Two interesting corners as potential 1st rounders

**ExiledRaven** · 02-27-2007, 02:35 PM

Interesting corners to watch

1) Marcus McCauley, had a bad senior year and was inconsistent, but was really dominant as a junior. He's 6'1" 200+ and ran an unofficial 4.33 40 today. If he can get his confidence back, no other CB in the draft can compare to him physically.

2) Chris Houston, very good in man coverage. Allowed only 35 yards to Jarrett in the USC rout of Arkansas and really only got lit up by one receiver all year (I forget the guy's name off the top of my head out of u.s.carolina). benches something in the area of 450, so he can smack receivers in the mouth off the line. He ran a low 4.4 today as well which keeps him in the ballpark of Hall, Wilson, etc. The knock on him is he's this big strong guy who is viewed as being afraid to really come up and hit players in run support.

Both of those guys have a great chance of being around at 29 and depending on the outcome on Pittman and evaluation of Rolle it could happen.

**festivus** · 02-27-2007, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by ExiledRaven

Interesting corners to watch

1) Marcus McCauley, had a bad senior year and was inconsistent, but was really dominant as a junior. He's 6'1" 200+ and ran an unofficial 4.33 40 today. If he can get his confidence back, no other CB in the draft can compare to him physically.

You make this guy sound like a project, and I though projects (at positions other then qb) are lucky to get drafted on the first day. You think first round?

**UKRavenStockers** · 02-27-2007, 02:47 PM

McCauley - No, no, no, no and no. Not in round one, no thank you. As a project fine in round two or round three but he's horrible (and I mean vomit inducingly horrible) in off coverage, sits too high in his back pedal, doesn't back pedal smoothly, doesn't allow the gap to close smoothly and just generally doesn't have the first clue about off coverage. You can't press every play, if you could he'd be fine, but I want no part of him in round 1.

Houston however is impressive though.

**ExiledRaven** · 02-27-2007, 02:47 PM

1st may be a reach for McCauley, but he'll definitely be gone before you reach the middle of the second.

He really was very dominant as a junior and for a good bit of his last year in school, but gave up a few big plays, which then seemed to make him play too conservatively in some people's minds.

All of the positives fit the Ravens corners, good hands, ability to run with any WR, great agility, very good with his hands in terms of getting on receivers at the line and breaking up / intercepting passes.

In all reality, it comes down to the Ravens draft experts determining if the confidence issues were a fluke and a result of the whole team having a bad year.

He's really not that raw: listed as the #3 prospect here: http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/rankings/cb.html

I just try to be overly critical when looking at players and when this guy is getting called "the best big corner to come out of the west since chris mcalister" it means something to me.

Also, Houston may end up being a reach too, lots of places have him going top 10 in the second round as well. Not that it means anything.

**UKRavenStockers** · 02-27-2007, 02:55 PM

As a project he's a guy that I can see some team taking in round 1, but I hope it's not us. With our vets we've got a limited window left to really go up, consequently if we go CB in round 1, it needs to be someone who is an upgrade on Rolle as the #2, not a guy who comes in to be a project and completely waste that pick of Pittman last year which needs time to pan out.

^My opinion^

**ExiledRaven** · 02-27-2007, 02:59 PM

Oh, I agree with you, Pittman's progress is really driving this unless someone falls into our laps.

**RavenScallywag** · 02-27-2007, 05:27 PM

Devin Hester was a guy I would've called a project coming out of the draft...but obviously, his strength is as a return man, which he was not a project coming out of the draft, and it's yet to be seen what he could give the Bears at a position.

Still, Matt Jones was considered a project and taken in round 1. Seems to have been a good move for the Jags.

**jonboy79** · 02-27-2007, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

Still, Matt Jones was considered a project and taken in round 1. Seems to have been a good move for the Jags.

Says who? We got Clayton after him and he has shown thus far to be a far superior player at the same position. Seems like a wasted reach to me.

**highwater** · 02-27-2007, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by UKRavenStockers

McCauley - No, no, no, no and no.

Don't hold back UK, tell us what you really think of this guy!

Originally Posted by UKRavenStockers

As a project fine in round two or round three but he's horrible (and I mean vomit inducingly horrible) in off coverage

No, really, what do you really think of him?

I'm not actually familiar with McCauley but I trust UK's opinion on this one, seeing as how he seems to have a little bit of an opinion. Even Exiled Raven (who brought this up) says McCauley had a bad senior year. If he's available in a later round, maybe, but I'm sure there will be better players available in the first.

**ExiledRaven** · 02-28-2007, 10:52 AM

Houston ran much faster than expected, 4.32 so that may well bump him into the bottom of the first round in actuality now.

Question then is 5'9 7/8" and how he'll be able to handle larger receivers. Of course he handled 6'5" Dwayne Jarrett so that could certainly be overstated.

I've found more footage and I'm starting to like the guy more and more if we need an early corner.

**festivus** · 02-28-2007, 11:07 AM

ER, how are his hands? It sounds like you're describing possibly a return specialist, if not immediately a starting corner.

**ExiledRaven** · 02-28-2007, 11:41 AM

He's a pure corner, not a return man, but with the kind of speed he'll be able to bump and run with just about anyone assuming he's got a good first 10 yards.

His hands are actually mediocre at best. I've searched around and he dropped at least four potential interceptions ~ supposedly tends to try to cradle the ball rather than go out and grab it.

Mainly, I was commenting on how this made him much faster compared to past times and gives the idea he'll be able to stick with the speed WRs (steve smith?) well. His general coverage skills are good and only Rice out of USCarolina had over 100 yards on him, which is impressive since he was 1-1 v. Jarrett, Meachem (I hope I spelled that right) and other talented SEC WRs.