Analyzing the Steelers Wants and Needs For the 2016 NFL Draft – Cornerback

BlackAndGold wrote:

They drafted two CB's last year. They've addressed the position. Everyone needs to be patient, and let those develop.

Until Cortez Allen hurt his knee(which seems chronic) he was looking like he was going to be a very good player. Not sure if anyone remembers but, He shut down Rob Gronkowski his rookie season and gave AJ Green a lot of problems.

Cockrell, Golson, Grant should all improve next season. No rookie is going to play over those guys unless he's the next Revis.

There's still an outside chance they let Cortez restructure and he hangs around through camp too. I really, really hate saying that, because it looks as if the ship has sailed, but I too was high on him at one time. For the right price, he could still be a contributor, and then some, if he regains his past form.

BlackAndGold wrote:

They drafted two CB's last year. They've addressed the position. Everyone needs to be patient, and let those players develop.

Until Cortez Allen hurt his knee(which seems chronic) he was looking like he was going to be a very good player. Not sure if anyone remembers but, He shut down Rob Gronkowski his rookie season and gave AJ Green a lot of problems.

Cockrell, Golson, Grant should all improve next season. No rookie is going to play over those guys unless he's the next Revis.

1 Glorified Slot CB taken about 2 rounds higher than he should have been, and a 4th rounder who probably wouldn't have been drafted at all, That was eventually cut for a free agent is not addressing the position...How can you feel good about that...Norman and Sherman were good picks because it seems those teams have a better eye for evaluating CB talent than Colbert and Co.

kirklandrules wrote:

BKAnthem wrote:

Gay and Cockrell are not the future

Now you lost me. Gay is a known quantity who will begin to decline in a few years, but at least you know what he is now. Cockrell looks like a guy who can grow to be a really solid corner for the Steelers. IMO he is a future CB for this team. That's the good news. Now they need to find two more: Slot (nickel) and the 4th CB (dime). Maybe Goulson is one of those, so hopefully you're only looking for one more. Then, as our friend Fire Arians would say: "Super Bowl!".

I sincerely hope you are right ...but when it comes to this secondary , i find myself being proven right more than wrong..

BKAnthem wrote:

1 Glorified Slot CB taken about 2 rounds higher than he should have been, and a 4th rounder who probably wouldn't have been drafted at all, That was eventually cut for a free agent is not addressing the position...How can you feel good about that...Norman and Sherman were good picks because it seems those teams have a better eye for evaluating CB talent than Colbert and Co.

Troy Polamalu
Ben Roethlisberger
Heath Miller
Santonio Holmes
Lawrence Timmons
Rashard Mendenhall
Ziggy Hood
Cameron Heyward
David DeCastro
Jarvis Jones
Ryan Shazier
Bud Dupree

Those are the first round picks since Colbert came here. I'm pretty sure he has a good track record. Then there's the players he's found after the first round:

Stephon Tuitt
Martavis Bryant (4th)
Le'Veon Bell
Markus Wheaton
Vince Williams (6th)
Sean Spence
Kelvin Beachum (7th)
Marcus Gilbert
Emmanuel Sanders
Antonio Brown (6th)
Mike Wallace
LaMarr Woodley
William Gay (5th)

I think we should also give him credit for undrafted players like Steve McClendon and Ramon Foster too.

Very few front offices have this sort of resume when you start comparing against other teams.

In fact, only 3 other GMs have been around as long as Colbert: Bellichek, Jerry Jones and Ozzie Newsome.

SteelCityUnderground wrote:

BKAnthem wrote:

1 Glorified Slot CB taken about 2 rounds higher than he should have been, and a 4th rounder who probably wouldn't have been drafted at all, That was eventually cut for a free agent is not addressing the position...How can you feel good about that...Norman and Sherman were good picks because it seems those teams have a better eye for evaluating CB talent than Colbert and Co.

Troy Polamalu
Ben Roethlisberger
Heath Miller
Santonio Holmes
Lawrence Timmons
Rashard Mendenhall
Ziggy Hood
Cameron Heyward
David DeCastro
Jarvis Jones
Ryan Shazier
Bud Dupree

Those are the first round picks since Colbert came here. I'm pretty sure he has a good track record. Then there's the players he's found after the first round:

Stephon Tuitt
Martavis Bryant (4th)
Le'Veon Bell
Markus Wheaton
Vince Williams (6th)
Sean Spence
Kelvin Beachum (7th)
Marcus Gilbert
Emmanuel Sanders
Antonio Brown (6th)
Mike Wallace
LaMarr Woodley
William Gay (5th)

I think we should also give him credit for undrafted players like Steve McClendon and Ramon Foster too.

