Florida cornerback Joe Haden expects to file paperwork for a NFL draft evaluation, according to Jeremy Fowler at the Orlando Sentinel. This isn't a surprise - Haden is undoubtedly the top prospect at his position in what stands to be a draft class lacking an elite cornerback. He's currently #8 on my overall rankings board (which can be found on the right hand side bar).For a report I wrote on Haden following Florida's victory over LSU earlier in the year, click here.
6 comments:
Rob,
Did you see where all of the sacks came from last night? If so, were they mostly due to Locklear? Would you they would be due to not playing together as a unit, or because he's still pretty rusty from not playing?
Or were they more from the interior? I know Spencer muffed more than a couple snaps last night, but I think that is a result of using his other hand.
I only ask because if Locklear shows that he can't play LT in the NFL I would assume that would almost force the Hawks to draft his replacement.
Griffin
Hey Griffin,
I noticed a handful of occassions when Locklear just got flat out beat. He looked very rusty, which is probably to be expected. I'm prepared to give him time to adjust, but if he plays the remaining games, we need to know he's capable of playing on the left long term.
The team's invested a lot in Locklear, so they won't give up on him that quickly. They have a big choice to make with regard to Walter Jones too. They can't just sit around waiting for him to come back. Is he or isn't he? Carrying three left tackle salaries can't be justified, even in an uncapped year.
I still maintain that the line's biggest weakness remains the gaping hole left by Steve Hutchinson. They have to get better in the interior in general. Max Unger had his best game of the year yesterday for me. We need to secure the left guard position as a priority on the line and with Spencer a free agent next year - what do we do at center? Do you move Unger inside and re-sign Sims for the RG position? I'm not sure.
Right now I'm not too worried about Locklear and agree he is still a litte rusty. But, I think Ray Willis looked really bad in pass protection.
Also, do you think Haden is a top-10 pick.
Haden could be a top ten pick. This isn't a draft class with a lot of top end elite talent. It's also a class without a lot of quality cornerbacks and any team who really wants to invest in that position might take Haden earlier than most think. A good performance at the combine could push him substantially up the draft boards.
He's intelligent, he's physical and he has good recovery speed. He isn't the biggest guy, but he plays above his size. If a team like SF end up picking at 9-10 again, I see no reason why they wouldn't seriously consider Haden.
I continue to believe you win championships with defense. Until we fix the 'D' the offense is a luxury. My question is regarding the relative value of a top ten corner vs another a DE or DT to pressure the quarterback. Do you keeping picking until you get it right? If the Hawks pick eighth and Haden and one of the top DE's are still there... where's the value? Thanks Rob.
I would suggest in that situation you go for the defensive lineman. Seattle created almost zero threat against the Cardinals yesterday in terms of a pass rush and for this defense to function, you're going to need your front four to create pressure. If someone like Derrick Morgan is available, Carlos Dunlap, Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, I think you take them over Haden. As much as I like the Florida corner, guys like Trufant and Wilson are good enough starters if the team has a pass rush. Trufant, Haden and Wilson is a very good trio, but they'll be exposed if QB's like Warner, Manning, Romo and Cutler have all day to pass - like we've seen this season.
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