| March 14, 2006 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 03:40 AM |
BillsZone.com takes a look at the players available in the 2006 NFL Draft and how they fill the needs of the Buffalo Bills. This week, we take a look at the cornerback position. .
QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S
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Jimmy Williams has the rare size/speed combination- built like a safety with the speed of a top flight corner. Williams is one of the most versatile players in college football, having started at both free safety and cornerback during his time at Virginia Tech. He has tremendous size and a big frame with long arms, and is a brilliant natural athlete with excellent speed. He has the speed and agility to cover the opposing teams best receiver consistently, and is quite the ball hawk with a very good closing burst when the ball is in the air. He's a smart player that won't make many mistakes on the field. His good leaping ability allows him to compete with WRs in jump-ball situations. His experience as a safety really helped him become a very good run defender—he rarely misses a tackle. He has very good range, allowing him to make plays all over the field. He gambles too much in coverage and has been able to get away with inconsistent effort and inconsistent technique due to his superior skills at that level. There are some that think Williams will be a better fit at as a free safety in the NFL, but we think his best value will be at the cornerback position so long as he is developed properly and shows the work ethic. Williams gambles too much and won't get away with it as easily in the NFL. His recognition skills and awareness must improve. Her will get caught peeking in the backfield at times and will leave himself vulnerable. He is much more effective in man-coverage than he is in zone. Williams is still a little raw and needs to refine his technique. He has an excellent chance to be a high first round pick and the first corner off the board in the 2006 NFL draft. The Buffalo Bills may give Williams serious consideration if Nate Clements bolts in free agency.
Tye Hill has blistering speed and is the fastest defensive back in this draft. He doesn't intercept a lot of passes, but he has the speed to stay with any receiver in the NFL that lines up against him. He is very aggressive when it comes to going after the football. Is extremely quick in his back pedal. He only has three years experience on the defensive side of the ball so he is still learning the position. The good thing is he has not yet reached his full potential and he has tons of raw talent. He has good leaping ability (39-inch vertical) and will challenge for the jump ball. Is tough for his size. Won't back down from a challenge. His ball skills continue to improve. He's doing a better job of finding the ball in the air and adjusting to it. Is also a threat on the return if he gets daylight. He will fill hard vs. the run. Lacks size but has decent strength and is a fundamentally sound tackler. Has made huge strides in terms of technique and recognition skills but still is too inconsistent and needs more polish. As great a cover man he is, his only glaring weakness effects every part of his game. Hill is a listed 5'10 180lbs, but does not appear to even be that big. His lack of bulk limits what he can do in the running game, and his overall lack of size leads to him having problems matching up one on one against bigger receivers in the NFL. Despite his lack of size, Hill is an outstanding cover corner who could really move up the boards with an impressive showing at the combine. His lack of a physical game could also help him in the eyes of some NFL teams who are still struggling to adapt to the new emphasis on illegal contact in the secondary. Hill is one of the top 3 corners in the draft and should hear his name called in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Ashton Youboty is a very solid corner prospect. He is not an elite physical specimen, but he has all the talent to be a starting corner in the NFL. There is not a single physical skill Youboty lacks. He has good size for a corner, is athletic, has good speed, and is strong. He is one of the more active corners in the draft. In coverage, he will go up and make a play on the ball.. He has the quickness and strength to jam receivers, the rare and unique quality to play one on one with wide receivers, and the timing and body control in the air to deflect and defense balls when thrown his way. He plays the ball well when it's in the air and has soft hands. His size and speed allows him to match up well against most receivers and he rarely gets beat deep. A little slim, but he can hit with the best of them. Was tested in practice every day going up against Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn. Still has a lot of upside and potential. He's also not afraid to attack the ball carrier and make plays in the running game. Right now, he still needs work. Even though he has good size, he will need to pack on a few pounds to handle the rigors of the NFL. Recognition skills are below average. Remains too inconsistent in coverage. Gambles too often and will give up too many big plays consequently. He gives away his tendencies and got burnt for it on several occasions last year in some of the biggest games. In a draft not top heavy with great corners (unlike the past two seasons) he may slip into the second- and possibly the third round. Whenever the Bills have high profile CB needs, they seem to do one –stop shopping at Ohio State- selecting both Nate Clements and Antonio Winfield in the first round. Youboty won't be drafted that high- but he may be available later in day 1.