Very few front offices have this sort of resume when you start comparing against other teams.

In fact, only 3 other GMs have been around as long as Colbert: Bellichek, Jerry Jones and Ozzie Newsome.

Nice Post...I See one HOF'er, and one Slot CB pressed into service on the outside because of the FO obvious failings at evaluating talent at the position....Now show me all the Successful or even competent starting DBs he's drafted in all his years, because it's funny that when a Steeler drafted DB hits the market almost no one wants them or they flop famously...

BKAnthem wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

They drafted two CB's last year. They've addressed the position. Everyone needs to be patient, and let those players develop.

Until Cortez Allen hurt his knee(which seems chronic) he was looking like he was going to be a very good player. Not sure if anyone remembers but, He shut down Rob Gronkowski his rookie season and gave AJ Green a lot of problems.

Cockrell, Golson, Grant should all improve next season. No rookie is going to play over those guys unless he's the next Revis.

1 Glorified Slot CB taken about 2 rounds higher than he should have been, and a 4th rounder who probably wouldn't have been drafted at all, That was eventually cut for a free agent is not addressing the position...How can you feel good about that...Norman and Sherman were good picks because it seems those teams have a better eye for evaluating CB talent than Colbert and Co.

That "glorified" slot CB would've been a 1st round pick if he was tad bit taller. Many scouts praised the pick. I'd wait until he plays before you write him off. Doran Grant was projected as a 3rd-4th round pick by many scouts. How can feel good about that? they were rookies last year...they should get better.

Sherman was a rare case, how likely is it that a 5th round corner has an impact his first season? Honest question. Norman didn't break out until this past season, he's 28 years old, it took him a few years(was drafted in 2012).

The point of the post is that it's not "obvious failings" when they are consistently drafting franchise players at other positions. I mean, they only have so many picks after all.

But I'll bite on the question. First, I'm not going to count any Day 3 players. Why? Because they just don't last that long, no matter the team, position, etc.



The last non-Day 3 draft pick at DB was Curtis Brown, 2011 round 3. He tore his ACL in 2013 and was released. The Jets picked him up but he didn't make the team. He currently plays in the CFL.

The next pick in that category was Keenan Lewis, taken in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft. The Saints snapped him up with a 5 year $26.3 million contract.

Going back even further is a bit beyond this discussion, as show in the chart above, plus this statement:

According to the NFL Players Association the average career length is about 3.3 years. The NFL claims that the average career is about 6 years (for players who make a club's opening day roster in their rookie season).

But to illustrate why the Steelers stray from DBs, one should look at their history under Colbert. In 3 of his first 4 years as GM (after drafting Ben, Heath and Holmes) he took a DB in the 2nd round: Ricardo Colclough, Bryant McFadden and Anthony Smith. McFadden is the only one of the three who contributed to the 3 Super Bowl appearances. The other two were high round busts.

Conversely, when choosing other positions, Colbert has a better track record in Round 2: Woodley, Limas Sweed, Jason Worilds, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, Le'Veon Bell, Stephon Tuitt and of course, Golson (who we don't know anything about.) Of those, Sweed and Adams were busts. Worilds was about to be one of the highest paid LB's before mysteriously retiring.

But what about the other rounds? Well what about them? As shown, most players don't stick around long. Every now and then you get a diamond in the rough, but it's not consistent enough to pan the front office for taking flyers on players that, on average, won't last beyond 2-3 seasons in the NFL.

When they hit on one, they should get praise. When they miss, should we really care? Especially when they're consistently hitting on the earlier rounds?

I should also note, when you're constantly winning, you are drafting lower. This is also why they don't pull the trigger on the 6th best player at a given position, and always go with the best available.

Study: What Pittsburgh Looks For In Drafting Cornerbacks

BY ALEX KOZORA MARCH 22, 2016

We are continuing our series on examining the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft history to try and predict who might meet their measurable and athletic criteria for 2016. We’ve covered receivers and both line groups. Today, we’ll move onto cornerbacks:

to read rest of article:

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/03/study-pittsburgh-looks-drafting-cornerbacks/

Past Data Proves Steelers Draft Players They Visit

Nice article by one of my contributors, summarizing which draft selections were visited by the Steelers before the draft.

http://www.steelcityunderground.com/2016/03/21/past-data-proves-steelers-draft-players-they-visit/

BlackAndGold wrote:

BKAnthem wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

They drafted two CB's last year. They've addressed the position. Everyone needs to be patient, and let those players develop.

