NFL.com
Best Defensife Backs
Special to NFL.com
The University of Miami's top five defensive backs either exhausted their eligibility or declared early for the draft — and all five might get drafted, including three in the first round. The Big XII will also be well-represented here.
PHILLIP BUCHANON, MIAMI
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| Hurricanes coach Larry Coker has compared him to Shawn Springs of the Seattle Seahawks and Duane Starks of the Baltimore Ravens. People from Fort Myers, Fla., Buchanon's hometown, dare to compare him to another Fort Myers native -- Deion Sanders. How good of a cover corner is he? He did not allow a touchdown pass in his entire career at Miami. Even if he's not the best DB in the draft, he might be the first picked because he also is a game-breaking return man. In 2001, he ran back two punts for touchdowns and had two 60-yard kickoff returns. The team once clocked him at 4.2 in the 40. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "He reminds a
lot of scouts of Bills corners Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield. They
are both shorter corners who can cover but hit bigger than their size,
too."
— Pete Prisco, CBS SportsLine.com "He's as good as anyone I've coached." — Larry Coker "Buchanon could be the best pure man-on-man cover guy in the country … He does have the great hips, feet and suddenness scouts look for in a corner." — Joel Buchsbaum, Pro Football Weekly |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| He's holding steady as an early- to mid-first-round pick, but with his lack of height, a subpar 40 time at the combine could adversely affect his status. | ||
QUENTIN JAMMER, TEXAS
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| He covers receivers like a cornerback, and hits them like a safety. He began his college career at safety but was moved to cornerback after a shoulder injury forced him to miss almost all of the 1999 season. He deflected 20 passes and intercepted three others in 2000. He decided to stay for his senior season and became a consensus first-team All-American. In 2001, he deflected 24 passes and did not allow a touchdown reception during the regular season. He helped the Longhorns defense allow only 236.2 yards per game and 4.77 yards per pass, both the lowest in Division I-A. Jammer is strong, and his experience at safety helped make him an aggressive physical corner. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "A bigger, more
physical corner who reminds some of former Longhorn Bryant Westbrook, now
with the Lions."
— Pete Prisco, CBS SportsLine.com "If he gets his hands on you in bump-and-run coverage, he's almost impossible to beat." — Texas defensive coordinator Carl Reese "There is not a cornerback in this nation who hits harder than Quentin Jammer." — HoustonProFootball.com |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| He is projected to go as high as No. 6 in the first round, according to the various mock drafts. Jammer could be the first cornerback taken in the draft, but which position he eventually will play in the NFL is not certain. | ||
MICHAEL LEWIS, COLORADO
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| An excellent run defender and a big hitter, Lewis finished the 2001 season with 112 tackles, 14 third-down stops and five interceptions, and made several All-American teams. He had 117 tackles and four forced fumbles in 2000. Has been compared to Philadelphia Eagles free safety Brian Dawkins. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "Michael Lewis
is an absolute mack of a player."
— CollegeFootballNews.com "He has good size, speed and range, and he can plant and drive on the ball. A good hitter and tackler, he will often play up in the box." — Joel Buchsbaum, Pro Football Weekly "Lewis led the Buffs with (112) tackles while handcuffed in Gary Barnett's aggressive 3-4 scheme." — Tom Ward, Daily Illini |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| Coaches like his size and aggressiveness. But at the combine, Lewis may have to answer questions about how Oregon ripped the Colorado secondary in the Fiesta Bowl. | ||
EDWARD REED, MIAMI
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| Football News named Reed its National Defensive Player of the Year. He was twice a consensus All-American. He was considered the heart and soul of the Miami secondary. He was also the oldest member, thus his nickname "Papa Smurf." Made 17 interceptions in his final two seasons, and returned three for touchdowns in 2001. He also blocked four kicks in his college career, and was considered an excellent run-stopper. Reed has been compared to Brian Dawkins and future Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "A free safety
prospect, Reed is better in coverage than run support. Packs a wallop for
his size. Has athleticism and instincts."
