up and hit a running back, perhaps a throwback to them growing up watching Deion Sanders? Congratulations to Deion for being inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame by the way. Harris thoroughly enjoys punishing ball carriers though, which is a perfect fit for any Pittsburgh corner.

And don’t even think about sending a wide receiver to block him, he shows great ability in not only taking blocks head on, but also shedding them and finding his way to the ball.

You’d imagine that with all the talk of run support that Harris is a bit of a one trick pony, but that’s not the case at all, he broke up 15 passes during the 2009 season. In coverage, he sticks with his man like glue, leading offensive coordinators to eliminate plays going his way, something not many corners are capable of.

I know what you’re thinking: he’s got the physical tools, but what about his attitude? Santonio Holmes was just traded away for chicken feed for conduct problems, and Harris is extremely talented – that comes with a price, right?

Normally, I’d say yes, and we’d move on to the next player, but not in this case. Harris has proven himself to be very coachable, and very down to earth. His leadership is also exceptional, along with his natural swagger (sounds like he and Ike will have plenty to talk about) he’ll not only have the talent to compete at the professional level, but he’ll also have the confidence in his abilities to shrug off a blown assignment here and there.

His ability to contribute in all phases of the secondary workload will without a doubt make him a hot commodity at the end of the first round, possibly into the early second, pending his combine scores. His ceiling may not be as high as higher profile corners in this year’s draft class, but he’s got all of the physical tools and intangibles to have a long, successful career at the NFL level.

[url="http://steelhurtin.com/2011/02/07/pittsburgh-2011-draft-preview-brandon-harris-cb-miami/#more-131"]http://steelhurtin.com/2011/02/07/pitts ... /#more-131[/url]

[hawaiiansteel]

here's a nice write-up on Colorado CB Jimmy Smith, who we also would have to draft in the 1st round...


NFL draft hopefuls are rely on training centers to turn scouts' heads

By John Henderson
The Denver Post
POSTED: 02/06/2011



Zac Woodfin, a performance specialist who is helping Jimmy Smith prepare for the NFL scouting combine, said the former CU cornerback is "doing excellent he's a very sharp kid."


CARSON, Calif. — Jimmy Smith is hanging on for dear life.

His chin is perched precariously over a bar as his biceps and forearms shake like branches in a storm. His mouth is carved into a grimace you'd associate with someone undergoing an appendectomy without anesthesia.

He's in a pull-up position, with gravity torturing him, wearing what looks like a grenade-proof vest. Forty-five pounds of lead probably could stop a grenade. It's not stopping Zac Woodfin, one of the keys to Smith's NFL future, from barking orders like a traffic cop.

"HOLD!" Woodfin yells. "Now go down! One.



Former University of Colorado football player Jimmy Smith participates in drills designed to work on foot movement when covering receivers during a workout with Athletes Performance Inc. at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. ( Steve McCrank photos, Daily Breeze )

Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. UP!"

Woodfin is a performance specialist at Athletes' Performance Inc., one of those intense, high- tech, pre-draft training centers that have become de rigueur for NFL prospects. Smith, a two-time all-Big 12 cornerback at the University of Colorado, is in the middle of an eight-week tour of duty he hopes will make him a first-round draft pick.

API is gearing prospects toward one goal, doing well at the NFL scouting combine Feb. 24-March 1. That's where one drill can determine if a player is set financially for life or must prove himself in training camp.

"It's the biggest job interview, not only in these athletes' lives, but it's the biggest job interview there is," Woodfin said. "Imagine going to a three- or four-day event and there's literally tens of millions of dollars on the line. You have six to eight weeks to prepare for this job interview.

"We take it very, very seriously."

How seriously? Take the combine's 40-yard dash. Each prospect gets two shots at it. Two. They can have another try at a pro day on their campus, but nail it in Indianapolis and they're set.

"A 4.5 to a 4.4 means a million dollars," Smith said. "A 4.4 to a 4.3 is literally tens
of millions of dollars. If I run a 4.5, I'm just another big guy."



University of Colorado football player Jimmy Smith takes a break from in drills during combine practices with Athletes Performance at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, Thursday. January 20, 2011. Photo by Steve McCrank / Daily Breeze ( | STEVE McCRANK)

Working on weaknesses

The whole concept of pre-draft training centers started with founder Mark Verstegen. Georgia Tech's former strength coach wanted a training refuge for elite athletes and opened the first one in an old Staples building in Tempe, Ariz., in 1999.