Cromartie is one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in the 2006 draft. He is a complete enigma at this point . . He has ideal size for a corner in the super sized NFL, with long arms and fluid hips. A tremendous natural athlete, exceptionally fast for a guy of his dimensions. He shows outstanding ball skills and is a natural playmaker. Will challenge for the ball in traffic and shows strong hands. He is an excellent open field runner and has been an outstanding return specialist in the past. Antonio has the rare ability to be effective in both man and zone coverage as well as step up and support the run. Cromartie tore ligaments in his left knee during off season workouts and was forced to sit out the entire 2005 season. Instead of returning for his senior season, Cromartie elected to leave school early for the 2006 NFL draft. He has not played in a game since the end of the 2004 season and he has spent a good portion of this past year rehabilitating from his July of 2005 knee injury. As such, and he will have lots of room for improvement in terms of his technique and recognition skills when making the jump to the NFL. Due to the injury, he has only played in 25 total games and has very little starting experience. Very raw and his footwork and technique need development. A rare prospect who might have been a Top 5 overall pick in 2007 had he gone back to school.
He lacks great size and may benefit from bulking up a bit and increasing his strength. He is an aggressive player but he tends to be a bit overaggressive at times which can lead to him being beat. Has room to improve in terms of his recognition skills and awareness. Is better in man coverage than zone at this point. Marshall only has two full seasons as a starter under his belt. He hasn't yet reached his full potential and he would've benefited from another year of college ball. He has a good deal of upside and should be a first day pick in the 2006 NFL draft.
Kelly Jennings is a slim cornerback with good height and speed for the position. He has a great deal of experience against top competition. He isn't the most physical corner in the country, but he is a smart player with good instincts. He is quick in his pedal and shows burst out of it. He closes quickly on the ball in front of him. Will bat down a lot of passes with his long arms. Jennings tends to have some problems with more physical receivers due to his slight frame. A solid open-field tackler who will break down in space and drag the ball carrier down if he has to. He will definitely be told to bulk up some by whatever team drafts him in April. He isn't overly flashy or physical in coverage. He will do a decent job in bump-and-run coverage but he seems much more comfortable playing with some cushion. Jennings has a penchant for getting beat on out routes and curls because of the space he gives to receivers. He isn't likely to become a shutdown cornerback at the next level; however, Kelly Jennings has the tools to develop into a solid second or nickel corner in the NFL. He also is a high-character person and hard-working player who will work at his craft. For a team that employs primarily man-to-man coverage, Jennings will be a good value in the second round range of the 2006 draft. 
Alan Zemaitis has a good deal of experience against top competition, having started at cornerback the past three seasons in the big ten. He has a good combination of size and speed for a corner. He is an intelligent player who is very good at reading and reacting to what the offense is doing. An experienced cover corner with very good technique and instincts. He is tall, adequately built and strong. He is a excellent hitter, that at times initiates collision type hits on opponents, even though he has a somewhat thin frame he does not shy away from contact. A pretty good all-around corner prospect, but probably not destined to be an elite corner. He has good size and uses his body well but you would expect him a little more physical than he is. He has good speed but lacks elite speed. . With his size and smarts, might make a good safety in the NFL. Alan Zemaitis has a lot of physical tools and all the intangibles you could want in a player. Has some tools to work with but might need to be in the right system (Cover 2?) to succeed. He will be ready to contribute in some capacity on defense right away as a rookie, and he also has a good combination of skills to make an impact on special teams. Zemaitis grades out as a second-round prospect in the 2006 draft.