— Dan Pompei, The Sporting News "The thing I like about Ed is that not only does he talk, he backs it up by making plays. Anybody can talk. I like to see action. Ed makes things happen." — Larry Coker "You better know where Reed is when you are running your route. Then you better find him after you catch it, because when he comes to make that play or make a tackle, he'll cut you in half." — Virginia Tech WR coach Tony Ball |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| Most likely a first-round pick. There may be more impressive physical specimens available at DB, but Reed seems to have the maturity and instincts to be a successful pro right away. | ||
MIKE RUMPH, MIAMI
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| Rumph and Buchanon on opposite corners? No wonder the Hurricanes went 12-0. Rumph is the tallest of the elite cornerbacks in this draft, but he's probably best known for his left knee, which last November got in the way of a Boston College pass that turned into a Miami interception return for a touchdown when the Eagles were trying to upset the Hurricanes late in the game. He had no interceptions in 2001 but broke up eight passes. He broke up 10 in 2000 and had four interceptions in 1999. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "He's overlooked
because he takes receivers out of the game. People think he's not out there
making plays, but he's kind of like a Charles Woodson — quarterbacks just
don't want to throw Mike's way."
— Former teammate James Lewis "Mike Rumph is a tall, speedy corner with long arms, tremendous cover skills and a burning desire to get better. To put it more succinctly, he's a coach's dream." — HoustonProFootball.com |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| Rumph is all over the place in the mock drafts, from the top half of the first round all the way down into Round 2. Rumph was terrific when the best secondary in college football was surrounding him, but he will have to show the scouts something more at the combine. | ||
LITO SHEPPARD, FLORIDA
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| Like Buchanon, Sheppard is a strong cover corner who excelled on punt returns. But Sheppard is even shorter than Buchanon. His penchant for making big plays (six interceptions, two punt returns for touchdowns) helped make him an All-American as a sophomore but his numbers dipped in 2001 (two interceptions) when opposing quarterbacks stopped throwing his way. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "Big plays at
critical times. He changed the momentum of games. He's as good as I've
coached in his ability to make plays."
— Former Florida defensive coordinator Jon Hoke "Lito Sheppard has Deion Sanders' abilities, with less glitter. Not so much motor in the young mouth. … Lito's flair for memorable, game-busting moments, it triggers flashbacks to when ol' Neon was so special at Florida State." — Hubert Mizell, St. Petersburg Times |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| Sheppard is coming out early, so he might have more upside. For the most part, he is pegged to go in the second round, but he a team looking for a return man might take a gamble on him in Round 1. | ||
LAMONT THOMPSON, WASHINGTON STATE
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| Ended a great career at WSU by snatching a career-high 10 interceptions, tops in Division I-A. He also led the Cougars with 93 tackles and 13 pass breakups. He was selected to the Associated Press All-American first team, was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and was the Sun Bowl's most valuable player. During his college career, also saw action at CB and returned a few punts. His 26 career INTs is a Pac-10 record. He started only four games as a freshman but had six interceptions. Missed the 2000 season with a neck injury, but bounced back strongly. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "He runs like
a corner and hits like a linebacker."
— CollegeFootballNews.com "Don't throw where No. 19 is. You have to be aware of where (Thompson) is. He has license to read eyes, and takes advantage when the ball is in the air." — Washington coach Rick Neuheisel "Thompson is a big, athletic safety who can really run. At times, he seems to have the hands and ball skills of a wide receiver." — Joel Buchsbaum, Pro Football Weekly |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| It's hard to get attention in Pullman, Wash., especially when you miss a season. But Thompson turned heads when he intercepted four UCLA passes in one game. An impressive combine performance could propel him into the middle of the first round. | ||
ROY WILLIAMS, OKLAHOMA
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| ANALYSIS | ||
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| Came out early after winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top collegiate defensive player and the Jim Thorpe Trophy as the best defensive back. In his three-year career with the Sooners, he had nine interceptions, seven sacks and 29 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. In 2001, he set career highs with 101 tackles, five interceptions and a school-record 22 passes broken up. Oklahoma associate head coach Mike Stoops called him "bad-bodied" and "pear-shaped" when Williams joined the Sooners, but he worked himself into becoming an All-American. | ||
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING | ||
| "Normally a safety
wouldn't be rated this high, but this one is special. He is big, fast and
some teams even think he can play nickel linebacker in passing situations."
