There are a lot of good corners eligible for the 2018 draft but Jaire Alexander is right up there with the very best. As a cover CB, there are few, if any, better. The smoothness of his back-pedal, his route recognition and the rapidity with which he closes on a receiver coming out of his break are all superb but what I admire most about Alexander is his ability to locate the ball. So many CBs flail, grab and face-guard when the ball is in the air; Alexander, when the QB lets it go, possesses the casual sang-froid of a French flaneur choosing between escargots and moules – or, in his case, between a PBU and an interception. You can see his athleticism with absolute clarity in the return game – crystal, in fact, would be opaque by comparison. His interception return in the Virginia game (Q4, 14:45), for instance, looks like some divine being is playing Madden with him, whilst off His face on speed. It might be nice if he were a bit bigger and a bit more physical in the run game but he’s certainly willing to come up and make a tackle. In any case, given the emphasis on being able to cover in the NFL today, I have no doubt that Alexander’s skill set will be drooled over by GMs, to such an extent that a “GM Napkin Company” might make a fortune when the pros delve into the Louisville CB’s tape. If he continues to play the way he did last year, I would see him as a Top 10 pick and I’d be surprised and dismayed if he went outside the top 20.
Category Archives: CB
Amari Coleman (CB, Central Michigan) – 46
Coleman is a heady, productive CB who won 1st Team All-MAC honours as a junior. In the MAC, you can see why; he is an intelligent CB who reads routes well and who will bait QBs into making unwise throws. Against Ohio, for instance, last year, he had 4 passes defended. Those quick diagnostic skills were also evident against a higher standard of competition; in his interception return for a TD against Virginia, he read the QB perfectly, stepping in front of a screen pass and coasting to the end zone. I was most interested, however, in watching Coleman against Oklahoma State’s top tier passing attack and, in this game, his limitations as an athlete were pretty brutally exposed. He was constantly out of phase with the OSU WRs and lacked the speed and agility to cope with their threat. I really like Coleman’s effort and intelligence but I just don’t think he has the raw athletic skills or physical presence needed to be an effective contributor at the highest level. As such, I see him as an undrafted free agent prospect at this point in time.
Jeremy Reaves (CB, South Alabama) – 59
There are players in every draft class for whom you develop a sneaking affection when you watch them on tape and, for me, Jeremy Reaves is one. The reason is this: Reaves is one of the most physical CBs I have ever seen. This man loves to hit receivers and comes at them like an exocet missile carrying a grievance. He is 5-11, 185lb but he can hit like a 6-2, 235lb linebacker. I loved the play he made against Nicholls State (1Q, 6:59), when he flies into the hole to destroy a running play and prevent a 3rd down; it’s one of my favourite plays I’ve seen watching film this year. Yes, he can be reckless, yes, he can over-extend and miss tackles (3Q, 9:43, Idaho game) but, in a world in which Akhello Witherspoon and Tarvaris McFadden are either being paid or going to be paid a lot of money to play CB, watching Reaves hit makes a refreshing change. Now the bad news, : Reaves is not a great coverage guy. He does not turn his hips well at all and, as a result, really struggles with quicker, more agile WRs. South Alabama have lined him up as nickel-backer, free safety and boundary corner to enable him to make hits and not get too exposed one-on-one but he doesn’t have the size or range to play safety in the NFL. Ultimately, though, I don’t care if he ever plays a snap in the defensive secondary; this is a guy who is made to play all four phases of special teams in the NFL and do it very, very well. Some people may not see that as a draftable commodity but I disagree. Personally, I would draft Jeremy Reaves in the 6th or 7th round because he is a tone-setter, a tackling machine and someone I would want on my team.