In 2001, the site became a specialized pre-combine training center. They've now expanded to five locations with 120 full-time employees, not counting area coaches who conduct drills.

It's not cheap. The charge is $16,000 and is usually paid by the player's agent, who sees it as a cheap investment for a client whom he hopes will sign a contract worth millions.

The trappings are comfortable. The workouts are not. On a late January afternoon, the hottest place in the United States might be the workout area adjacent to one of the training fields. Smith lies on his back with his feet up on an electronic pulley machine. He pulls down 45 pounds 50 times in 30 seconds.

"They lower the weight a little bit, but not much," Smith said. "By the end of your workout, six pounds feel like about 100."

In another drill, athletes lie on their backs with 45-pound weights on their stomach. They pull themselves up on a bar eight times. On the field, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, a possible pick of the Broncos with the No. 2 overall selection, is sliding sideways while pulling a physical therapist who is trying gamely to hold him back with a band around his waist.

Every player has a different workout that is specifically designed for the position he plays and his weaknesses.

"I've never heard of them," Smith said of many of the drills. "When we first did them, people were, like, dying. We didn't know what was going on."

Lean and mean

Smith is sitting in his apartment in Seal Beach, a small, quiet and affordable beach town 20 minutes down the 405 from Carson. He looks tired but doesn't act it. He's excited about the improvement he's made, although he's been slowed with a tweaked hamstring.

"I'm not taking anything away from Dal Ward and the strength program there (at CU), but this is designed for exactly what we're doing," he said. "At Dal Ward, it's a bigger group — way bigger group — 100 kids. And the lifts are more to get powerful. We're not trying to get powerful.

"We're trying to get into tiptop shape."

He's feeling leaner, stronger and faster than he did at Colorado. Everything he eats, from breakfast at the facility to the box dinners he takes home, are specifically chosen by API's nutritional staff.

He said he's always liked fruits and vegetables "but I never really incorporated it in my meal unless I got lettuce on my hamburger."

Today, he's gone native. On this night, his dinner is grilled chicken tacos packed with vegetables inside a wheat tortilla.

"There were days in college when I'd hurry up and eat a Sonic burger and go to practice," Smith said. "Now that I've eaten good, I can tell it was the food that made me slow at practice."

His lone recreation has been an occasional collapse on the beach on his one day off a week, Sunday. There will be plenty of time to party after the April draft. Until then, API said Smith has been one of the more impressive specimens in camp.

"Jimmy Smith is doing excellent," Woodfin said. "He's got unbelievable strength for a corner. He's a tall corner, which is rare. His height, his strength, his mental ability, he's a very sharp kid. He's going to pick up defenses really, really quickly. The sky's the limit for Jimmy."

The Denver Post [url="http://www.denverpost.com/cu/ci_17305955#ixzz1DUIkMP5C"]http://www.denverpost.com/cu/ci_17305955#ixzz1DUIkMP5C[/url]

[hawaiiansteel]

Aaron Williams CB Texas

6’1”, 192 pounds




Latest News

01/11/2011 - Longhorns' junior cornerback Aaron Williams, who has announced he will enter the NFL draft, has picked his agents and will sign with them this week, his father said Sunday. Anthony Williams said his son will sign with Ben Dogra and Tom Condon, who head the football division of St. Louis-based Creative Artists Agency. CAA represents many of the game's biggest names, including quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Drew Brees and Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. Clients also including Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson. Aaron Williams will spend part of this spring in Arizona, his father said, training for the NFL Combine set for Feb. 23-March 1 in Indianapolis. Anthony Williams has said his son received a draft projection of first or second round by the NFL. The draft will be April 28-30 in New York City.

Overview

Scouts like Williams' size and aggressive nature, and have already seen two similar corners from Texas enter the league in recent season. Cedric Griffin was a solid second-round pick (48th overall) for the Vikings in 2006, while Aaron Ross hasn't quite been the player the Giants hoped he would be when they picked him in the first round (20th) of the 2007 draft.

Williams, a Parade High School All-American, played every game as a true freshman and started one game (16 tackles, one for loss, three passes broken up). His four blocked punts in 2008 tied a school record. Williams showed promise as a full-time starter in his sophomore year, making 44 tackles, six for loss, intercepting three passes and breaking up six. Williams was named second-team All-Big 12 by league coaches as a junior in 2010, even though he failed to make an interception in 12 pass deflections. He had 46 tackles, including five for loss, and also forced three fumbles.

