Fantasyfootballer.com's Gridiron


    
      
        Fantasyfootballer.com's Gridiron
        (https://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi)
      

        the Gridiron >> between the 20's >>  2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
        
(Message started by: Philly on Mar 15^th, 2004, 1:38pm)

Title: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Mar 15^th, 2004, 1:38pm

Key players at the CB position who have declared themselves eligible for the 2004 NFL Draft will be profiled in this thread.

PLEASE DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD!

If you have any comments or criticisms, please discuss them here:

http://www.fantasyfootballer.com/cgi-bin/theGridiron/YaBB.cgi?board=56;action=display;num=1079046146

Thank you for your cooperation!

Enjoy!

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Mar 15^th, 2004, 1:40pm

DeANGELO HALL
Virginia Tech
HT: 5' 10"
WT: 195 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Pure, unadulterated speed. DeAngelo Hall did not plan on running at the combine (as the surface in Indianapolis has a reputation of being "slow"), but saw many of the other CBs posting good times, so he ran unexpectedly and posted a time in the 4.3s. He will also run at the Virginia Tech Pro Day on a very fast surface. Don't be surprised to see results in the 4.1 -4.2 range. Hall is a natural athlete who is able to back-pedal and change body position with ease. He also doesn't mind tackling and playing the run. Hall is also a very dangerous (think Dante Hall) returner who is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.

WEAKNESSES:
Hall still needs to work on his cover skills. While his speed has served him well in college, he'll be covering much better, much faster receivers in the NFL. Hall will also have to face NFL wideouts that seem to be getting taller and taller each year. While Hall is about average height for a CB, he will need to make up for this WR vs. CB height discrepancy through improved technique. Hall also likes to talk the talk.

PROJECTION:
Originally considered the third or fourth best CB prospect, he may have climbed to #1 on the CB chart. Hall will be probably be drafted somewhere between picks number 10 and 20 in the first round. With some good coaching, Hall will quickly become one of the better corners in the league. Likely suitors include the Steelers, Jets, and Niners.

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Mar 22^nd, 2004, 1:16pm

DUNTA ROBINSON
South Carolina
HT: 5' 11"
WT: 186 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Dunta Robinson has seen his name rise on the draft boards recently and it is in large part because of his speed. He ran a 4.3 forty at the combine and teams love speed at the CB position. He has fairly decent size as well. RObinson is a ball-hawk and has good hands. He is fairly strong for his size. Robinson has played at the safety position as well, so he is versatile. He is a good tackler who does not shy away from contact.

WEAKNESSES:
Robinson is very raw at the CB position. He possesses great speed, but that can be an Achilles heel as well. He will often run himself out of position. He needs to be able to flip his hips better than he does now. Robinson is a long-strider and will need to shorten those strides to be able to react to the WR patterns more quickly. He will need to add some more bulk to his frame for NFL banging.

PROJECTION:
Robinson should go somewhere in the first round. NFL scouts believe he has the ability to be a shutdown corner. He will probably be the third or fourth CB off the board, behind Hall, Gamble, and maybe Strait. Look for him to go no earlier than #17 (Bengals) and no later than #30 (Chiefs). The Broncos may also look at him with pick #24.

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Mar 31^st, 2004, 3:02pm

KEIWAN RATLIFF
Florida
HT: 5' 10"
WT: 194 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Keiwan Ratliff is a playmaker. He has great hands and is aggressive going after the ball. He shows excellent quickness in his backpedal and his adjustments. Seems to have a decent grasp of CB skills and techniques despite being rather inexperienced at the position. He also returns punts and can play wideout on offense. He is a smooth player. Ratliff is a hard worker who looks to improve his skills and his strength.

WEAKNESSES:
Despite his obvious quickness, Ratliff is not very fast (4.6 forty) and does not have good catch-up speed. He has shown a lack of discipline at times and will go for the big play instead of the safe play. He is still inexperienced at CB and may struggle against the better NFL receivers. Ratliff has a thin build and needs to add some bulk for the NFL level. He is not a great tackler.

PROJECTION:
Keiwan Ratliff was pretty high on NFL draft boards as the college season ended, but has slipped some as he has not impressed at the combine or his pro day. Ratliff should be a very good nickel back right from the start, but will need some coaching and experience before he can be an every down CB. I'd expect him to fall into the early to mid-third round (he was a late first to mid-second round prospect at one point) to a team like the Texans, Bills, or Steelers.

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Apr 19^th, 2004, 3:04pm

CHRIS GAMBLE
Ohio St.
HT: 6' 1"
WT: 195 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Chris Gamble has two major advantages over many of the other CBs entering the draft. First off, he is one of the taller prospects. At 6' 1" he will be able to match up with some of the taller wideouts in the NFL. Secondly Gamble is an outstanding athlete. He has good speed for his size (4.5 forty) and tremendous body control. As a former WR at Ohio St., he brings an offensive skill set to the position. Gamble has great hands and ball-hawking skills and will be a prolific intercepting CB in the NFL. He has the ability to put bad plays behind him and move on instead of lingering and getting beat again.

WEAKNESSES:
Gamble has only been a full-time CB for one collegiate season. He still needs to improve his techniques. Gamble will need to become a more physical corner as he currently allows too much cushion and relies on speed and instincts to make plays in front of him. He does not have NFL strength which will result in receivers getting off the line of scrimmage easier. Receivers will also be able to outmuscle him for the ball and could break his tackles too easily.

