CB Top Ten and First Look:
1. Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State
2. Jaire Alexander, Louisville
3. Denzel Ward, Ohio State
4. Adonis Alexander, Virginia Tech
5. Brandon Facyson, Virginia Tech
6. Anthony Averett, Alabama
7. Iman Marshall, USC
8. Quenton Meeks, Stanford (shown right)
9. Duke Dawson, Florida
10. Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma
2. Jaire Alexander, Louisville
3. Denzel Ward, Ohio State
4. Adonis Alexander, Virginia Tech
5. Brandon Facyson, Virginia Tech
6. Anthony Averett, Alabama
7. Iman Marshall, USC
8. Quenton Meeks, Stanford (shown right)
9. Duke Dawson, Florida
10. Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma
The 2018 corner draft class looks quite good. Not as good as the 2017 draft class, but still very solid. It is headlined by Tarvarus McFadden from Florida State. McFadden is 6'2'', 200 pounds with great speed and agility. He tied with former West Virginia corner Rasul Douglas for the FBS interception lead with 8 picks last season, a testament to he superior ball skills and instincts. McFadden is the total package at corner. Jaire Alexander is a little bit smaller than McFadden at 5'11'' and 192 pounds, but Alexander shares similar ball skills and athleticism. Alexander had 5 interceptions last season and nine pass deflections. Alexander has that tenacity and alpha dog mentality a corner needs to succeed, and he is a first round talent on my board. Denzel Ward is just now getting his shot at a starting role after sitting behind studs such as Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, and Eli Apple. Ward is smaller than most of those players at 5'10'' and 191 pounds, but he is a great athlete with tremendous ball skills. He ran a 4.23 40 yard dash in the summer for the Buckeyes, a very impressive time even though he probably won't match it at the combine. On the field, Ward has shown why he is such a highly touted prospect, racking up an interception and 5 pass deflections in this year's season opener against Indiana. At number four on the list is Adonis Alexander out of Virginia Tech. Alexander is winning the size war, standing at 6'3'' and weighing 197 pounds. Alexander is a fluid mover and uses his superior length to intercept and deflect balls. Playing along side Adonis Alexander is Brandon Facyson, a 6'2'', 197 pound corner with good technique and ball skills. A healthy season from Facyson will make him a high draft pick.
The Crimson Tide make their first appearance on this list with Anthony Averett. Averett, like previous Alabama corners, can struggle when asked to cover deep, but he has the physical tools at 6' and 185 pounds and tackling ability to warrant a spot on this list. Iman Marshall was a highly sought after recruit when he selected USC, but his career has largely been inconsistent. The 6'1'', 205 pound corner has great ball skills with 3 interceptions and at least 8 pass deflections in each of his first two seasons, but he is prone to mental lapses in coverage. He needs to refine his game in order to live up to the hype. Quenton Meeks is another big corner at 6'2'' and 197 pounds. He doesn't appear to be a phenomenal athlete, but I do like his length and technique. Duke Dawson, like Denzel Ward, is a talented prospect who was stuck behind several high draft picks. Dawson doesn't offer much in terms of run support, but if he can continue to lock down receiver like he did against Michigan this weekend, he should rise up this board. Jordan Thomas is one of the more talented prospects on this list, standing 6' tall and racking up 2 picks and 17 pass breakups in 2016. Unfortunately, Thomas has been a nightmare off the field. He was suspended twice during the 2015 season and arrested on charges of assault, battery, and public intoxication in December of 2015. Until he proves these issues are behind him, he will stay down this list.
Match-ups to Watch:
The Crimson Tide make their first appearance on this list with Anthony Averett. Averett, like previous Alabama corners, can struggle when asked to cover deep, but he has the physical tools at 6' and 185 pounds and tackling ability to warrant a spot on this list. Iman Marshall was a highly sought after recruit when he selected USC, but his career has largely been inconsistent. The 6'1'', 205 pound corner has great ball skills with 3 interceptions and at least 8 pass deflections in each of his first two seasons, but he is prone to mental lapses in coverage. He needs to refine his game in order to live up to the hype. Quenton Meeks is another big corner at 6'2'' and 197 pounds. He doesn't appear to be a phenomenal athlete, but I do like his length and technique. Duke Dawson, like Denzel Ward, is a talented prospect who was stuck behind several high draft picks. Dawson doesn't offer much in terms of run support, but if he can continue to lock down receiver like he did against Michigan this weekend, he should rise up this board. Jordan Thomas is one of the more talented prospects on this list, standing 6' tall and racking up 2 picks and 17 pass breakups in 2016. Unfortunately, Thomas has been a nightmare off the field. He was suspended twice during the 2015 season and arrested on charges of assault, battery, and public intoxication in December of 2015. Until he proves these issues are behind him, he will stay down this list.
Match-ups to Watch:
Oklahoma vs Ohio State, September 9th
This is one of the most anticipated rematches of 2017. Denzel Ward will have to lock down against Baker Mayfield and the explosive Oklahoma offense, while Jordan Thomas is going to have to lineup across from Parris Campbell, who played a huge role in defeating Indiana last week.
Florida vs LSU, October 7th
Its the DBU matchup. While Ed Paris (LSU), Kevin Tolliver (LSU), and Duke Dawson don't face great quarterbacks, they will face good wide receivers in LSU's DJ Chark and Florida's Antonio Calloway. Plus, they are going to have to get physical in the running game against LSU's Derrius Guice and Florida's Jordan Scarlett.
Stanford vs USC, September 9th
This will be the PAC-12 showdown to watch. Iman Marshall is going to have a challenge against a Stanford offense that is always good, while Quenton Meeks will have to play extremely well to shut down star quarterback Sam Darnold.
This will be the PAC-12 showdown to watch. Iman Marshall is going to have a challenge against a Stanford offense that is always good, while Quenton Meeks will have to play extremely well to shut down star quarterback Sam Darnold.
Follow 4 Down Scouting on Twitter @4DownScouting
All stats come from www.sports-refrence.com unless otherwise noted
No comments:
Post a Comment