Williams received a second-round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee because of his prototypical height, short-area quickness and a strong ability to knock away passes. However, he does not play as physically as you would expect given his size and must refine his technique. Expect Williams to be picked at the bottom of the first round or early in the second.

Analysis

Read & React: Reads routes well and starts to close when receivers throttle down to catch curl or hitch. Sniffs out bubble screens. Gets fooled on double moves and misdirection when receivers and backs sell their routes. Recognizes run immediately in man or zone coverage and gets around the receiver to make the play.

Man Coverage: His size makes him a prototypical outside corner, able to stay with NFL pass-catchers down the sideline. Usually matches up with opponent's biggest receiver. Shows relatively quick feet when in the slot. Mirrors receivers on most straight-line routes but struggles to stop and return on throws behind him. Stays too high in his pedal, however, lets receivers eat up cushion too quickly. Needs to play more physically; usually plays well off the receiver, fails to land his hands when on the line. Gets pushed around too easily, allowing separation outside.

Zone Coverage: Practiced as a zone defender. Comes off of initial target a bit late, but gets to the ball in a hurry once he picks up the quarterback's read. Adjusts to jerk routes and can change his angle on the fly. Gets a hand on passes thrown over his head when underneath. Lacks great suddenness to change direction with quick slot receivers over the middle.

Closing/Recovery: A bit slow transitioning forward to plant and drive, but likes to make big hits and is tough for receivers to escape when he closes. Owns only adequate hands for the interception; picks off some easy passes but drops high and wide throws when in position to make the play. Able to knock away passes by swiping his long arm in front of receivers and winning jump balls. Lacks recovery speed if beaten off the line and does not gain ground running down the field.

Run Support: Solid run defender on the edge. Not afraid to take on large outside receivers and reacts quickly to get around potential blockers to make the tackle on running plays to his side of the field. Gets outside of the blocker to funnel plays back inside, but could do a better job shedding blocks when he's not able to elude them. Takes deep angles to be a last line of defense.

Tackling: Inconsistent tackler who displays the length and aggressiveness to wrap up ballcarriers but lacks great strength. Like to hit running backs on the edge and usually leads with a shoulder. Gives good effort, coming off his man to help teammates and laying out to make ankle tackles. Blitzes effectively due to his straight-line speed and size. Height can be a detriment against smaller, quicker ballcarriers; will leave his feet instead of dropping his hips to wrap and tackle. Gets dragged for extra yardage by stronger receivers.

Intangibles: Showed great maturity working though disappointing dropped punt against Oklahoma last fall. Missed UCF game in 2009 with a right knee injury. Uncle, Ken Taylor, played defensive back at Oregon State (1981-84) and Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears.

[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1632499"]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1632499[/url]

[Oviedo]

I like Aaron Williams in Round 1.

I do think we need to get two CBs in this draft. Look to move Keenan Lewis to safety where some projected he should play coming out in the draft. He obviously can't cut it at CB when we are desperate enough to have Anthony Madison playing CB in the dime.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

What is the word on Davon House from New Mexico State? I found this writup on him but have never seen the kid play......


A hard-hitting, cover CB that has been moving up the Big Board ranks -- those of you who have not seen many New Mexico State games have not witnessed one of the few shining stars for the Aggies.

[PSU_dropout43]

Brandon Harris, CB, Miami

We continue our series with Miami cornerback Brandon Harris. In 38 games with the Hurricanes, Harris picked up four interceptions, 130 tackles (91 solo), 26 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, and 15 kick returns for 337 yards. Harris' relatively low career interception total is an indicator of both sides of the learning curve -- while he dropped a number of potential picks (and got burned for many touchdowns) in 2008, Harris was good enough in coverage by his junior season of 2010 to force enemy quarterbacks to throw the other way.

Pros: Adjusts well to motion pre-snap. Trails receivers tightly on timing and crossing routes and has the short-area speed to recover on digs and comebacks. Closes exceptionally well on screens and swing passes. He'll lose one-on-one jumping battles because of his height, but he has a great sense of timing to leap as the receiver starts to descend. Excellent sense of play direction; you don't see him getting fooled out of a potential play by receiver moves or quarterback fakes. Seems to have an innate sense of when to be aggressive and jump a route, and when to hang back and tackle. Clearly responds to coaching and learns from his mistakes in coverage.
Decent form tackler in run support for his size (5-foot-11, 195 pounds), though bigger players will drag him and he'll have to wait for help at times. Doesn't shy away from lining up to set the edge. Quick enough to avoid getting beaten by jukes in space, and he doesn't hesitate to being a knock once he zeroes in.