PROJECTION:
Gamble is one of the top CB prospects and should be the second or third one chosen (DeAngelo Hall, Dunta Robinson) in the draft. A sure top-half first-rounder, Gamble could be selected as early as #10 (Texans), possibly at #12 (Jets), and most likely at #16 or #18 (Niners or Saints).

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Apr 19^th, 2004, 3:05pm

WILL POOLE
USC
HT: 5' 10"
WT: 184 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Will Poole is a very physical corner who excels at taking receivers out of the play right from the snap. Poole is most often described as a smooth player. His backpedal is easy and controlled. He is able to turn and cut quickly and can recover when beaten. Poole has large hands and catches the ball well. He has decent technique, especially in man-to-man coverage. Poole is a good, wrap-up tackler. Every move seems calculated and there is no wasted motion.

WEAKNESSES:
Poole is on the smallish side and could have trouble with some of the NFL's bigger receivers. He will need to bulk up some, while maintaining his speed and quickness. He will also go after the ball instead of the player and can get burnt when he misjudges a ball. Poole left Boston College after a suspension early in his collegiate career and had to re-establish himself at a junior college before joining USC.

PROJECTION:
Poole has struggled a bit in the off-season workouts. He was sick for part of the winter, lost ten pounds, and underimpressed at the USC pro-day. He ran again a month later and did well. However, Poole's best efforts came on the field, not on a track or in a weight room. Poole could sneak into the end of the first round where Philadelphia (if they stay put) might be interested in him. He will, more than likely, slip into the early second round where he could make the Atlanta secondary much better.

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Apr 19^th, 2004, 3:05pm

DERRICK STRAIT
Oklahoma
HT: 5' 11"
WT: 198 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Derrick Strait is a solid CB in many areas. He has good size and long arms to help defend. Strait is a true student of the game who spends many hours watching film of opponents and of himself. He is able to recognize plays and read an offense. Strait recognizes the tendencies of his opponents and takes advantage of them. Strait is an incredibly consistent player. He is not the fastest or strongest player on the field, but he is always near the ball and is always making plays. He is a true team-player and a character guy.4.5

WEAKNESSES:
Strait has had problems with smaller, quicker receivers in college. He himself is not all that quick and can be burnt when a quicker receiver is able to cut and alter his route. Strait needs to get bigger and stronger. He is a willing tackler now, but not too adept at the skill. He is a drag down tackler who needs to learn to wrap up. He will get involved in run support, but could have problems with bigger, stronger backs.

PROJECTION:
Derrick Strait entered the 2004 season as one of the more highly touted CB prospects, had a terrific season, yet he has managed to slide down the draft boards since the end of the season. He is a better pro prospect than former teammate Andre Woolfolk (2003 first-rounder). Because of numbers and needs, Strait could go at the end of round one (Chiefs, perhaps?) or slide into the middle of round two where the Steelers would be remiss not to select him.

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Apr 19^th, 2004, 3:06pm

AHMAD "BATMAN" CARROLL
Arkansas
HT: 5' 10"
WT: 189 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Ahmad "Batman" Carroll enters the draft following a junior season where he really came into his own. He possesses good size (height and weight) and has amazing speed (4.26 forty) at the position. He also has great quickness and can change direction and adjust to the receiver or the ball easily. He has long arms and uses them effectively as a defender. Carroll is a physical corner who excels in the bump and run and has the ability to be a shut-down corner in the NFL. He also will be effective in run support. He is a hard-worker who earns the respect of teammates and coaches.

WEAKNESSES:
Relies on his pure physical talents to succeed in college and will need to show some better technique as a pro. He gambles a lot and could be burned by a savvy QB-WR tandem. He will get caught peeking in at the QB too often in anticipation of making an interception instead of paying attention to the wideout. Carroll is not a wrap-up tackler.

PROJECTION:
Carroll is an outstanding talent who is still a little wet behind the ears. He will be a player that gets beat some early in the season and then will improve and be an NFL-caliber corner by the end of the season. He has unlimited potential. Carroll has been slowly and quietly climbing the draft boards all spring and could sneak into the first round where he would be an outstanding pick by the Chiefs.

Title: Re: 2004 NFL Draft - Player Profiles - CB
Post by Philly on Apr 19^th, 2004, 3:08pm

SHAWNTAE SPENCER
Pittsburgh
HT: 6' 0"
WT: 176 lbs.

STRENGTHS:
Shawntae Spencer has been off the radar of many teams until recently. He had a very productive senior season (only DeAngelo Hall had more tackles among CB prospects). He has excellent speed (4.48 forty) and can run with most receivers. He works hard in practice and prepares well for opponents and always gives 100% effort on the field. One of the best prospects at reaching around or over receivers to bat the ball away with his long arms. Spencer has good body control and quickness, backpedaling easily and using good hips to flip and stay with the receiver. He is taller than most CBs and uses his size and leaping ability well. Spencer was a defensive leader who earned the respect of teammates and coaches.

WEAKNESSES:
Spencer is a bit lanky and could be out-physicaled by some of the 6' 4" NFL wideouts. He is an aggressive tackler, although he relies on his arms too much and could have trouble wrapping up stronger receivers and backs. Spencer is a bit too generous with his cushions, especially while working a zone coverage, and will allow too many passes underneath. Spencer also relies on instincts and will be fooled by misdirection and play-action.

PROJECTION:
With Larry Fitzgerald garnering most of the attention at Pittsburgh, Spencer has gone unnoticed to some extent. He attracted some attention with his personal workouts. At the end of the college season, most prognosticators had Spencer as a second-day selection. However, most now feel he is a solid second round pick. If they don't go CB in the first round, look for the Bengals to look at him with pick #49.