
There's a shake up at the top of the cornerback rankings with Ohio State's Bradley Roby slipping from the No. 1 spot.
Jason Verrett of TCU doesn't have an overly impressive stat line. He's not among the national leaders in interceptions. For a cornerback, that is a compliment. Verrett can be a tough evaluation because on occasion he'll get beat over the top. But that can be a symptom of TCU's lack of a pass rush or questionable safety play. Verrett, a Senior Bowl invite, has the instincts and ball skills to excel in man coverage situations.
Just behind Verrett is Oregon's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. The junior is the more physical player of the two, and in addition to being a top-level coverage corner, Ekpre-Olomu can be an asset in run defense. Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard, another Senior Bowl invite, also gets high marks because he's a physical defense back capable of making big plays.
That makes Ohio State's Bradley Roby the big dropper of the group. Roby is as athletically gifted as any cornerback in the nation, but he's had a few questionable games this season. The first round talent is there, however.
If there's an enigma at the position, it continues to be Nebraska's Stanley Jean-Baptiste. A former wide receiver, Jean-Baptiste could be a top 100 pick solely because a team will become enamored with his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame. It helps that Jean-Baptiste is looking considerably less raw this season.
1. Jason Verrett | 5'10, 176 pounds | Cornerback | TCU |
2. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu | 5'10, 190 pounds | Cornerback | Oregon * |
3. Darqueze Dennard | 5'11, 197 pounds | Cornerback | Michigan State |
4. Bradley Roby | 5'11, 190 pounds | Cornerback | Ohio State * |
5. Justin Gilbert | 6'0, 200 pounds | Cornerback | Oklahoma State |
6. Kyle Fuller | 6'0, 193 pounds | Cornerback | Virginia Tech |
7. Aaron Colvin | 6'0, 192 pounds | Cornerback | Oklahoma |
8. Andre Hal | 6'0, 183 pounds | Cornerback | Vanderbilt |
9. Loucheiz Purifoy | 6'1, 190 pounds | Cornerback | Florida * |
10. Stanley Jean-Baptiste | 6'3, 220 pounds | Cornerback | Nebraska |
11. Lamarcus Joyner | 5'8, 190 pounds | Cornerback | Florida State |
12. Marcus Roberson | 6'0, 186 pounds | Cornerback | Florida * |
13. Damian Swann | 5'11, 189 pounds | Cornerback | Georgia * |
14. Antone Exum | 6'1, 220 pounds | Cornerback | Virginia Tech |
15. Quandre Diggs | 5'10, 200 pounds | Defensive back | Texas * |
16. Jemea Thomas | 5'10, 195 pounds | Cornerback | Georgia Tech |
17. Deshazor Everett | 6'0, 185 pounds | Cornerback | Texas A&M |
18. Tim Scott | 5'11, 190 pounds | Cornerback | North Carolina * |
19. Carrington Byndom | 6'0, 180 pounds | Cornerback | Texas |
20. Donald Celiscar | 5'11, 183 pounds | Cornerback | Western Michigan * |
21. Kenneth Acker | 6'0, 195 pounds | Cornerback | SMU |
22. Charles Sawyer | 5'11, 178 pounds | Cornerback | Ole Miss |
23. Bene Benwikere | 6'0, 192 pounds | Cornerback | San Jose State |
24. Ross Cockrell | 6'0, 182 pounds | Cornerback | Duke |
25. E.J. Gaines | 5'11, 195 pounds | Cornerback | Missouri |
26. Deion Belue | 5'11, 180 pounds | Cornerback | Alabama |
27. Victor Hampton | 5'10, 202 pounds | Cornerback | South Carolina * |
29. Blake Countess | 5'10, 187 pounds | Cornerback | Michigan ** |
30. Bennett Jackson | 6'0, 185 pounds | Cornerback | Notre Dame |
31. Ciante Evans | 5'11, 190 pounds | Cornerback | Nebraska |
32. Dontae Johnson | 6'2, 195 pounds | Cornerback | North Carolina State |
33. Louis Young | 6'1, 196 pounds | Cornerback | Georgia Tech |