Comparing the Five Cornerbacks Drafted Thus Far

Thanks to CBSSports for the easily accessible numbers.

Some people are wondering why we selected Devin McCourty over Kyle Wilson. Here's a brief rundown of their combine statistics:

# CB taken	Name	Position	College Team	Height	Weight	40 time	225 bench press	Vertical Jump	20 yard split	10 yard split	Broad Jump	Shuttle	Cone
1	Joe Haden	CB	Florida	5-11	193	4.52	18	35	2.56	1.53	10'05"	4.34	6.94
4	Kyle Wilson	CB	Boise State	5-10	194	4.43	25	38	--	--	10'2"	4.02	6.74
3	Devin McCourty	CB	Rutgers	5-11	193	4.38	16	36	2.50	1.53	10'06"	4.07	6.70
2	Kareem Jackson	CB	Alabama	5-11	196	4.40	13	37 1/2	2.52	1.53	09'10"	4.14	6.92
5	Patrick Robinson	CB	Florida State	5-11	190	4.46	15	39	2.53	1.50	10'02"	--	6.78

McCourty's rankings after the jump!

Here's where McCourty ranks:

Height and Weight: All CBs taken are almost identical.

40 Time: 1st/5 - Shows his straight line speed endurance, which is important for special teams as a gunner.

Bench Press: 3rd/5, behind Wilson and Haden. - Not the most important, but the stronger you are, the more able you are to take down big tight ends and running backs on your own. That being said, Haden and McCourty are the two best run stopping corners in the draft. Jackson and Wilson are able to slow the run, but are more used to stop the run after the play has been made.

Vertical Jump: 4th/5, just in front of Haden. - Important when dealing with big receivers. Could issue questions in the red zone.

20 Yard Split: 1st/5 - Shows his sideline speed. He's the fastest to get his nose in on a play.

10 Yard Split: 2nd/5, tied everyone. - Basically means every CB taken has a similar acceleration. Nothing stands out here.

Broad Jump: 1st/5 - Shows his explosion. His broad jump shows his ability to jump in front of receivers and block the pass. He's the best in the Biz.

Shuttle: 2nd/5, behind Wilson - Shows his change of direction skills, which is important when covering slot receivers.

Cone: 1st/5 - Shows agility, quickness and fluidity of his motion. He's the best.

Summary of Combine Stats: McCourty, judging by his combine stats, is the most well rounded athlete of all the corners taken. Not one of the most well rounded, but the most well rounded. He is the fastest overall corner, who shows elite acceleration and change of the direction skills. He has above average strength for his position, as shown by his bench press. The only real concern is his ability to play the jump ball in the red zone. Hopefully with his athleticism, the opposing offenses won't get near the end zone.

Senior Year Performances

 

Senior Year
Corner	PDs	Ints	Reroutes	Avg YPC	Avg YPA	Avg Completion %	Run Support	Running YPA
Haden	10	4	31	7.69	2.86	N/A	34	5.88
Jackson	13	1	23	15.45	N/A	N/A	22	6.18
McCourty	10	1	41	6.86	2.34	34.15%	31	2.71
Wilson	4	3	34	10.73	N/A	N/A	17	6.59
Robinson	11	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

All still courtesy of CBSSports.

Summary: These numbers show that McCourty is a lockdown corner who can help out with the run. While he may not have made as many interceptions, he was the most physical corner taken so far. He took his receivers out of the play more than any of the others- and when he wasn't able to, he held his competition to the lowest yards per catch (and yards per attempt) out of all the picks. He was at the top of the list in plays where he supported the run and was head and shoulders above the competition in how well he stopped the opposing backs.

My thoughts? McCourty isn't here to be a #3 cornerback. He's here to be a #2 as a rookie. Expect Butler to be our nickelback on opening day. He's a shutdown corner and he'll translate his all-around athleticism and game intelligence to the next level.