I wanted to provide you comprehensive analysis of the players available in free agency and the draft. But realizing we live in a 140 character society, I wanted to break down this cornerback coverage into a two-part series. In part one, I looked at the free agents the Eagles can pursue to upgrade the cornerback position.
Let's take a look at the draft prospects.
What the draft lacks in elite cornerback prospects it makes up for in quality of depth. Which is good for the Birds since they wouldn't have a snow balls chance in hell in landing an elite caliber prospect with the 20th overall pick in the draft anyway. So who can the Eagles realistically target?
Marcus Peters, Washington:
Seeing everyone from Mel Kiper, Jr. to Rob Rang of CBS Sports mock Marcus Peters to the Eagles reminds me of when national writers used to project the Eagles drafting a linebacker in the first round during the Andy Reid era. On paper, it made sense — the Eagles always had a hole at the linebacker spot. But everyone and their mother in Philly knew that Reid was allergic to using a high draft pick on a linebacker.
Which brings me to Peters. Yes, he is talented. And yes, he could represent a "steal" at the 20th overall pick. But I have a better chance of throwing the winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl than Peters does of getting drafted by the Eagles. Why you ask? For starters, there's that little thing about him reportedly choking an assistant coach at practice. Apparently he had so much fun the first time he decided to do it again. He was kicked off the team as a result.
Given what we know about Chip Kelly and his emphasis on #culture, do we really think he is about to draft a guy with as much baggage as Peters? Me neither.
Trae Waynes, MSU:
He is 6'1, 182 lbs, and has good speed, as he reportedly runs the 40 in the 4.42 range. He excels at press man coverage and in zone coverage. He is physical, not afraid to play the run (and in fact excels in that regard), and has success against big receivers.
He is pegged to be one of the first corners taken in the draft. So he might be gone by the time the Eagles pick. But if he is available, he would be a no brainer decision.
I wanted to find the highlight video of Waynes against Oregon, because it was one of the best games he played all year. But alas, I was unable to find it. Instead, we will have to settle on his game against Nebraska where he had two interceptions.
Waynes is becoming the Ha Ha Clinton-Dix of the 2015 draft for me. He checks all the boxes we need, and looks like the perfect fit for the Eagles. So brace yourself. It likely means he is going to get drafted one pick before the Birds.
Here are some extra scouting reports on Waynes if you are so inclined:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1868411/trae-waynes
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=90652&draftyear=2016&genpos=CB
http://walterfootball.com/Prospect/4727
Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest:
In terms of consolation prizes, Kevin Johnson would not be bad. He has the height (6'1) and athleticism that the Eagles covet at the cornerback position, he excels at press man coverage, and is a solid playmaker. However, he is 175 pounds soaking wet, and is suspect against the run, which might preclude him from being a fit with the Eagles.
According to Mel Kiper, Johnson grades out as a first round prospect: "He is a fluid mover with really quick feet, and he has impressive transition speed out of his backpedal. I like his ability as a playmaker, and the ability to shine in different types of coverage. He's not going to deliver the huge hit and is just OK against the run, but he's an effective tackler on receivers in space."
Here is a highlight video of Johnson versus Florida State this year.
Here are some additional scouting reports on Johnson:
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/kevin-johnson?id=2552261
http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/cfb/133619/kevin-johnson
While he checks a lot of the boxes for the Eagles (height, athleticism, press man coverage, versatility), I question whether he will fit give his limitations in run coverage. The Eagles want sure tacklers in space to go along with their press man scheme. So while he might be available at 20, the Eagles might pass.
Jalen Collins, LSU:
Collins only started 10 games in his time at LSU, but he possess a rare combination of height, weight and speed for his position, standing at 6'2 and 198 lbs. So he figures to be a projection at this point. The combine is going to be huge for Collins. If he produces the type of numbers that he is capable of producing, expect to see him shoot up draft charts.
Some respected talent evaporators, including the fine folks over at WalterFootball.com, have Collins as one of the best cornerbacks in this class.
He is considered a work in progress at this point. He is so talented and athletic that he often gets by on athleticism alone and neglects to work on his technique. That won't cut it in the NFL. And that is where the risk comes in. If he works on his craft, his size, speed and athleticism could make him the prototypical cornerback for today's NFL. But if he fails to hone his craft, he could be a major disappointment.
Draftbreakdown.com has a collection of scouting videos on Collins, but I wanted to share the one that concerns me the most: this year against Alabama. Amari Cooper lit up Collins on several plays, which just shows the importance of Collins working on his technique. Athleticism alone will not cut it against elite NFL caliber wideouts.
PJ Williams, FSU:
Williams is my dark horse candidate. In terms of upside, he has it in spades, with some draft analysts projecting him as having the highest ceiling of any cornerback in this draft class.
He checks off virtually all of the boxes the Eagles look for in a corner: he has good size (6'0, 196 lbs), speed (projected 4.46 40 time), excels in press man coverage, and is an able tackler. He is also an excellent playmaker to boot, showing exceptional ball skills and timing. He was the Defensive MVP of the BCS National Championship Game in 2013, with seven tackles and a critical fourth-quarter interception that helped secure FSU's victory.
The knock on Williams is two-fold: his over aggressiveness can sometimes come back to haunt him, both in coverage and in regard to penalties. Also, he had a tendency to coast against lesser competition in college. The former is something that can be overcome with age, and the latter might not be as big of an issue since you rarely have a week off in the NFL like in college.
Here is a video of Williams against Louisville this year. He is matched up against projected top-15 pick DeVante Parker for a good portion of the game, and he generally holds his own.
