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Dan Pompei
Sporting News
What the paczki has been to Fat Tuesday, the cornerback has become to draft day. It might be that neither is the wisest indulgence, but discipline tends to be disregarded when the aroma of either is in the air.
Last year, 19 cornerbacks were chosen on the first day of the draft -- more than any other position. The Broncos alone chose three. The Raiders and Colts took two apiece. Five fewer wide receivers than corners were chosen in the first three rounds, even though there were more quality receivers in the draft.
Some of the corners selected were shrimps, such as 5-8 Scott Starks, who was taken by the Jaguars. Some came from small schools, such as Ron Bartell, who went from Howard to the Rams. Some were considered problem children, such as Darrent Williams, who was picked by the Broncos.
But all played corner, which meant NFL teams were more willing to turn a blind eye than rely on an eagle eye.
Which brings us to the 29th of this month. Teams that need corners are going to have to strike early, and they're probably going to have to take them ahead of better players at other positions. Teams might have to take a player projected to be a third corner over a player projected to be a second receiver or a starting interior lineman.
"You never turn a corner down if you feel it's a guy who has ability to help you on special teams and can help you on nickel or dime," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan says. "Those guys are hard to get."
Waiting until the fourth round to take one is like putting off your Christmas shopping until December 24. "The way they went last year, you have to believe it will be tough to get one the second day," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome says. "You have to get one in the second or third round, or maybe if you're lucky the top of the fourth."
Based on my discussions with scouts and general managers, as many as 22 corners could be chosen on the first day this year, though not all of them have Day 1 ability. Penn State's Alan Zemaitis is almost a lock to go on the first day even after running a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash on a fast track and vertical jumping only 30 inches. Will Blackmon of Boston College was switched to wide receiver as a senior, but he still could be selected as a cornerback on Day 1. Antonio Cromartie probably will go in the first round even though he sat out all of last year with a torn ACL and started only one game at Florida State. David Pittman played at some place called Northwestern State, but that probably won't prevent him from going in the second or third round.
A run on corners is expected to begin midway through the first round, and as many as nine could be taken by early in the second. "Once one or two go, people get panicky about getting one," Cleveland general manager Phil Savage says.
No matter how many corners a team has, it could always use another. Shanahan says he would consider drafting another this year even after adding Darrent Williams, Dominique Foxworth and Karl Paymah last year to a group that includes Pro Bowl selection Champ Bailey.
With the way offenses have evolved, fourth, fifth and even sixth corners can play critical roles. "When we played Indy two years ago in the playoffs and didn't have the depth we wanted at cornerback, we got embarrassed," Shanahan says. "So our goal last year was to add a few more so that wouldn't happen again."
The beauty of drafting corners is even if they aren't needed on defense immediately, they usually can play significant roles on special teams because they typically can run and know how to tackle.
What each team must ask itself on draft day is this: Is it worse to reach for a cornerback or walk away without one?
Senior writer Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at pompei@sportingnews.com.
Dan Pompei
Sporting News
What the paczki has been to Fat Tuesday, the cornerback has become to draft day. It might be that neither is the wisest indulgence, but discipline tends to be disregarded when the aroma of either is in the air.
Last year, 19 cornerbacks were chosen on the first day of the draft -- more than any other position. The Broncos alone chose three. The Raiders and Colts took two apiece. Five fewer wide receivers than corners were chosen in the first three rounds, even though there were more quality receivers in the draft.
Some of the corners selected were shrimps, such as 5-8 Scott Starks, who was taken by the Jaguars. Some came from small schools, such as Ron Bartell, who went from Howard to the Rams. Some were considered problem children, such as Darrent Williams, who was picked by the Broncos.
But all played corner, which meant NFL teams were more willing to turn a blind eye than rely on an eagle eye.
Which brings us to the 29th of this month. Teams that need corners are going to have to strike early, and they're probably going to have to take them ahead of better players at other positions. Teams might have to take a player projected to be a third corner over a player projected to be a second receiver or a starting interior lineman.
"You never turn a corner down if you feel it's a guy who has ability to help you on special teams and can help you on nickel or dime," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan says. "Those guys are hard to get."
Waiting until the fourth round to take one is like putting off your Christmas shopping until December 24. "The way they went last year, you have to believe it will be tough to get one the second day," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome says. "You have to get one in the second or third round, or maybe if you're lucky the top of the fourth."
Based on my discussions with scouts and general managers, as many as 22 corners could be chosen on the first day this year, though not all of them have Day 1 ability. Penn State's Alan Zemaitis is almost a lock to go on the first day even after running a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash on a fast track and vertical jumping only 30 inches. Will Blackmon of Boston College was switched to wide receiver as a senior, but he still could be selected as a cornerback on Day 1. Antonio Cromartie probably will go in the first round even though he sat out all of last year with a torn ACL and started only one game at Florida State. David Pittman played at some place called Northwestern State, but that probably won't prevent him from going in the second or third round.
A run on corners is expected to begin midway through the first round, and as many as nine could be taken by early in the second. "Once one or two go, people get panicky about getting one," Cleveland general manager Phil Savage says.
No matter how many corners a team has, it could always use another. Shanahan says he would consider drafting another this year even after adding Darrent Williams, Dominique Foxworth and Karl Paymah last year to a group that includes Pro Bowl selection Champ Bailey.
With the way offenses have evolved, fourth, fifth and even sixth corners can play critical roles. "When we played Indy two years ago in the playoffs and didn't have the depth we wanted at cornerback, we got embarrassed," Shanahan says. "So our goal last year was to add a few more so that wouldn't happen again."
The beauty of drafting corners is even if they aren't needed on defense immediately, they usually can play significant roles on special teams because they typically can run and know how to tackle.
What each team must ask itself on draft day is this: Is it worse to reach for a cornerback or walk away without one?
Senior writer Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at pompei@sportingnews.com.