Griffin is one of the more physical corners in the draft. His game is based on hitting people. Whether it is jamming a receiver at the line, attacking the line of scrimmage, or laying the wood on players, he lets you know he is around. He is physical in press coverage, has long arms to knock passes down with and shows good instincts in coverage. Does a solid job of pressing receivers at the line. He is a physical player who isn't afraid to lay a big hit. He is very strong in run support and displays good tackling technique. He has excellent instincts but needs to improve his technique in coverage. Whether it is at corner or safety, Griffin simply does not make enough plays on the ball. He'll break up some passes, but rarely makes the big play. He is not refined at either spot, so he'll need some time to develop his skills at whatever position a team drafts him at. Has adequate but not good speed. Needs to refine his overall technique and is too high in his backpedal at times. He will fit best in a cover-2 scheme, where he won't be asked to turn-and-run very often but instead will be able to use his awareness, size, toughness and tackling skills to attack plays in front of him. Griffin also has experience at strong safety, so he should be able to serve as a versatile sub-package DB in the NFL. Overall, Griffin is worth drafting late on Day 1 for a team committed to using heavy zone coverage schemes defensively.
Will Blackmon is a Jack of all trades, and master of none. Blackmon projects to the NFL as either a corner or a wide receiver. He combines prototypical NFL cornerback size with his outstanding speed. His size and excellent leaping ability allow him to matchup against the larger receivers while his speed allows him to turn and run with most of the faster receivers as well. He is a solid run defender but he could improve by being more physical against the run. He moved to the WR position as a senior in 2005 and quickly became Boston College's No. 1 target. Blackmon has explosive quickness and is one of the more impressive all-around athletes in the 2006 draft class. With his success on special teams, the Eagles staff gave him a look at wide receiver, and he performed so well that that's where he plays this year. He has the ability to take it to the house any time he touches the ball, so he'll be in demand as a receiver as well. The problem with being so versatile is that it limits your ability to focus on one position. If he plays corner at the next level, he will basically have a full year off of playing the spot. He'll need time to shake off the rust, in addition to the normal transition to the NFL. As a wide receiver, he has only one year of experience and will need a lot of work to fine tune his routes and become more consistent on the field. Blackmon has enough athletic ability to be a first day pick at any position he chooses. 
There isn't a physical skill Minter lacks; he's got the size, speed, and athleticism that project well at the next level. He shows the ability to cover a receiver step for step down the field, but also has the size to make plays in the running game. Perhaps the best thing Minter has going for him is that there is no glaring weakness in his ability to cover. He has good range and the ability to cover receivers man to man.. He possesses good speed and is rarely beaten deep. He does a good job of shedding blocks and is a solid wrap-up tackler. There just is not anything that truly stands out about Minter's game. He is not an outstanding athlete, nor does he have blazing speed. He's not a massive corner, and he's not a big time playmaker. He drops too many balls and doesn't get a lot of interceptions- only 2 his entire career at Georgia. He looks like a second or third round pick in a weak crop of cornerbacks and a good combine performance could solidify his draft position. 
Webb has great speed and he loves to hit. Webb is an early entry prospect who played just three seasons at Florida. He has shown flashes of the potential to develop into a fulltime starting cover corner in the NFL. Possesses adequate height and bulk, smooth hips and shows the ability to turn-and-run vertically without losing much in transition. Webb lacks elite size and he also needs to improve his discipline, awareness and overall consistency in coverage. However, he is a fluid athlete with the quickness, speed, toughness, ball skills and tackling ability to develop into a good starting cornerback in the NFL. Is aggressive and tough, but will struggle to get off of blocks as easily. Lacks discipline on the field, as he has a tendency to gamble too much and will occasionally get caught out of position. He also gets flagged too often for pass interference. If he verifies what are expected to be impressive speed and agility times during post-season workouts, Webb can solidify a spot in the middle to late day 1of the 2006 draft. 
Anwar Phillips possesses adequate-to-good speed and shows the ability to turn and run vertically if recognizes on time. He has long arms and bats a lot of underneath passes down at the last second. He also has excellent hands and ball skills. He fills hard versus the run and continues to improve his angles and tackling skills.Anwar is a good talent who has great cover skills and ball skills. He knows where the ball is in the air and rarely is out of position. He had trouble with taller targets. Needs to add some weight and bulk up. Very inconsistent and blows a lot of coverages, so he needs to refine his technique. Lacks great recovery speed and can't afford mistakes. He will get caught peeking in the backfield occasionally and needs to become more confident in his reads. He can look hesitant in space and is noticeably more comfortable in man-to-man situations. He lacks explosive closing burst. A bit of a project, he will be an early day 2 selection. QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S