DC.com: Prince Wants To Make Instant Impact

[CCBoy]

Royal Wedding
Prince Wants To Make Instant Impact
Josh Ellis
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer



http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/news.cfm?id=73DEC3B6-B595-D85E-96F7CD484D981154



IRVING, Texas - Picking as early as the Cowboys are - and coming off a season as disappointing as their 2010 campaign - the team will be looking for talent that can step in and help immediately.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed as much way back in January at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., at a time when most mock drafts were projecting Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara to fall to the team at pick No. 9 overall. That trend has since faded, and Amukamara's name has been replaced by that of USC tackle Tyron Smith as the consensus.

While the Cowboys' need for a tackle cannot be denied, it's also fair to say that the team's biggest problem last season was in the secondary. The defense ranked 26th in passing yards allowed per game, and the player likely to be available when they pick, who can help turn that around the fastest, is Amukamara.

Still.

The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year last season, Amukamara visited Valley Ranch for a private meeting with coaches and team officials last week...

[Rynie]

I still would be happy with this pick.

[CCBoy]

I still would be happy with this pick.

To be truthful...so would I.:starspin

[Fletch]

You me and both. You watch... Prince will probably become the best CB out of the draft who makes the most plays for whoever he goes to. If that happens to be for the Cowboys, I'll be happy.

[Doomsday101]

I'd go with purple rain. :laugh2:

[Fletch]

I'd go with purple rain. :laugh2:

Sweet nickname. Just hope all the rain is on the field and not in the strip clubs. :D

[CATCH17]

Prince, Sorry man you're just not good enough to be an impact corner in this league.

[Sarge]

If we stayed put - he'd be my pick.

[adbutcher]

If we stayed put - he'd be my pick.

mine too.

[PullMyFinger]

Prince, Sorry man you're just not good enough to be an impact corner in this league.

^this^

[urface59]

Id be more than happy with prince.

[thechosen1n2]

why do so many have a problem with prince. I think he will be a very good defensive back.

[Rynie]

why do so many have a problem with prince. I think he will be a very good defensive back.

Most base it on 1 GAME against OSU, where Justin Blackmon basically owned him. He's a good CB. I've seen many Nebraska games in the last 2 years.

[GimmeTheBall!]

Prince Wants To Make Instant Impact
Don't they all?

[LatinMind]

If we stayed put - he'd be my pick.

prince or smith would be the best choice.

[pupulehaole]

I'd be Damn happy if Prince was our choice at #9

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Prince Wants To Make Instant Impact
Don't they all?

That was my first thought as well.

[Doomsday101]

Prince Wants To Make Instant Impact
Don't they all?

I don't know you hear a lot of guys say how they want to come in and learn. Myself I think Prince is an excellent CB can't say if he will make an instant impact or not but I know he is a top cover man.

[AsthmaField]

I do like Amukamara and I feel like he's going to be a very good DB in the NFL. He has the size and tackling ability to play some safety, and I feel like Ryan would use him all over the field his rookie season.

He wouldn't be so far behind as a rookie because the whole defense is learning Ryan's system.

[bsheeern]

To be truthful...so would I.:starspin

I haven't watched enough film on him to be honest. Only thing I've noticed is in his interviews/ tv time, I just get this impression that he's slow to react mentally to questions. These were football questions, i.e. Coverages, techniques and things. Answers I thought he would just fire right back he seemed hesitant or slow to answer.

Maybe I'm being dumb but he just gave me this feeling that he's not very confident when it comes to football off the field. Obviously that can develop but he doesnt give me the impression that he's more ready than anyone else.

This draft is very very deep at the db position win Peterson being the top. If we can't get him then I don't see us getting a db that would be able to start or play nickel until year 2-4, depending on how long Newman is here.

[HoustonFrog]

Most base it on 1 GAME against OSU, where Justin Blackmon basically owned him. He's a good CB. I've seen many Nebraska games in the last 2 years.

I'm not saying I wouldn't take him but it is more than this. On ESPN Insider they broke down his numbers and against strong competition overall his numbers were below other corners out there in the draft.

You have to be signed up on Insider but I'll give you the gist

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/insider/columns/story?columnist=joyner_kc&id=6353475


Amukamara earned more than a few on-field and off-field honors (http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=831150) in his career, but a game-tape/metrics analysis shows that he did not perform at an NFL-caliber level last year. In fact, his performance level placed him well behind some other cornerbacks that are considered borderline first-round choices.


Let's start with Amukamara's 2010 metrics. In the 10 games in which the Cornhuskers faced FBS AQ competition (Kansas State (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/2306/kansas-state-wildcats), Texas (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/251/texas-longhorns), Oklahoma State (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/197/oklahoma-state-cowboys), Missouri (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/142/missouri-tigers), Iowa State (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/66/iowa-state-cyclones), Texas A&M (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/245/texas-a&m-aggies), Colorado (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/38/colorado-buffaloes), Oklahoma (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/201/oklahoma-sooners) and two games against Washington (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/264/washington-huskies)), he posted these metric totals:



For perspective, consider that an 8.7 total YPA ranked Cleveland Browns (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/cle/cleveland-browns) cornerback Sheldon Brown tied for 70th out of 98 qualifying cornerbacks in that metric last year. It is far from an elite mark and Amukamara posted the same mark against collegiate-level competition.