Until Cortez Allen hurt his knee(which seems chronic) he was looking like he was going to be a very good player. Not sure if anyone remembers but, He shut down Rob Gronkowski his rookie season and gave AJ Green a lot of problems.

Cockrell, Golson, Grant should all improve next season. No rookie is going to play over those guys unless he's the next Revis.

1 Glorified Slot CB taken about 2 rounds higher than he should have been, and a 4th rounder who probably wouldn't have been drafted at all, That was eventually cut for a free agent is not addressing the position...How can you feel good about that...Norman and Sherman were good picks because it seems those teams have a better eye for evaluating CB talent than Colbert and Co.

That "glorified" slot CB would've been a 1st round pick if he was tad bit taller. Many scouts praised the pick. I'd wait until he plays before you write him off. Doran Grant was projected as a 3rd-4th round pick by many scouts. How can feel good about that? they were rookies last year...they should get better.

Sherman was a rare case, how likely is it that a 5th round corner has an impact his first season? Honest question. Norman didn't break out until this past season, he's 28 years old, it took him a few years(was drafted in 2012).

I highly doubt that, I don't believe Golson was even ranked as a second rounder at his current height look at how Sammie Coats Owned him, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L0SVbaC_T4&feature=youtu.be&t=118 ...so i don't see how he jumps to the 1st rd quality based on 1 or 2 inches...Grant, who i believe could have been signed as a free agent was cut for Cockrell..... you don't cut promising picks for street free agents...And actually Grant would be best suited as a Safety, he's strong and has good hands, but he's to slow and stiff to be a competent CB

SteelCityUnderground wrote:

The point of the post is that it's not "obvious failings" when they are consistently drafting franchise players at other positions. I mean, they only have so many picks after all.

But I'll bite on the question. First, I'm not going to count any Day 3 players. Why? Because they just don't last that long, no matter the team, position, etc.



The last non-Day 3 draft pick at DB was Curtis Brown, 2011 round 3. He tore his ACL in 2013 and was released. The Jets picked him up but he didn't make the team. He currently plays in the CFL.

The next pick in that category was Keenan Lewis, taken in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft. The Saints snapped him up with a 5 year $26.3 million contract.

Going back even further is a bit beyond this discussion, as show in the chart above, plus this statement:

According to the NFL Players Association the average career length is about 3.3 years. The NFL claims that the average career is about 6 years (for players who make a club's opening day roster in their rookie season).

But to illustrate why the Steelers stray from DBs, one should look at their history under Colbert. In 3 of his first 4 years as GM (after drafting Ben, Heath and Holmes) he took a DB in the 2nd round: Ricardo Colclough, Bryant McFadden and Anthony Smith. McFadden is the only one of the three who contributed to the 3 Super Bowl appearances. The other two were high round busts.

Conversely, when choosing other positions, Colbert has a better track record in Round 2: Woodley, Limas Sweed, Jason Worilds, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, Le'Veon Bell, Stephon Tuitt and of course, Golson (who we don't know anything about.) Of those, Sweed and Adams were busts. Worilds was about to be one of the highest paid LB's before mysteriously retiring.

But what about the other rounds? Well what about them? As shown, most players don't stick around long. Every now and then you get a diamond in the rough, but it's not consistent enough to pan the front office for taking flyers on players that, on average, won't last beyond 2-3 seasons in the NFL.

When they hit on one, they should get praise. When they miss, should we really care? Especially when they're consistently hitting on the earlier rounds?

Coclough if i remember right was a reach, but was drafted for the combination of his return ability(which he also lacked), In combination with his (poor)coverage skills..

Mcfadden fit Lebeaus Zone scheme which he was Tailor made for...Because he was exposed badly in AZ man coverage style defense...which is why i also thought he was a reach...

Smith was just BAD....and not very smart.. but that just goes to Colbert and Co. DB evaluation skills... Troy was a Godsend and Lewis slipped away, by their own doing or his desire to play for His hometown team, i don't know...but from what I see on draft day and Sunday doesn't inspire confidence at that Position...Like a said i hope to God I'm proven wrong, But i have seen to many crappy free agent signings and DB draft busts to think otherwise...

