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By Bob Sturm Mar 27, 2020
Each week during the buildup to the NFL Draft, as has been our tradition since 2012, we will take a look at five of the key prospects at a given positional group. The hope is to cover what we perceive as the very best players in this spring’s draft, as well as the Dallas Cowboys’ positions of greatest need in the first three rounds, using about 200 snaps of the most recent college tape from each of the prospects. I am certainly not an NFL scout, but I have found over the years that much can be learned from giving each player a couple of hours and really studying how he might fit at the next level. With a little luck, we will be plenty familiar with the options when the draft arrives in late April.
I start today’s look at this group of 2020 cornerbacks with two general thoughts:
- It is more than reasonable to assume the Cowboys are leaning toward corners in this draft. They just lost the highest-compensated corner in the entire league to Miami when Byron Jones just signed a deal that will pay him $16.5 million per year for five seasons. They also have two other starting cornerbacks who are themselves a year from full free agency. Despite spending a ton of capital from the 2017 draft on their secondary, they have almost nobody under contract beyond 2020.
- In 60 years of drafting, I think we could make the case that aside from Mel Renfro and Terence Newman, the Cowboys have never really had much success at drafting high-level cornerbacks. Kevin Smith was good. Byron Jones is absolutely in the conversation. But Everson Walls and Cornell Green were both undrafted, and the overall draft crop has not been impressive.
Here is the Pro Football Reference list of corners drafted in the top 100 since Newman in 2003.
| Year▲ | Rnd | Pick | Player | College/Univ | DrAge | From | To | AP1 | PB | St | CarAV | G | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 | 5 | Terence Newman | Kansas St. | 25 | 2003 | 2017 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 71 | 221 | 42 |
| 2008 | 1 | 25 | Mike Jenkins | South Florida | 23 | 2008 | 2015 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 27 | 101 | 10 |
| 2012 | 1 | 6 | Morris Claiborne | LSU | 22 | 2012 | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 85 | 7 |
| 2015 | 1 | 27 | Byron Jones | Connecticut | 22 | 2015 | 2019 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 79 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 | 92 | Jourdan Lewis | Michigan | 22 | 2017 | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 46 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2 | 60 | Chidobe Awuzie | Colorado | 22 | 2017 | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 41 | 3 |
Pretty crazy, right? They have had several “bites at the apple” since 2003 and have been unable to find a corner in the first three rounds who they thought was worth a second contract. Jenkins, Claiborne and Jones all quickly got away after their initial promise. Newman and his 42 interceptions (32 of them in Dallas) set an amazing standard that most fans would dream about these days. Yes, there are fewer interceptions thrown throughout professional football, but the Cowboys have also been allergic to takeaways since Newman left in 2011.
He was a magnificent pick out of Kansas State, despite being 25 years old. These Cowboys would dream of finding a player of his ability and talents who delivers as often as he did. We should expect Dallas will have to go hard after corners again in this draft because nobody besides Anthony Brown is under contract for more than 16 more games. They will need to get these right and probably do so in the early rounds.
Luckily, they have some good players to consider. Let’s examine five of them.
In alphabetical order, they are:
Damon Arnette — Ohio State — 6’0 — 195
Arnette is a very rare fifth-year senior prospect, as a player who needed an extra medical year in 2015 to fix a small bone chip and has since been a regular for the Buckeyes for nearly 50 college games. That type of experience is uncommon for defensive backs of his pedigree, and after a second-team All-Big 10 season, he has gained plenty of notice.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
(Information courtesy of MockDraftable.com)
Positives: Arnette is comfortable on the outside playing in all types of coverages, and you can definitely see his maturity as it developed over his time at Ohio State. He can be a very aggressive tackler and physical player, and despite the fact that his 40-time was disappointing, he seems to have plenty of athleticism and makeup speed. His agility skills and his movement both look like net positives. He can play zone and press best, and has really developed his downfield ability to stay with a play and remain on the hip, deep in routes. I liked most of his 2019 tape, but the work he did prior to this season left a bit to be desired. There is some grit and battle to his game, and that level of competitiveness is always going to resonate with what I look for.