But it wasn't just in total YPA where Amukamara came up short. Giving up 11 completions/defensive penalties in 20 vertical pass attempts equates to a 45 percent success rate, a number that would have ranked 82nd in that category at the pro level last season. The 14.1 vertical YPA and 16.6 stretch vertical YPA would also have placed him in the bottom quarter of the league in those metrics.


There are those who would argue that Amukamara's numbers were skewed by his performance against Oklahoma State star wideout Justin Blackmon (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27312/justin-blackmon). While that single contest did spike Amukamara's totals (Blackmon went 3-for-6 for 144 total reception/penalty yards and a touchdown), even if you subtract that game, he still gave up a nearly 50 percent completion rate on all of the other passes.



And consider that there are receivers of Blackmon's caliber all over the NFL. Slowing down elite pass catchers is exactly why teams draft cornerbacks in the first round, and an inability to do that should raise huge red flags on a first-round corner's draft status.


One more reason to consider passing on Amukamara is the metric totals posted by Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27258/jimmy-smith) and Miami Hurricanes (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/2390/miami-fl-hurricanes) cornerback Brandon Harris (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27018/brandon-harris).


In an eight-game sample (Colorado State (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/36/colorado-state-rams), California (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/25/california-golden-bears), Hawaii (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/62/hawaii-warriors), Georgia (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/61/georgia-bulldogs), Missouri, Baylor (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/239/baylor-bears), Oklahoma, Nebraska) Smith was targeted 21 times and gave up only eight completions for 73 yards, or a 3.5 YPA. He also had a 3.6 vertical YPA on 11 passes and a 2.3 stretch vertical YPA on seven passes. (The Georgia game included two targets in which Smith was covering consensus No. 1 wide receiver A.J. Green (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/26072/aj-green), both of which fell incomplete.)

[Future]

As long as Ryan can improve the pass rush, I'm down with Prince.

[CCBoy]

I haven't watched enough film on him to be honest. Only thing I've noticed is in his interviews/ tv time, I just get this impression that he's slow to react mentally to questions. These were football questions, i.e. Coverages, techniques and things. Answers I thought he would just fire right back he seemed hesitant or slow to answer.

Maybe I'm being dumb but he just gave me this feeling that he's not very confident when it comes to football off the field. Obviously that can develop but he doesnt give me the impression that he's more ready than anyone else.

This draft is very very deep at the db position win Peterson being the top. If we can't get him then I don't see us getting a db that would be able to start or play nickel until year 2-4, depending on how long Newman is here.

It is really difficult to pinpoint direction in youthful adults. They need direction and reinforcement through the earlier transitional points in young adulthood. And often it is quality of instruction that they receive in how they are able to then self direct and develop from there, on the carpet.

I think that Prince has good coverage skills and was scout evaluated with strong speed for the position. His size is good for the position, and his tackling skills are really a big plus for many teams. He's not adversed to working at either a corner or safety position, and that expands his useage in any secondary.

I think that cocky and a physical coverage skill are a great combination.

Your point as to an availability of players with good upend is relevant for this draft. I'm interested in seeing how this develops into the Dallas secondary.

The Cowboys have a significant amount already invested in the secondary, and from their recent drafts as well. I am curious if they would feel the need to again put a highly placed pick into this pool also...but you raise some valid considerations in your post.

[CCBoy]

I'm not saying I wouldn't take him but it is more than this. On ESPN Insider they broke down his numbers and against strong competition overall his numbers were below other corners out there in the draft.

You have to be signed up on Insider but I'll give you the gist

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/insider/columns/story?columnist=joyner_kc&id=6353475

Just a note here, LaDanian Thomlinson was drafted highly by San Diego. He was picked with a high first round pick, but there were many doubters who stated that he was just too small and from an unproven program/scheme.

I'd say that he did a pretty solid job in his career. And the NFL is dotted throughout of examples of players excelling at a high level who had questions due to the level of play about them, but were able to walk on into a higher level themselves.

[bsheeern]

It is really difficult to pinpoint direction in youthful adults. They need direction and reinforcement through the earlier transitional points in young adulthood. And often it is quality of instruction that they receive in how they are able to then self direct and develop from there, on the carpet.

I think that Prince has good coverage skills and was scout evaluated with strong speed for the position. His size is good for the position, and his tackling skills are really a big plus for many teams. He's not adversed to working at either a corner or safety position, and that expands his useage in any secondary.

I think that cocky and a physical coverage skill are a great combination.

Your point as to an availability of players with good upend is relevant for this draft. I'm interested in seeing how this develops into the Dallas secondary.

The Cowboys have a significant amount already invested in the secondary, and from their recent drafts as well. I am curious if they would feel the need to again put a highly placed pick into this pool also...but you raise some valid considerations in your post.

I also see a him as a solid player with speed. This draft has given us more options than any draft in quite some time. I'm hoping we have various strategies worked up and are prepared for many different scenarios. My 2 favorite players are Von miller and Peterson but I have a feeling both will only be had by trading up. I also have this strong feeling that Bowers is the player who is going to slide the most. Even falling out of the top ten and maybe even being picked after Prince. His knee could scare off teams and make others hesitant.