49ers Clubhouse - 2001 Draft

Comments: Rumph is a very gifted athlete. But his major problem is that he’s ready, there doesn’t look to be a section of his game that looks as if it could drastically improve in the pros, what you see is what you get. But an upside to this is that he is ready to start straight away.

Analysis by CBS Sportsline:

Positives: Instinctive athlete who has the speed to stay stride-for-stride with receivers on deep routes…Well-built, with quick feet and fluid hip turn…Plants and drives sharply on deep routes and has quick reactions on deflections…Has a sharp break to the reception point and the short burst to cover ground racing down the sidelines…Does a nice job of getting his head around and playing the deep ball…Very effective playing the bump-and-run and has smooth change-of-direction ability…Aggressive tackler with excellent balance going up for the ball, showing the temperment and strength to step up and fill the holes at the line…Shows good range dropping off in the zone…Has the long arms, hip snap and foot balance to excel in press coverage…Attacks the ball in the air.

Negatives: Tends to hang on and drag down the opponent…Lunges at times before delivering the hit…Will face up before making the hit, but does not extend his arms properly to secure the ball carrier in run support…Does not always time his jumps, which causes him to hesitate some when trying to locate the ball…Willing run defender, but can be walled off by the larger receivers as he does not extend his arms to prevent the opponent from getting into his chest…Seems to need that extra step to recover coming out of his backpedal…Has zone awareness, but keeps his eyes on the backfield too much.

CAREER NOTES

Exceptional coverage cornerback who quietly enjoyed a spectacular senior season…Was overlooked by many observers because opponents rarely threw his way…On the rare occasions when opponents challenged Mike, seldom were they successful…One of the most gifted big cornerbacks in college football, he is highly regarded by the scouts for his press coverage ability…Finished his career with 167 tackles (117 solos), four stops behind the line of scrimmage, six interceptions and 27 pass deflections…Has never allowed a touchdown catch in his time as a starter (36 of 44 games he's played in).

AGILITY TESTS

4.47 in the 40-yard dash…38-inch vertical jump…275-pound bench press…345-pound squat…265-pound power clean…32 1/8-inch arm length…9-inch hands…19 Wonderlic score.

PERSONAL

Liberal Arts major…Son of J. Michael Rumph…Born Michael Jamaine Rumph on Nov. 8, 1979…Resides in Delray Beach, Fla.

Info from Pro Football Weekly:

Notes: Former high school All-American who also ran track and played varsity basketball. Has run track at Miami (Fla.), competing as a sprinter. Played extensively as a true freshman in '98, starting three times and ending the year with 20 tackles, five passes broken up and an interception. Second-team All-Big East cornerback in '99, when he had 75-4-4. First-team All-Conference in 2000, when he finished the year with 41-10-1. Started in '01 and had 28 tackles and eight passes broken up.

Positives: Tall, long-limbed corner with excellent size and adequate speed. Uses hands and arms well to control the receiver coming off the line and likes to play press coverage. Shows flashes of big-time ability and, at times, will step up when challenged by a top receiver either in his own team's practices or in games.

Negatives: A little choppy in his backpedal and needs an extra step to turn and run with the receiver. Not as quick and sudden as scouts would like and lacks great make-up speed. Not as effective in man-off coverage as he is in zone and will bite too quickly on moves. Seems to lose his focus at times.

Summary: Has the size and talent but needs to focus on every play. Is not an elite cover man but can be an effective corner in the right scheme.

Info from CNNSI.com:

Three-year starter that saw extensive playing time with the first unit as a true freshman. Second team All-Conference choice last season after totaling 30/0/7. First team All-League pick as a junior when the numbers were 41/1/11 after 75/4/4 as a sophomore, when again he was a second team All-Conference choice.

Big, strong physical corner best in press coverage. Plays up tight at the line of scrimmage, strong at the point of attack and gets a jam in on opponents, slowing their release off the snap of the ball. Uses his body to box out receivers, physical throughout the routes and gives opponents problems. Always willing to get involved in the action; quick moving up the field defending the run and wraps up tackling, easily bringing down ballcarriers on initial contact. Displays adequate footwork and does not do a bad job reading the quarterback. Not smooth or fluid in his hips, loses in transition turning to run with receivers off the line and rather easily gives up positioning to the inside. Has difficulty running laterally or following receivers out of their breaks. Not instinctive, slow to react and gets in trouble if backed off the line of scrimmage. A lot of athleticism and size and he'll be effective at the next level if used in the proper system. Early to mid Second Round.

Info from NFL.com:

Did not work out at the combine. Did everything at Miami's Pro Day. Performed 13 strength reps, had a 35½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 4-inch long jump. Ran two 40s — 4.52 and 4.55. Played wide receiver, running back and defensive back (free safety) in high school. Also played basketball and was on the track team (sprints). Played as a freshman in 1998, starting three games. Has started every game since then. Possesses the size and speed teams are looking for to play cornerback in the NFL. Shows good awareness and reaction to the ball. Good backpedal. A little choppy at times. May lack the quickness and catch-up speed to be a top corner in the NFL. Solid tackler. Better in zone than man coverage.

Info from FOXSports:

At 6-1, 200 pounds, Mike Rumph greatest asset is his size. A physical player at cornerback, he often matched up very well against tall receivers while at Miami.

The problem is he matched up too well and opposing quarterbacks often avoided his side of the field.

As a result, he was not tested very often, and his numbers from last year showed it, as he tallied just 28 tackles while defending eight passes with no interceptions.

Despite this, he is still a very attractive prospect with solid fundamentals.

He does lack quickness and will have trouble covering smaller wide-outs, but his skills and knowledge of the game should allow him to find a starting spot at the next level.

Info from Football.com:

Strength:
Good hands
Run Support

Weakness:
Little speed burst
Lower body movement

Assessment:
Next to Quentin Jammer, Rumph is probably the most fundamentally sound player at the corner back position. He is a gifted athlete who understands the game and should have no problem at the next level. Rumph seems to be a two-edged sword talent wise, he would be the ideal pick for a team looking for immediate help on the corner. Rumph can step into a starting role with little to no adjustment needed. The bad part is what you see is what you get, there doesn't seem to be enough "upside" to his game. Some of the younger corners like Lito Sheppard and teammate Philip Buchanon might get drafted ahead of him because they have so much potential and room to grow. Rumph of course will improve but probably not to the lengths that Sheppard or Buchanon will. He needs to work on his running motion, it seems to be stiff and not fluid at times in the secondary. I think he will still be a first round pick and there is very little gambling on the part of the team that will take him.

Info from KFLL.com:

Rumph is the prototype big corner. He developed the reputation as a shutdown corner, and was rarely tested his junior year. This past season he was tested more and struggled somewhat. He is sound in coverage; but seems to lose focus at times. Considering the influx of tall receivers, Rumph should be a hot commodity on draft day.