Rashard Fant (CB, Indiana) – 71
Fant is a quick, althletic, play-making CB, who is the current NCAA leader amongst active players in passes broken up. It is easy to see why on tape; Fant has very good ball skills and has an aggressive mentality, leading him to attack the ball. This mentality has its drawbacks, however; he is prone to peeking into the backfield and losing phase and he is also susceptible to the double move. In the second quarter (1:21) of the Duke game, for instance, you can see him bite on the double move, before using his 4:37 speed to compensate and get back to make the play. He is undersized (5-10, 180) and, as a result, struggles in press-man coverage; he is scrappy and grabby but can get rag-dolled at the line. I like him better in trail coverage, where he can use his instincts and athleticism more effectively. He hasn’t played a huge amount of zone at Indiana but I believe he has the traits to do well in a zone heavy defense such as Carolina’s or Cincinnati’s. Although not the biggest or most physical CB, Fant has found a way to be effective as a one-to-one tackler. He invariably goes for the ankles of bigger RBs and wraps them up pretty effectively. Fant’s lack of size and strength will probably preclude him from being chosen on the first two days of the draft but he is a player whom I could certainly see making an NFL roster and, as a result, I can see him being taken early to mid-Day 3,
Minkah Fitzpatrick (CB, Alabama) – 90
Minkah Fitzpatrick is a player I would like to see on my team. There are very few spots in the secondary where he has not lined up and he has played at least well – and, in many cases, superbly – in all of them. This gives him rare scheme versatility. His ball skills and athleticism are excellent; when he gets an interception, he is a genuine threat to take it all the way. I really like his aggression as a DB. It will, at times, lead him to bite on double moves and find himself getting turned around but, more often than not, it enables him to break up passes and snare interceptions. As befits a player who has lined up for much of his career at safety, he is a physical specimen and a very sure tackler. He will certainly take his lumps as a rookie – his desire to hit and make plays will make him vulnerable to the wilier NFL WRs – but I think he will have a really good NFL career. I would like to see him really hone his craft at CB as a senior because, if he can be a little more controlled, I can see him going in the top 10-15 picks. At the moment, I have a late first round grade on Fitzpatrick but I would not be surprised to see his name called earlier in the 2018 draft.
Tarvarus McFadden (CB, Florida State) – 82
McFadden is a fascinating prospect to scout. He has the size (6-2, 198lb), speed, length and ball skills to be an elite NFL CB and it would not surprise me one whit to see him taken in the 1st round of the 2018 Draft. Would I take him in the 1st round? Probably not, unless I were the GM of a team like the 49ers. He would have real value in the NFC West; I can see him handling the likes of Tavon Austin, John Brown and Tyler Lockett with aplomb. If I were a GM in the NFC South, however, I wouldn’t touch him with the longest of the barge poles in my collection, for the likes of Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Kelvin Benjamin etc. would have him for breakfast. McFadden just doesn’t like contact. He is a technically deficient tackler and, when he blitzes, his main aim seems to stay out of harm’s way. In off-man coverage, however, he is really very good. His closing speed is highly impressive, he stays in phase and he attacks the ball, showing excellent hands. In press-man, by contrast, his punch is pretty weak and he can be overwhelmed by bigger, more physical receivers. Against the run, he is really flawed, due to a reluctance to confront blocks and his inability to tackle with his head up and drive through the ball carrier. If he can be more physical in 2017, he could end up being a top 15 pick, for he is a formidable athlete. At the moment, however, I think he’s overrated.
Brandon Facyson (CB, Virginia Tech) – 79
Facyson is a long, rangy corner (6-2, 190) who has been very productive at the college level. He is far more physical than a lot of the CBs who came out in the 2017 draft – at times, however, his desire to hit leads to recklessness and a lack of control that can lead to him missing tackles. Nevertheless, that desire to hit is an attractive trait and, for the most part, I consider him to be a very good DB against the run, who will also offer you a lot as a blitzer from the outside. Against the pass, I was impressed with his diagnostic skills in zone coverage; he looks like a very intelligent, clued-up defender. In man coverage, however, he is a bit grabby – if, for instance, you look at his battle with Amba Etta-Tawo of Syracuse, at least two of his PBUs in that game would, without a shadow of doubt, have drawn flags in the NFL. He appears to have good speed but I’m not 100% convinced that he has the quickness to deal with top-flight NFL WRs – I think there’s a reason why he has played most of his college career as a boundary corner. I can certainly see teams being intrigued with Facyson’s size, intelligence and physicality but I have concerns with regards to his man coverage skills. I have a third round grade on him but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him going higher in the 2018 draft.
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