Cons: Harris is a better man corner than he is in zone, especially zone where he's playing off. Less of problem when he's playing under with or without safety help, but he seems to get a bit lost with a bigger zone to defend. Faster receivers who can push off will gain advantage -- Harris will struggle to catch up at times. Passes defensed numbers are partially inflated because he has a habit of slapping the ball away even when he could go for the pick.
Conclusion: If Harris was two inches taller, we'd be talking about him as a top-15 draft pick. But as he stands (literally), he's still got enough talent to start his path in the NFL as an outstanding nickel corner and make the transition to starting cornerback in a system in which pure man-speed is more important than zone recognition and the ability to tackle. With continued focus on his technique, he should be able to meet good coaching all the way and make a real difference for his NFL team.

NFL Comparison: Brent Grimes(notes), Atlanta Falcons

[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-Shutdown-40-26-Brandon-Harris-CB-Miami;_ylt=Aj.TFesAcTMMRAZTJjxaXxJDubYF?urn=nfl-321853"]http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdo ... nfl-321853[/url]

[steelblood]

Here is some CB analysis from a Giants website. They have culled information and analysis from several sources and edited video for each player. They even have Davon House!

Brandon Harris
[url="http://www.giantsgab.com/2011/01/26/they-might-be-giants-prospect-profiles-cb-brandon-harris-the-u/"]http://www.giantsgab.com/2011/01/26/the ... ris-the-u/[/url]

Davon House
[url="http://www.giantsgab.com/2011/02/14/prospect-profiles-davon-house/"]http://www.giantsgab.com/2011/02/14/pro ... von-house/[/url]

Jimmy Smith
[url="http://www.giantsgab.com/2011/02/07/prospect-profiles-jimmy-smith/"]http://www.giantsgab.com/2011/02/07/pro ... mmy-smith/[/url]

[hawaiiansteel]

Prospect Profile: CB, Jimmy Smith, Colorado

Written by Jesse Bartolis on February 18, 2011




Jimmy Smith is a player who’s draft stock will greatly depend on the pre-draft workout process. Smith is very tall 6-2 and some predict that he might run a 40 yard dash in the low 4.4s or even in the 4.3. If Smith, at his height, can run a 40 yard dash that fast then he might be the Dominique Rodgers Cromarite of this year’s draft and I think a possible selection for the Giants who could be looking to draft an elite defensive athlete in this draft. Or any number of teams looking to bolster their secondary like the Lions, Texans, Eagles among many others.

Measurables

6-2 202 pounds reportedly running the 40 sub 4.4

If the reports are true about Smith (and CBS Rob Rang says they are accurate according to scouts) then that is blazing for a 6-2 cornerback.

Stats

68 tackles (50 solo), no interceptions, 4 passes defensed (these stats don’t tell the story as I’ll write about in the final thought)


Scouting Reports

Positives: Great mix of size and speed, has a tall frame and a very fast top gear… Is a consistent wrap-up tackler, will not deliver the big hit or drive ball carriers back, but does a good job of wrapping at the waist and not letting go… Is a very athletic player, appears to be smooth when changing directions, flows well to the ball… Has experience in press coverage, jams receivers with a good hand pop, plays more physical at the line than thin frame would suggest… Does a very good job of playing the ball with the correct hand, does not open body to the ball when he knows he won’t get to it, avoids giving up a lot of big plays because of that… Has pretty good instincts and awareness, is quick to distinguish between pass and run plays, even when lined up in press coverage… Has very good body control when attacking the ball in the air, has a solid vertical leap and will meet the ball at the highest point… Has the potential to be a very good man-to-man lockdown corner in the NFL, moderate to high upside at the position.

