Skip to main content
Advertising

Scouting The 2017 Senior Bowl: Cornerbacks

CB Tre'Davious White, LSU
5-foot-11, 191 pounds; Draft projection = first round
White is one of the best pure cover cornerbacks in this year's draft. He's fast, fluid and has excellent footwork. White earned praise during Thursday's practice after notching an early interception on Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs and for consistently being in good position. He could have entered the NFL Draft as a junior, but said he returned to school to improve on the mental part of the game. He notched six career interceptions and 34 pass breakups, and just 14.3 percent of his completions allowed went for first downs or touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). White is good in both press and off coverage, but he doesn't play with a lot of physicality.

CB Desmond King, Iowa
5-foot-10, 206 pounds; Draft projection = second round
King is a playmaker, pure and simple. As a junior, he notched eight interceptions, including several in critical moments of games, which earned him the Jim Thorpe Award given to the top defensive back in college football. Despite that, King still returned for his senior year to finish his degree for his family, he said. He also wanted to prove that his big junior year wasn't a fluke. King grabbed three more picks as a senior. The knock on him is the measurables. He's shorter and bulkier than most outside NFL cornerbacks, and doesn't have top-end speed, which has led some to believe he'll be a better fit at safety, which he hasn't played since early in high school.

CB Jourdan Lewis, Michigan
5-foot-10, 188 pounds; Draft projection = second round
Lewis is another shorter-statured cornerback who has made a name for himself with pure coverage skills. While fellow Michigan hybrid cornerback/safety/linebacker Jabrill Peppers draws the headlines, Lewis was often the one matching up on top opposing wide receivers. A three-year starter, Lewis ranked third in the nation as a junior with 20 pass breakups, which earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors. He could project inside if teams don't think he's big enough outside, and Lewis prides himself on being versatile. Playing for Jim Harbaugh the last two years, Lewis said he hopes his coach will put in a good word with Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh.

CB Cameron Sutton, Tennessee
5-foot-11, 182 pounds; Draft projection = second round
Before a fractured ankle injury sidelined Sutton for much of the 2016 season, he started all 38 games of his career. He's a confident, fluid athlete who is strongest in man coverage, which the Ravens like to play. While not tall, Sutton has some muscle to jam and reroute receivers off the line of scrimmage. In his junior year, Sutton surpassed former Tennessee All-American and current Pro Bowl Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Better with 32 career passes defensed. Sutton led the nation in punt return average (18.7 yards) in 2015. He has experience, athleticism and ball skills, and his health looked totally fine on Day 1 of the Senior Bowl practices.

CB Rasul Douglas, West Virginia
6-foot-2, 204 pounds; Draft projection = second or third round
As opposed to the aforementioned cornerbacks, Douglas has ideal size and length, which NFL teams covet. The Ravens like their outside cornerbacks to have some size (see Jimmy Smith). Douglas exploded as a senior, becoming a unanimous All-Big 12 first-team pick and ESPN's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after finishing tied for the most interceptions (eight) in the nation. Douglas can give up some big plays, however, as he allowed 631 passing yards and four touchdowns against him, which is tops in each category among Senior Bowl cornerbacks, per PFF.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content

Advertising