BKAnthem wrote:

But i have seen to many crappy free agent signings and DB draft busts to think otherwise...

I wonder if that's in the back of Colbert's mind on draft day and why he avoids the position. I mean, that's 3 misses in 3 years. Then he takes a chance on Golson and the kid gets hurt and doesn't play at all in year one.

Talk about bad luck!

BKAnthem wrote:

Coclough if i remember right was a reach, but was drafted for the combination of his return ability(which he also lacked), In combination with his (poor)coverage skills..

Mcfadden fit Lebeaus Zone scheme which he was Tailor made for...Because he was exposed badly in AZ man coverage style defense...which is why i also thought he was a reach...

Smith was just BAD....and not very smart.. but that just goes to Colbert and Co. DB evaluation skills... Troy was a Godsend and Lewis slipped away, by their own doing or his desire to play for His hometown team, i don't know...but from what I see on draft day and Sunday doesn't inspire confidence at that Position...Like a said i hope to God I'm proven wrong, But i have seen to many crappy free agent signings and DB draft busts to think otherwise...

Colclough was productive at Tusculum, had all the measurable, but the question was if he could play well against top competition, which he had a great week at the Senior Bowl and rose up many peoples boards. Just never panned out.

Smith had straight line speed, was a solid hitter and had good college production. Honestly, his game reminds me of Keanu Neal who many are hyping right now. I think attitude was not what was needed to excel in the NFL.

McFadden was burned consistently at the Senior Bowl by QB turned WR and eventual bust Matt Jones. I always thought he was a reach because despite being a 2nd round pick, he was something like the 9th DB off the board that year. Seemed like 4th round talent taken in the 2nd because there was a run on CB's. He honestly was OK in the Steelers system, but not for a long time.

Aaron Wilson ✔‎@AaronWilson_NFL

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert here @UHCougarFB Pro Day his primary interest: projected first-round cornerback William Jackson

4:03 AM - 24 Mar 2016

BKAnthem wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

BKAnthem wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

They drafted two CB's last year. They've addressed the position. Everyone needs to be patient, and let those players develop.

Until Cortez Allen hurt his knee(which seems chronic) he was looking like he was going to be a very good player. Not sure if anyone remembers but, He shut down Rob Gronkowski his rookie season and gave AJ Green a lot of problems.

Cockrell, Golson, Grant should all improve next season. No rookie is going to play over those guys unless he's the next Revis.

1 Glorified Slot CB taken about 2 rounds higher than he should have been, and a 4th rounder who probably wouldn't have been drafted at all, That was eventually cut for a free agent is not addressing the position...How can you feel good about that...Norman and Sherman were good picks because it seems those teams have a better eye for evaluating CB talent than Colbert and Co.

That "glorified" slot CB would've been a 1st round pick if he was tad bit taller. Many scouts praised the pick. I'd wait until he plays before you write him off. Doran Grant was projected as a 3rd-4th round pick by many scouts. How can feel good about that? they were rookies last year...they should get better.

Sherman was a rare case, how likely is it that a 5th round corner has an impact his first season? Honest question. Norman didn't break out until this past season, he's 28 years old, it took him a few years(was drafted in 2012).

I highly doubt that, I don't believe Golson was even ranked as a second rounder at his current height look at how Sammie Coats Owned him,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L0SVbaC_T4&feature=youtu.be&t=118 ...so i don't see how he jumps to the 1st rd quality based on 1 or 2 inches...Grant, who i believe could have been signed as a free agent was cut for Cockrell..... you don't cut promising picks for street free agents...And actually Grant would be best suited as a Safety, he's strong and has good hands, but he's to slow and stiff to be a competent CB

Golson was the best zone corner in the draft last year, Mayock even said after he was drafted that Golson is "one of the best pure zone corners he's ever seen". Watch the tape, only thing as a prospect you can say about Golson is his height, which is fair, but he got drafted where many expected(late 2nd-early 3rd). Sammie Coates did have a good day against him, albeit one of big plays wasn't Golson's fault. And almost every catch Coates made was contested. Gotta give credit to Coates, who's going to be a future star for this team.

Dude, find me where Grant was projected to go undrafted. Grant ran a 4.44 40. Like Golson, he's a prototypical cover 2 corner. And Grant was back on the 53 before the end of the season. Cockrell was one hell of a pickup.

Dane Brugler ‏@dpbrugler
Text from pro scout who was at #Houston pro day: "I bet Will Jackson ends up in Pittsburgh. They can't hide their love for him."

https://twitter.com/dpbrugler/status/713175381797253120

@LukeEasterling
If the #Steelers want William Jackson, they'll probably have to move up from No. 25 for him. #NFLDraft

https://twitter.com/LukeEasterling/status/713177378990780416

BlackAndGold wrote:

Dane Brugler ‏@dpbrugler
Text from pro scout who was at #Houston pro day: "I bet Will Jackson ends up in Pittsburgh. They can't hide their love for him."

https://twitter.com/dpbrugler/status/713175381797253120

@LukeEasterling
If the #Steelers want William Jackson, they'll probably have to move up from No. 25 for him. #NFLDraft

https://twitter.com/LukeEasterling/status/713177378990780416

Or maybe it's a ploy to deflect attention away from another mystery CB prospect they really want at #25.

FrancoLambert wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

Dane Brugler ‏@dpbrugler
Text from pro scout who was at #Houston pro day: "I bet Will Jackson ends up in Pittsburgh. They can't hide their love for him."

https://twitter.com/dpbrugler/status/713175381797253120

@LukeEasterling
If the #Steelers want William Jackson, they'll probably have to move up from No. 25 for him. #NFLDraft

https://twitter.com/LukeEasterling/status/713177378990780416

Or maybe it's a ploy to deflect attention away from another mystery CB prospect they really want at #25.

Like with every draft, they'll be a bunch of smokescreens. I think they like him, but "love"? we'll see lol

I like Jackson though, he'd be a great pick.

BlackAndGold wrote:

Dude, find me where Grant was projected to go undrafted. Grant ran a 4.44 40. Like Golson, he's a prototypical cover 2 corner. .

NFLDraftScout.com projects Grant as a fourth-round pick, and Mayock has a similar opinion.

“He’s a really good football player, and from all I’ve heard, he’s a great kid and a hard-work ethic kid,” Mayock said of Grant. “He’s the kind of guy I would bet on. I think he’s going to go in the middle rounds. I think he’ll play special teams, and I think he can help a team win.”

http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/ohio-state-cornerback-doran-grant-an-akron-native-proves-he-shouldn-t-be-underestimated-at-nfl-scouting-combine-1.569261

Houston CB William Jackson III Wowed That Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Attended His Pro Day

BY DAVE BRYAN MARCH 25, 2016

The Pittsburgh Steelers certainly showered cornerback William Jackson III with attention over the course of the last few days as not only did general manager Kevin Colbert, head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive backs coach Carnell Lake all attend his Thursday pro day at the University of Houston, they also had dinner with him Wednesday night. Following his Thursday workout, Jackson talked to the media and said he was thankful to have Tomlin and the Steelers present for it.

“For the head coach to come down here, that’s a big deal,” said Jackson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “I was like, ‘Wow, they’re here to see me.’ It was crazy, I never thought I’d be in that predicament. That was a great atmosphere and a great dinner. It’s a blessing to go from not talked about to talked about.”

After Jackson recorded two interceptions against Florida State in Houston’s bowl game, he then proceeded to run the 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine in 4.37-seconds. Ever since there’s been talk that he might hear his name called during the first night of the 2016 NFL Draft. With that said, there are still a few believe that he’ll ultimately come off the board in the second round.

One of Jackson’s weaknesses, according to Dave-Thomas of NFL Draft Report, is his play against the run.

“For Jackson III, he was sort of the “Where’s Waldo” when it came to run support,” Thomas wrote recently. “He did not make his first tackle in run support until the seventh game on the 2015 schedule and three of his five tackles vs. ball carriers did not come until the final two appearances on Houston’s 14-game schedule.”

That weakness aside, it’s evident that the Steelers have an interest in Jackson and now it will be interesting to see whether or not they bring him to Pittsburgh next month for a pre-draft visit.

As far as Jackson’s pro day results go, he reportedly decided not run the 40 again on Thursday but did register a 4.32-second time in the pro agility drill and a 6.86-second time in the three-cone drill.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/03/houston-cb-william-jackson-iii-wowed-steelers-hc-mike-tomlin-attended-pro-day/

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Houston CB William Jackson III Wowed That Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Attended His Pro Day

BY DAVE BRYAN MARCH 25, 2016

...One of Jackson’s weaknesses, according to Dave-Thomas of NFL Draft Report, is his play against the run.

“For Jackson III, he was sort of the “Where’s Waldo” when it came to run support,” Thomas wrote recently. “He did not make his first tackle in run support until the seventh game on the 2015 schedule and three of his five tackles vs. ball carriers did not come until the final two appearances on Houston’s 14-game schedule.”

He must have been studying tape of Blake

So Tomlin, Lake and Colbert attended his pro day. Now we just need Tomlin to come out and say something like: "Yeah, we attended the Houston pro day and saw What'shisname. Meh. But the food the night before was pretty good!".

BlackAndGold wrote:

BKAnthem wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

BKAnthem wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

They drafted two CB's last year. They've addressed the position. Everyone needs to be patient, and let those players develop.

Until Cortez Allen hurt his knee(which seems chronic) he was looking like he was going to be a very good player. Not sure if anyone remembers but, He shut down Rob Gronkowski his rookie season and gave AJ Green a lot of problems.

Cockrell, Golson, Grant should all improve next season. No rookie is going to play over those guys unless he's the next Revis.

1 Glorified Slot CB taken about 2 rounds higher than he should have been, and a 4th rounder who probably wouldn't have been drafted at all, That was eventually cut for a free agent is not addressing the position...How can you feel good about that...Norman and Sherman were good picks because it seems those teams have a better eye for evaluating CB talent than Colbert and Co.

That "glorified" slot CB would've been a 1st round pick if he was tad bit taller. Many scouts praised the pick. I'd wait until he plays before you write him off. Doran Grant was projected as a 3rd-4th round pick by many scouts. How can feel good about that? they were rookies last year...they should get better.

Sherman was a rare case, how likely is it that a 5th round corner has an impact his first season? Honest question. Norman didn't break out until this past season, he's 28 years old, it took him a few years(was drafted in 2012).

I highly doubt that, I don't believe Golson was even ranked as a second rounder at his current height look at how Sammie Coats Owned him,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L0SVbaC_T4&feature=youtu.be&t=118 ...so i don't see how he jumps to the 1st rd quality based on 1 or 2 inches...Grant, who i believe could have been signed as a free agent was cut for Cockrell..... you don't cut promising picks for street free agents...And actually Grant would be best suited as a Safety, he's strong and has good hands, but he's to slow and stiff to be a competent CB

Golson was the best zone corner in the draft last year, Mayock even said after he was drafted that Golson is "one of the best pure zone corners he's ever seen". Watch the tape, only thing as a prospect you can say about Golson is his height, which is fair, but he got drafted where many expected(late 2nd-early 3rd). Sammie Coates did have a good day against him, albeit one of big plays wasn't Golson's fault. And almost every catch Coates made was contested. Gotta give credit to Coates, who's going to be a future star for this team.

Dude, find me where Grant was projected to go undrafted. Grant ran a 4.44 40. Like Golson, he's a prototypical cover 2 corner. And Grant was back on the 53 before the end of the season. Cockrell was one hell of a pickup.

I wrote that I thought Grant could have gone undrafted...and i believe he would have, Colbert has a knack for Drafting DB's that no one else wants... I never bought into that Lukewarm Hype on Golson...i just see Will Gay Jr...another avg DB for the Back end drafted way to high...i hope i'm wrong but i doubt it..

BKAnthem wrote:

I wrote that I thought Grant could have gone undrafted...and i believe he would have, Colbert has a knack for Drafting DB's that no one else wants... I never bought into that Lukewarm Hype on Golson...i just see Will Gay Jr...another avg DB for the Back end drafted way to high...i hope i'm wrong but i doubt it..

Grant wasn't going undrafted. Multiple sources targeted him in mid rounds, right where he went.

Golson put up some very good tape in the SEC and many raved about his ability to play zone and track the football to result in INT's. Drew some comparisons to Jason Verrett who went in the 1st round the previous years, but thought more of a zone corner than man.

I've been pro Golson and I still am. In this draft if Mackenzie is there I want Mackenzie on the outside with Cockrell at some point with Golson in the slot.

If Mackenzie is not there, I want Billings or Butler, if they are not there, Will Jax/Neal/BPA.

Mackenzie is a pest with man to man coverage and very good in run support as well.