Negatives: College production could have been better, only recorded three interceptions in four years… Appears a little thin, might struggle against receivers with bigger frames in the NFL, appears to have a lack of leverage when making tackles… Looks a little stiff in the hips when opening up out of close man coverage, needs to work on getting a little lower in his backpedal and exploding out of it when changing directions… Sometimes takes a little too long to locate the ball in the air, ball skills could be a little better… Needs to work on zone coverage, does not read plays off the ball as well as he does when in press coverage

NFLdraftgab.com

Position Ranking: #3

Strengths: Very good size, ideal for the position. Shows a short and smooth backpedal with good bend and balanced technique in his pass drop. Very physical press cover corner. Has the light feet to bounce quickly into the route; no trouble with bump and run coverage. Consistently able to extend arms at the snap and get inside of the receiver, re-directing or slowing up his route timing.

Has the speed to run downfield with talented receivers; uses long arms to be disruptive on deeper throws and also when defending the shorter routes. Better quickness than I anticipated when sent on the corner blitz and uses length and size to be disruptive and close on the quarterback- doesn’t tip off his blitz. Good tackler, uses arms to wrap and bring down consistently. Wasn’t challenged by quarterbacks much, and consistently shut down his side of the field on one-on-one coverage. Throws his body around to make tackles. Doesn’t allow a bad play to affect his game, gets right back on the horse.

Needs Improvement: Played mostly man coverage. Aggressiveness works against him as he tends to bite down on initial move, losing leverage and leaving him susceptible to the big play at times. Recovery speed is adequate to good, but won’t be able to recover in time to always turn his head or get hands out in front of him at the next level. Has trouble with smaller, quicker receivers on an inside release. Doesn’t always play the run with the same intensity, picks and chooses when he wants to be involved. Will lose concentration or misjudge receivers release quickness from time to time, allowing receiver to get square on him in off coverage.

Bottom Line: Overall I was impressed with Smith’s ability as a 6?2 cover corner. He moves well for his size and can be a legitimate starting corner in the NFL. Most bigger cornerbacks have trouble flipping their hips and keeping their footwork sound in man coverage, especially when pressing the receiver, not so with Smith. Though Smith doesn’t show the easiest hips in his turn, they aren’t overly tight and his foot quickness and technique allows him to quickly get established in coverage.

He will need some work if asked to play in a zone dominant scheme as he wasn’t asked to do it as much at Colorado. He has good but not great downfield speed and seems to lose a step after about 25 yards, length allows him to stay in the play but he will still have trouble with the top end receivers. Smith has the ability to sneak into the first round if he impresses during workouts and is one of a few very talented cover corners in this draft class.

CBS Draft Scout

Read & React: Reads the body language of receivers and keeps his eyes in the backfield to detect what’s coming. Reacts quickly to throws in his area to his assignment or another receiver. Likes to attack the run but gets overaggressive, biting hard on play-action fakes. Some of his quick reactions are negated by his inability to get off blocks.

Man Coverage: Physical press corner. Not afraid to extend his hand (usually his left) at the line of scrimmage to keep receivers from getting into his route. Maintains contact throughout the five-yard area. Lined up against opponents’ biggest receiver, playing outside and in the slot. Flashes good feet in his pedal, but could be lower and more balanced. Must keep his feet moving as receivers approach when playing off; they eat up his cushion quickly. Flips open to trail even if he plays outside leverage and the receiver runs inside. Uses long arms to reach in front of receivers to knock away passes without interfering. Uses strength and good timing to dislodge the ball from his man while he tries to secure the catch. Fast enough to stop quick screens behind the line when playing off. His hands for the interception are improving, but work needs to be done. Needs to tighten up his footwork when transitioning from pedal to plant-and-drive.

Zone Coverage: Good awareness in zone coverage. Comes off receivers leaving his area to pick up underneath routes. Stays between two receivers on the outside if he sees his safety help has been taken away by seam routes, but will end up in no man’s land occasionally not trusting over-the-top help. Attacks receivers in front of him. Size makes him difficult to for receivers to avoid after the catch. His height and vertical make throwing over him and in front of safeties perilous.

Closing/Recovery: Combines speed with length to close on the ball. Good recovery speed for his size, can flip his hips and wrap up receivers in trail coverage. His height and ability to find the ball in the air prevent quarterbacks from challenging over the top. Undercuts crossing routes by closing hard and extending; also takes chances NFL quarterbacks can exploit.

Run Support: Owns prototypical size to be a run stopper on the edge. Effective as a wrap-up or cut tackler. Knows to chase at a deep angle to prevent touchdowns on runs to the opposite side of the field. Usually gets outside position to force plays to linebackers, showing quickness to move around his man, but needs to be more violent with his hands to disengage from the blocks of larger receivers to make tackles.

