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Dallas Cowboys Draft 2016: If Not Round One, Cowboys Should Look For Cornerbacks Early
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016...2016-if-not-round-one-cowboys-should-look-for
Lost amidst the all the talk surrounding young quarterbacks is the Cowboys need at cornerback. Say what you will about the return of Orlando Scandrick and Byron Jones, but realize that Jones has practically bought real estate as the Cowboys' new free safety. Scandrick is coming off full tears to this ACL and MCL, we need to wait and see how everything goes for him this offseason. Assuming he's ready to roll, Dallas still has major questions to answer at cornerback. Questions like, does the team want to continue paying Brandon Carr well over market value for serviceable at best production? Does the team want to re-sign Morris Claiborne to an extension, when he has missed multiple games and hasn't shown the results desired since taking him sixth overall? Does the team want to look to the free agent market for perhaps another starter, but may have to risk paying significant dollars?
With all this is mind, the Cowboys may decide to take Jalen Ramsey, the consensus pick as the best cornerback and overall secondary player in the draft. Ramsey is a top five prospect and his physicality shows as a defender - without drawing attention from the officials. He's been fantastic in both zone and press coverages and has played all over the defense. Ramsey is an athletic specimen with all the tools to become a shutdown corner in the NFL and could quite possibly be the best defensive player in the draft. However, at four, the Cowboys have a really good chance to take a franchise quarterback of the future. If Ramsey isn't the target, the Cowboys still have options. The Cowboys should look at cornerback early and possibly often. Here are a few names to think about. Cornerbacks are a premium position in the National Football League and with that comes premium resources to get them. So, let's look at rounds 2-4 at some possible help for this secondary that needs a lot of work.
Second Round
Eli Apple, 6'1, 200 lbs, Ohio State (32nd CBS Prospect)
Apple could very well wind up being taken in the first round after the Hargreaves and Alexanders of the world are long gone. Apple is a long, rangy cornerback that plays with physicality and is skilled in both zone and press coverages. He's got great hip motion and is a very coordinated athlete to stay in the play. He uses his length well enough to keep receivers anything but comfortable. He's played against top receivers and has done well with his opportunities. He's still learning what he can and can not get away with at the next level, but Apple is a physical presence that NFL teams yearn for in their secondaries.
Kendall Fuller, 6'0, 197 lbs, Virgina Tech (43rd CBS Prospect)
Much like his older brother Kyle (drafted 14th overall), Kendall is a finely-tuned athlete with all the range and tangibles to become a great corner in the NFL. Fuller had meniscus surgery that ended his season early, but that doesn't stop him from entering a draft where cornerbacks will be a solid class. Much like Apple, Fuller knows how to use his length to his advantage with receivers. He plays like a veteran and has a great attitude. He's not going to make many mistakes but still has the mental capacity to get better and correct any mistake he does make. Fuller would have been a first-round consideration, if not for the knee surgery. Fuller has all the physicality and skills of his brother but could become an even better prospect with more work on consistency...
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016...2016-if-not-round-one-cowboys-should-look-for
Lost amidst the all the talk surrounding young quarterbacks is the Cowboys need at cornerback. Say what you will about the return of Orlando Scandrick and Byron Jones, but realize that Jones has practically bought real estate as the Cowboys' new free safety. Scandrick is coming off full tears to this ACL and MCL, we need to wait and see how everything goes for him this offseason. Assuming he's ready to roll, Dallas still has major questions to answer at cornerback. Questions like, does the team want to continue paying Brandon Carr well over market value for serviceable at best production? Does the team want to re-sign Morris Claiborne to an extension, when he has missed multiple games and hasn't shown the results desired since taking him sixth overall? Does the team want to look to the free agent market for perhaps another starter, but may have to risk paying significant dollars?
With all this is mind, the Cowboys may decide to take Jalen Ramsey, the consensus pick as the best cornerback and overall secondary player in the draft. Ramsey is a top five prospect and his physicality shows as a defender - without drawing attention from the officials. He's been fantastic in both zone and press coverages and has played all over the defense. Ramsey is an athletic specimen with all the tools to become a shutdown corner in the NFL and could quite possibly be the best defensive player in the draft. However, at four, the Cowboys have a really good chance to take a franchise quarterback of the future. If Ramsey isn't the target, the Cowboys still have options. The Cowboys should look at cornerback early and possibly often. Here are a few names to think about. Cornerbacks are a premium position in the National Football League and with that comes premium resources to get them. So, let's look at rounds 2-4 at some possible help for this secondary that needs a lot of work.
Second Round
Eli Apple, 6'1, 200 lbs, Ohio State (32nd CBS Prospect)
Apple could very well wind up being taken in the first round after the Hargreaves and Alexanders of the world are long gone. Apple is a long, rangy cornerback that plays with physicality and is skilled in both zone and press coverages. He's got great hip motion and is a very coordinated athlete to stay in the play. He uses his length well enough to keep receivers anything but comfortable. He's played against top receivers and has done well with his opportunities. He's still learning what he can and can not get away with at the next level, but Apple is a physical presence that NFL teams yearn for in their secondaries.
Kendall Fuller, 6'0, 197 lbs, Virgina Tech (43rd CBS Prospect)
Much like his older brother Kyle (drafted 14th overall), Kendall is a finely-tuned athlete with all the range and tangibles to become a great corner in the NFL. Fuller had meniscus surgery that ended his season early, but that doesn't stop him from entering a draft where cornerbacks will be a solid class. Much like Apple, Fuller knows how to use his length to his advantage with receivers. He plays like a veteran and has a great attitude. He's not going to make many mistakes but still has the mental capacity to get better and correct any mistake he does make. Fuller would have been a first-round consideration, if not for the knee surgery. Fuller has all the physicality and skills of his brother but could become an even better prospect with more work on consistency...
