PHL Anon
So, rather than just doing a list of the top 5 corners where we might only draft one, I am going to do a list for you all on 5 corners from all over the draft rankings that the Eagles should be looking to draft. This is a list where we may see multiple in midnight green come next season.
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1. Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson, 6’1″ 200 lbs
Cordrea Tankersley is a well built and long cornerback. He has size that gives him the ability to matchup with different targets including bigger wide receivers and tight ends. Tankersley is effective because he knows how to use his body to his advantage. He routinely squares his body towards the quarterback with his head on the football allowing him to track and break on the football.
He has excellent ball skills that make him a threat to pull down interceptions and generate pass breakups. This past season he had 11 pass breakups, and 4 interceptions. His ability to read and react makes him a strong fit for a zone scheme. However, he has enough speed and fluidity to play man coverage. Tankersley will also catch the eye of Jim Schwartz as he is a tough player who gets involved in the running game, and shows solid tackling technique.
The combine will be a very important day for Tankersley. He doesn’t flash elite speed, but he also doesn’t allow receivers to get behind him and is more than capable of turning and running with his target. The key is that he plays fast.
An area where Tankersley needs to improve is his hands. You will seem him grab some jersey to help him keep his eye on the ball and not lose the location of the receiver. Some refs who will let it slide while others will call it on every play. Either way it’s a dangerous game that can lead to a lot of yellow laundry on the field.
Overall, Tankersley is a top-end prospect who has the talent to develop into a shutdown corner.
Projected Draft Position: 2nd Round
2. Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado, 6’0″ 190 lbs
Chidobe Awuzie is capable of fitting any defensive system due to being such a fluid athlete that can easily flip his hips and change direction. He’s a unique prospect because he could fit as an outside cornerback or working out of the slot. In fact, he is someone who can follow a specific receiver all over the field, which is something that can come in handy in the receiver talented NFC East.
Awuzie has great awareness and short-area burst which helps in doing a great job of reading the quarterback and closing on the football. His quick-twitch ability makes him a threat to generate both interceptions and pass breakups.
Awuzie is a willing run defender who shows the ability to deliver a pop while also making sound tackles. Jim Schwartz would love this attribute in the corner, but also coach Fipp, as Awuzie can be used as a special teams gunner and would quickly become a special teams star.
The biggest knock on Awuzie is that he lacks great size for the position, but lets not kid ourselves into thinking he’s a small defender. He just don’t have the insane measurable that some talent evaluators have come to lust over, but that is no reason to overlook someone of Awuzie’s caliber.
Overall, he is an exceptional athlete, playmaker, and technician who not only impact the passing game but will also helps in run support. Awuzie would become a fan favorite in Philly quickly with his hard working attitude and willingness to sacrifice his body and mix it up.
>Projected Draft Position: 3rd Round
3. Kevin King, Washington, 6’3″ 192 lbs
Kevin King has prototypical size for a modern-day NFL corner, and has the length to dominate and overwhelm WRs at the catch point, and he compliments his length with impressive ball skills. King has flashed the ability to contribute in run support corralling ball carriers with his long arms. While he is not the most reliable tackler, there is upside that can be developed.
King also has rare athletic ability in terms of athleticism and quickness. He has the speed to run with receivers step for step down the field and the fluidity to flip his hips and change directions in coverage. In terms of quickness, King has some of the best change of direction abilities out of all of the corners in College Football.
King’s potential is sky high, but he is still extremely raw as a prospect. King needs to work on his overall technique.
King’s special athletic ability is what NFL coaches dream of, and they will be seeing visions of a potential lockdown corner.
Projected Draft Position: 4th Round
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv8E4Z9HWZ0&t=64s
4. Ahkello Witherspoon, Colorado, 6’3″ 195 lbs
Witherspoon, a Colorado product, offers the size teams covet at 6-3, 195 pounds, and is more than capable of making big plays in coverage. He’s done a great job of shutting down some of the Pac-12’s best receivers this season, keeping his opponents in check with his instinctive play and length.
Witherspoon led the nation in pass breakups with 21 on the year, and also ranked second in the nation in total passes defended with 22, trailing only teammate Tedric Thompson (24). His lone interception on the year was one of CU’s biggest plays of the season, as his pick in the end zone at Oregon when the Ducks had the ball inside the Buffalo 10-yard line with under a minute to play sealed CU’s 41-38 victory to open Pac-12 play. He was credited with a pass breakup in 11 of Colorado’s 12 games on the season, including seven games with multiple pass breakups.
Witherspoon has significant upside and NFL scouts will love his size. That’s why he seems like an interesting late-round option for the Eagles to try and start stockpiling young cornerbacks with length.
Projected Draft Position: 5th-6th Round
5. Jeremy Cutrer, MTSU, 6’2″ 170 lbs
Cuter is a project in the truest form. Cuter has only 23 games under his belt at the collegiate level, but has the been impactful and has the intangibles to make him worth a roll of the dice at the end of the draft. He recorded 44 tackles, four tackles for a loss, three interceptions and nine passes defensed this past season. He has a big body and athleticism that will absolutely put him on some teams boards.
Projected Draft Position: 7th Round- Priority Free Agent