Concerns: You would start with the small sample size we are working on in which he looked like a top cornerback. He previously had a real reputation for panicking at the moment of truth when the ball arrives earlier, and while it appears he has cleaned some of that up, it would also be counting on a smaller body of work to believe in. He will get over-extended with his punch at the snap, and when that happens, he gets beat immediately and has to stay on balance better as a general rule in those press-man situations. He also doesn’t seem to rally to the ball when his man isn’t getting it. He has to make sure he doesn’t have blinders on when the defense needs him to pitch in away from his man. He turns 24 this season.
Overall: There are a number of corners in this grouping who are all around the same level. In this case, I think it will be a matter of preference for corners No. 3-8 as to what sort of scheme you are considering and what attributes you place a premium on. Arnette has done enough good over the last 12 months to tell me he is a top-50 prospect, but I would be hesitant to go higher than a solid SECOND-ROUND grade. He is useful and possibly a second starter, but I would not say there is a ton to write home about that moves him above that general grouping there on Day 2.
Trevon Diggs — Alabama — 6’1 — 205
Diggs definitely had to wait his turn to become a regular for the Crimson Tide and really has just one year (2019) of significant playing time. He is the younger brother of Stefon Diggs and was a wide receiver until he switched exclusively to defense at Alabama in 2017. He definitely has some very interesting physical tools and the potential to rise up and show you much more in the years to come.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
(Information courtesy of MockDraftable.com)
Positives: As you can probably tell from the measurements above, his biggest positives at this point in time start with physical attributes that put him up near the top of the class of big and long corners. He has traits that generally get everyone quite excited in the search for Richard Sherman II, or something like that. He absolutely can demonstrate great confidence. His instincts are actually quite impressive and can likely be traced to his time on offense all of those years for understanding what is happening from the QB’s perspective. There are absolute flashes where he looks extraordinary for sure, and he also will go find the football. Further, there are some real positives to playing in the Alabama scheme for so long and the matchups against very big and physical opponents who will challenge you all day. You look at plays like the interception against Duke (below), and you quickly see why some people can’t stop raving about the player.
Concerns: The concerns are more based on a few things that come quickly to mind. First, the day he had against Ja’Marr Chase and LSU is a tough one to fully forget about when looking at his body of work. In this head-to-head challenge, you could tell that he lost confidence and things got progressively worse. He looks to roll largely with feel and confidence, so when you lose that, things spiral in a hurry. He is going to take you on a wild ride with his poor technique and decision-making at times, and you would like to see a coach or veteran demand a lot out of him, as so many young corners need. Some get that refinement and take off while others stall at their current spot and seem content with “what got them this far.” The other issues are that he wanted to wait until his pro day to do actual combine testing and did not run at the combine, so his testing scores are a bit mysterious and his speed is a bit of a concern at the moment.
Overall: I will confess that this type of corner has burned me in the past because I get hung up on the details of their game and the ways they could improve rather than what they seem to do naturally and the highs that they can produce from just putting on their shoes and taking the field. I prefer a corner who is on a more even plane, to be honest, so the ups and downs of Diggs are perhaps just not my cup of tea despite his clear and obvious potential. I will place him in the SECOND-ROUND category and acknowledge his tremendous upside while maintaining some concerns on whether he hits that ceiling.
Kristian Fulton — LSU — 6’0 — 197
Fulton has quite a backstory as a very highly-coveted recruit and then a player who was suspended for over a year by the NCAA for tampering/cheating on a drug test, which appeals then knocked down a bit. He is incredibly talented and, despite his indiscretions, has arrived at this draft process as a player receiving mixed reviews on his 2019 tape.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
(Information courtesy of MockDraftable.com)
Positives: I love Fulton’s ability to pounce on comebacks so well. He plays on his toes, and when a receiver converts a deep look into a comeback or stop, he is right there in the hip pocket. He lines up outside and is a very big, talented corner who plays in press quite a bit and on the left side. He will set the edge and participate against the run. He is sticky and able to mirror going down the field for the most part, and does well in short-area quickness and change in direction. He stops on a dime nicely. I like him more in short and intermediate, but I do think he can hold his own down the field. I absolutely love his competitive ability and his closing speed. He also finds the ball and has great awareness.
