Other than QB the cornerback position is in my opinion the hardest to test, to assess, and to translate from college to the pros. I don’t believe there is a more dangerous position to draft high in the first round than corner except in rare cases (Patrick Peterson is an example of a guy taken high who is actually worth it). I will be very clear, I don’t think a prospect of that caliber exists in this draft at the Corner position. It is definitely one of the biggest ‘need’ spots on the Saints roster as Corey White is practically a gimme and should not be on the team next year. The Saints absolutely MUST have better play opposite Keenan Lewis this year in order to compete. In my opinion that play needs to come from one of 3 sources: Free Agency, the mid to later rounds (where the player earns their spot in camp), or from a guy already there. Under no circumstance do I want the Saints to take a corner with the 13th pick, I simply don’t trust first year corners and I don’t see any guys in this draft that look like exceptions. With that said the consensus ‘best corner in the draft’ is Michigan State Cornerback Trae Waynes, and my reservations about him have more to do with his position than his lack of talent.
What makes him ‘the best’?
Waynes is a long rangy athlete with long arms and ideal height for the position standing at six feet tall. He has excellent cover skills and was frequently left on an island at Mich St, and more often than not he won. Waynes ran a blazing 3.31 40 at the combine which pretty much cemented his status as the top corner. He is very good at contesting deep balls and shows good hands. Waynes isn’t the most physical corner ever, but he is far from soft and will usually make a sure tackle. Waynes is very well coached and tends to be at his best in bump and run coverage (much like Keenan) and even when beat his acceleration allows him to often catch up to the play and still prevent a completion. All around Waynes is a excellent athlete with the skill to make it useful and I have yet to see any report that contradicts his solid character and work ethic. For the most part Waynes is what you would think of when designing a rookie corner coming into the league.
What gives me trepidation?
Beyond the fact that I am wary of taking any corner in the first round Waynes reminds me of another ‘best corner in the draft’ from a couple of years ago: Dee Milliner. Milliner came from a very good defense like Waynes, looked great in college, ran faster than people thought he might, and ‘looked the part’. A SB Nation scouting report of him said:
“Milliner has all of the physical tools NFL teams covet at the cornerback position. He showed off his speed at the combine, but it really shows up on the field when Milliner is forced to close on the football. His combination of speed and instincts help him excel in that area, and Milliner is a strong fit in a zone coverage scheme for this reason. He is able to read plays quickly and has the quick-twitch athleticism to break on the ball in a hurry“. (Mathew Fairburn, may, 19, 2013)
Its not identical, but there are a lot of similarities to them as players, and if Waynes is more Milliner than Peterson (which I believe) the Saints can’t afford to waste the 13th pick on him. There is every chance that Waynes eventually develops into a very solid player, maybe even a star, but what if it takes 4 years for the light to turn on? We don’t have that kind of time. The top of this draft is absolutely flush with talent, and the Saints are essentially guaranteed to have at LEAST one player at another position of need who is an elite talent just like Waynes… but one who is more likely to provide immediate value.
Why I wouldn’t draft him.
If the Saints take Waynes I can’t really fault them as he certainly has the talent and could potentially solve many of our issues in the secondary. However, in my personal opinion there are actually two other corners I would rather see the team take because of both talent and value. I will get to them relatively soon when I take a look at some of the later round prospects I have my eyes on (rounds 2-5 essentially). To be clear i don’t hate Waynes as a prospect, but he does worry me and the similarities to Milliner to me are a concern.
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