Tackling: Physical tackler with NFL size and excellent length to wrap, but must get more consistent in the open field. Able to knock away passes and force fumbles while he wraps up receivers. Must drop his hips and break down more quickly attacking ballcarriers on the run, as they can elude him with a quick move or slip off when he tries to tackle shoulder pads.

Intangibles: Maturing player taking over as a leader on the field, directing teammates. Began studying film before his junior season. Missed first two games in 2008 due to injury. Suffered concussion against Baylor in 2010

Big Board

Our big Board #10 Overall

CBS Draft Scout 29th overall

drafttek.com 20th overall

National Football post 21st overall

Most Likely Landing Spots

I think Jimmy Smith is going in the first round here are the most likely landing sports.

#7 overall to the 49ers. If Smith has a great combine he could become the #2 Corernback on the board which would make him a viable option for the 49ers who are seeking help at cornerback. This is a long shot now, but a good possibility if he has a huge combine.

#13 overall to the Detroit Lions-I think this is the most realistic first place he falls. The Lions secondary is pretty bad, their linebackers aren’t great either though. Still they need to improve their defense in the back seven. If Smith represents better value to the Lions than Akeem Ayers or an OL then Smith becomes a good possibility.

#14th overall to the Rams-the Rams are usually mocked a linebacker, a defensive linemen or Julio Jones. but I thin they could really upgrade the CB position.

#19 New York Giants Jimmy Smith is 6-2 and if he’s fast he could really entice the Giants who deploy almost exclusively a B.P.A. philosophy in the draft. Smith just seems to me like a player they could covet.

#23 Philadelphia Eagles-The Eagles have one good cornerback with Asante Samuel, but need a good #2 if they want to improve their defense and let them feel more comftorable blitzing.

#25 Seattle Seahawks-the Seahawks could add talent in a number of different places. CB’s not the biggest need, but if he’s B.P.A. the Seahawks might pull the trigger on Smith

#26 Baltimore Ravens-the Ravens have a lot of F.A. cornerbacks, and their cornerbacks are not great to begin with. I don’t think he’d make it past the Ravens.

Where the Mocks Have Him Falling

NationalFootballpost.com 1st round #26 Baltimore Ravens

drafttek.com 1st Round #13th overall Detroit Lions

walterfootball.com (Greg Cox) 1st Round #23 Philadelphia Eagles

Footballsfuture 1st round pick #32 GreenBay Packers

Bartolis Final Thought

Jimmy Smith is going to get the “label of Boom or Bust Product” or the next “Tyson Alualu” when he goes in the high in the first round in the draft after a good combine, but that’s not fair. Jimmy Smith is a very talented corenrback who has loose flupid hips and competes for the football. He’s not the greatest tackler in the world, and he could use some refinement in his technique but he’s worth a top 15 pick in the N.F.L. Draft.

Smith who is currently 10th on our personal big board is a personal favorite of mine and think he is going to show people this after the combine and leading up to the draft, but don’t be fooled when people start to say he’s “over-drafted” because he’s not. I’ve personally liked Smith for awhile now, but for reference in the past two weeks I’ve heard him being compared to a young less refined Nnamdi Asmougha, which is very high praise (Profootballtalk.com and Wes Bunting of national Football post) and cbs Rob Rang today (2/17) writes: “the early reports of his speed are true. Smith, according to sources, has been running in the high 4.3s to low 4.4s. If he runs that well in Indianapolis, Smith will only have to ease scouts’ concerns about his off-field behavior to guarantee himself a spot in the draft’s opening frame”

This is not a 5-8 cornerback running at that speed. This is a 6-2 200 pound cornerback running at that speed.

I’m not even going to list the stats for Smith this year because this is all you need to know. Jimmy Smith was trageted 20 times this season in man coverage (according to PFT via way of colorado statistics).

That means his man was usually covered.

I’m a fan of Jimmy Smith and expect him to be drafted high and I think he’s worth it because I think the Nnamdi Asmougha comparisons could be spot on. Smith is going to be a better man to man guy who can press at the line of scrimmage than a zone system.

[url="http://fansided.com/nfl/nfl-mocks/2011/02/18/prospect-profile-cb-jimmy-smith-colorado/"]http://fansided.com/nfl/nfl-mocks/2011/ ... -colorado/[/url]