Concerns: He has a few things to be aware of other than the off-field transgressions, which were in 2017. He will set the edge and participate against the run, but I should point out he doesn’t seem to go out of his way to do it in most cases and, like many corners, is more than happy to let someone else tackle the running back if there are other options. He is very big and has the size, but he also looks like he should be stronger than he is and maybe that is something that improves with time. At times, he doesn’t find the ball, but I think that has improved over time.
Overall: There will be an awful lot of corners in this draft who all sit in the same general range, and it will come down to what each personal preference might be and “what type of ice cream you prefer,” as a wise football man has told me for years. In this case, I am going to trust the tape that I studied and list Fulton as a FIRST-SECOND-ROUND grade and actually give him some thought at No. 17 if the Cowboys find that better options are not available. I think Fulton has a real chance to be something pretty nice in the NFL.
CJ Henderson — Florida — 6’1 — 204
Henderson has been one of the stars of this draft season. As more people have dug into his past and seen his testing back up his tape, his reviews have continued to shoot up the board. He was a solid running back in Miami before committing to cornerback, where he has increased his status each year with a first-team All-SEC nod in 2019 after being stuck as second-teamer in each of his first two seasons, perhaps showing that interception numbers can shrink because teams are now afraid to challenge an accomplished corner.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
(Information courtesy of MockDraftable.com)
Positives: His work as a do-everything corner in the last two seasons have shown off his absurd athletic traits and a mentality that is very impressive as well. He will simply never be over-matched, and he is excellent in press coverage. What might really set him apart from so many of his contemporaries would be his ability to go north in run support, screen patrol and mostly in blitzing, where Florida liked to show off how dangerous he can be behind the line of scrimmage. He really plays within himself for the most part and never looks terribly rattled. He chased most action to the other side of the field. He is good, and he knows it.
Concerns: Despite his highlight film, he can also be caught playing a little softly on the perimeter and also looked like he gave up on a few situations last year. That might be traced back to the ankle issue he dealt with in 2019, but since we don’t know, we must wonder about his casual approach from time to time this season. He also will arrive early in contesting plays and this, of course, will draw a flag or two along the way. In other words, he can do everything, but will he do everything?
Overall: This is an extremely talented player who will absolutely be highly touted. I am not sure I love him as much as the draft consensus seems to, but overall, I get it. There is an edge over Fulton, but I would have a hard time calling it substantial. I think I can see a FIRST-SECOND-ROUND grade, and I expect him to be gone before the Cowboys pick.
Jeffrey Okudah — Ohio State — 6’1 — 205
Because we went alphabetically today, Okudah will have to settle for going last. But if you follow this draft process much at all — which you clearly must if you are still reading — I think you know Okudah is going to go very high in the first round. South Grand Prairie’s own had a chance to attend any school he so desired, and in his three seasons in Ohio, he has quickly ascended up the charts. Then his testing — especially his leaping and explosive traits — went through the roof. He is a special player.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
(Information courtesy of MockDraftable.com)
Positives: To the shock of nobody familiar with him, he can do just about everything you want to see. He has the size and length you are looking for, he has the feet you seek, he has the confidence and mentality, he has the tape. He is sticky and patient, and he also sees the ball very well. I have no concerns about either scheme nor coverage types, and his matchup ability against any outside receiver seems to be one where he will feel he is in a good spot. He can be a blanket and never look particularly strained to stay in his spot. He can absolutely cut off a good portion of the field and eliminate his threat well. He finds the ball and is looking to make a play. He even has a wonderful punch in press.
Concerns: Again, like most corners, you can question his full enthusiasm on a wide zone play right at him, but the bigger issues would be with what appears to be a casual belief that he can hang on down the field and risk flags with no expectation of being called. He is from a school where defensive backs are continuously highly touted and respected, so he could be in for a bit of an awakening at the next level to have to build back up. I suppose the biggest question is whether he is an actual future All-Pro or simply the belle of this ball and the best corner 2020 has to offer. Sometimes, we do confuse those two issues, but there isn’t much to worry about here.
Overall: Okudah checks every box, and now it will simply be a question about what each team at the top of the draft is looking for and how quickly they wish to call his name. Overall, if you need a lead corner and are lucky enough to pick up top, this is your guy. He gets the coveted HIGH-FIRST-ROUND grade.
My Week 8 Cornerback stack looks like this:
