After every NFL Combine is over, everyone immediately starts looking to the combine results as a form of measurement of future success. We have seen time and time again how these numbers are often forced to hold too much water in measuring the potential success. With the Steelers certainly having a need at the cornerback position early in the 2011 NFL draft, I thought it would be good to research how the current top cornerbacks performed during their combine or pro days to sort of debunk just looking at these results.
I started by first looking at the top 20 all-around cornerbacks from 2010 based on their ratings at Pro Football Focus as they breakdown every aspect of their game. I highly suggest you subscribe. Taking these top 20 corners I then compiled their combine or pro day results as best as I could and noted the round the player was drafted in and by what team.
As you can see in the first sortable table below, 14 of the top 20 cornerbacks from 2010, using their rankings, were drafted in either the 1st or 2nd round with 10 of those 14 being 1st round selections. As far as 40 times go, only 1 of the corners that ran a documented 40 time of more than 4.50 was drafted in the 1st round and that was Joe Haden by the Browns just this past year. That is really not that earth shattering though that most top corners run fast. It ranks up there with water being wet. Also Haden seemed to have the worst recorded 3 cone time of all the corners on this list drafted in the 1st round. As far as vertical jumps go, they range from 30 all the way up to 39.5. Hard to put too much stock in that as a measure of success. The rest of the measurables are also a bit rangy and not decisive.
Rank | Player | 2010 Team | Drafted | HGT | WGT | 40 | 3 CONE | 20 S | JUMP | VERT | 225 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Antoine Winfield | Vikings | 1999 Round 1 (23) | 5085 | 176 | 4.41 | 6.84 | 3.95 | 10\’02” | 37.0 | DNP |
2 | Champ Bailey | Broncos | 1999 Round 1 (7) | 5116 | 184 | 4.28 | DNP | 3.79 | 10\’01” | 37.0 | DNP |
3 | Brandon Flowers | Chiefs | 2008 Round 2 (35) | 5096 | 189 | 4.55 | DNP | DNP | 9\’09” | 30.0 | 14 |
4 | Ronde Barber | Buccaneers | 1997 Round 3 (66) | 5093 | 185 | 4.66 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 34.5 | N/A |
5 | Josh Wilson | Ravens | 2007 Round 2 (55) | 5092 | 189 | 4.39 | 7.07 | 4.43 | 10\’00” | 36.5 | N/A |
6 | Joe Haden | Browns | 2010 Round 1 (7) | 5106 | 193 | 4.52 | 6.94 | 4.34 | 10\’05” | 35.0 | 18 |
7 | Tramon Williams | Packers | 2006 Undrafted | 5111 | 194 | 4.57 | 6.95 | 4.20 | 10\’07” | 37.5 | 13 |
8 | Sean Smith | Dolphins | 2009 Round 2 (61) | 6034 | 214 | 4.50 | 6.92 | 4.15 | 9\’11” | 34.0 | 10 |
9 | Devin McCourty | Patriots | 2010 Round 1 (27) | 5106 | 193 | 4.48 | 6.70 | 4.07 | 10\’06” | 36.0 | 16 |
10 | Nate Clements | 49ers | 2001 Round 1 (21) | 5111 | 209 | 4.37 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
11 | Brent Grimes | Falcons | 2006 Undrafted | 5092 | 177 | 4.57 | 7.13 | 4.25 | 10\’01” | 33.5 | N/A |
12 | Tim Jennings | Bears | 2006 Round 2 (62) | 5076 | 185 | 4.32 | DNP | DNP | 9\’09” | 37.5 | 17 |
13 | Antoine Cason |
Chargers | 2008 Round 1 (27) | 6002 | 191 | 4.45 | DNP | 4.08 | 10\’08” | 35.5 | 20 |
14 | Vontae Davis | Dolphins | 2009 Round 1 (25) | 5111 | 203 | 4.40 | 6.75 | 4.07 | 10\’05” | 36.0 | 25 |
15 | Aqib Talib | Buccaneers | 2008 Round 1 (20) | 6006 | 202 | 4.44 | 6.82 | 4.25 | 10\’11” | 38.0 | 10 |
16 | Brandon Carr | Chiefs | 2008 Round 5 (140) | 6001 | 207 | 4.43 | 6.8 | 4.19 | 10\’04” | 35.0 | DNP |
17 | Jason McCourty | Titans | 2009 Round 6 (203) | 5103 | 193 | 4.30 | 6.67 | 4.25 | 10\’05” | 36.5 | 15 |
18 | Darrelle Revis | Jets | 2007 Round 1 (14) | 5114 | 205 | 4.38 | 6.56 | 4.08 | 10\’05” | 38.0 | 16 |
19 | D.J. Moore | Bears | 2009 Round 4 (119) | 5087 | 192 | 4.56 | 7.01 | 4.28 | 9\’10” | 39.5 | 17 |
20 | Leon Hall | Bengals | 2007 Round 1 (18) | 5112 | 193 | 4.39 | 6.50 | 4.07 | 10\’05” | 37.5 | 15 |
For comparison purposes for those that like using combine results as a measuring stick of sorts, I have included what Rob Rang and company from CBS Sportsline views as solid 1st and 2nd round talents in 2011 at the cornerback position and their 2011 NFL Combine results that were recently registered. Do not put too much stock in the numbers and I only suggest using them as comparative purposes only. It is always better to look at these players and their full body of work on the field against some of the better competition they faced. Also it is advisable to watch the cornerbacks positional skill drills instead of focusing in so much on the measurables.
Rank | Player | 2010 Team | Drafted | HGT | WGT | 40 | 3 CONE | 20 S | JUMP | VERT | 225 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Patrick Peterson | LSU | Junior | 6002 | 219 | 4.34 | 6.58 | 4.07 | 15 | 10\’06” | 38.0 |
2 | Prince Amukamara | Nebraska | Senior | 6000 | 206 | 4.43 | 6.97 | 4.08 | 16 | 10\’08” | 38.0 |
3 | Jimmy Smith | Colorado | Senior | 6022 | 211 | 4.46 | 6.93 | 4.06 | 24 | 10\’03” | 36.0 |
4 | Brandon Harris | Miami | Junior | 5094 | 191 | 4.53 | 6.77 | 4.12 | 13 | 9\’05” | 35.5 |
5 | Aaron Williams | Texas | Junior | 5117 | 204 | 4.56 | 6.72 | 4.07 | 18 | 10\’07” | 37.5 |
6 | Curtis Brown | Texas | Senior | 5115 | 185 | 4.53 | 6.59 | 4.00 | 10 | 10\’08” | 39.5 |
7 | Davon House | New Mexico St. | Senior | 6004 | 200 | 4.50 | 6.65 | 4.12 | 14 | 9\’01” | 33.5 |
8 | Brandon Burton | Utah | Junior | 5115 | 190 | 4.53 | 6.93 | 4.07 | 18 | 9\’10” | 32.0 |
9 | Ras-I Dowling | Virginia | Senior | 6013 | 198 | 4.46 | DNP | DNP | 19 | DNP | DNP |
10 | Chimdi Chekwa | Ohio St. | Senior | 5116 | 191 | 4.40 | DNP | DNP | DNP | 10\’06” | 34.5 |
11 | Johnny Patrick | Louisville | Senior | 5105 | 191 | 4.59 | DNP | 4.16 | 13 | 9\’02” | 32.0 |
![](https://steelersdepot.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cropped-depot-logo1.png)