— Pete Prisco, CBS SportsLine.com "Big enough to possibly play LB, and certainly tough enough, Williams is a ferocious hitter who reads the run well and actively participates in stopping it." — HoustonProFootball.com "Williams is part outside linebacker, part strong safety, part free safety and part cornerback, not to mention a total pain in the neck to offenses. He's a deadly concoction whose versatile skills allow him to play in any down-and-distance situation." — Tom Dienhart, The Sporting News |
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| MOMENTUM | ||
| Coaches will love his versatility, especially when they want to use a nickel or dime package. | ||
| OTHER CORNERBACKS | |||
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| NAME | COLLEGE | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
| DaShawn Abram | Wyoming | 6-3 | 203 |
| Bennie Alexander | Florida | 5-9 | 180 |
| Rashad Bauman | Oregon | 5-8 | 185 |
| Tony Beckham | Wisconsin-Stout | 6-3 | 190 |
| Jykine Bradley | Middle Tennessee State | 5-10 | 182 |
| Bruce Branch | Penn State | 5-11 | 190 |
| Sheldon Brown | South Carolina | 5-10 | 190 |
| Richard Bryant | West Virginia | 6-0 | 170 |
| Chris Cash | USC | 5-11 | 170 |
| Jermaine Chatman | Arizona | 5-11 | 177 |
| Crance Clemons | UTEP | 5-10 | 165 |
| Dante Coles | Temple | 6-2 | 207 |
| Keyou Craver | Nebraska | 5-10 | 190 |
| Adrian Duncan | Wake Forest | 6-1 | 185 |
| Mike Echols | Wisconsin | 5-10 | 170 |
| Travis Fisher | U. Central Florida | 5-10 | 175 |
| Markese Fitzgerald | Miami | 5-11 | 180 |
| Willie Ford | Syracuse | 6-2 | 195 |
| Teddy Gaines | Tennessee | 6-0 | 165 |
| LaVar Glover | Cincinnati | 5-10 | 178 |
| Andre Goodman | South Carolina | 5-10 | 180 |
| Orlando Green | Arkansas | 5-11 | 200 |
| Cedric Henry | Michigan State | 5-10 | 182 |
| Errol Hood | North Carolina | 5-11 | 195 |
| Todd Howard | Michigan | 5-10 | 180 |
| Joseph Jefferson | Western Kentucky | 6-0 | 195 |
| Andre Lott | Tennessee | 5-11 | 185 |
| Omare Lowe | Washington | 6-0 | 200 |
| Melvin Mitchell | Western Kentucky | 6-1 | 205 |
| Tony Okanlawon | Maryland | 5-11 | 193 |
| Kris Richard | USC | 6-0 | 180 |
| Derek Ross | Ohio State | 6-1 | 197 |
| Tierre Sams | Fresno State | 5-9 | 170 |
| Antuan Simmons | USC | 5-9 | 172 |
| Eric Sims | Eastern Kentucky | 5-11 | 180 |
| Steve Smith | Oregon | 6-1 | 190 |
| Calvin Spears | Grambling | 6-0 | 190 |
| Bo Springfield | Texas Christian | 5-11 | 185 |
| Erwin Swiney | Nebraska | 6-0 | 185 |
| Kevin Thomas | UNLV | 5-11 | 180 |
| Tim Wansley | Georgia | 5-8 | 180 |
| Dante Wesley | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 6-3 | 212 |
| Roosevelt Williams | Tuskegee | 6-1 | 205 |
| Ashante Woodyard | Purdue | 6-2 | 205 |
| OTHER SAFETIES | |||
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| NAME | COLLEGE | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
| Muhammad Abdullah | Illinois | 6-1 | 195 |
| Marques Anderson | UCLA | 6-0 | 205 |
| Terreal Bierria | Georgia | 6-2 | 208 |
| Dion Booker | Nebraska | 6-1 | 205 |
| Sam Brandon | UNLV | 6-3 | 200 |
| Jack Brewer | Minnesota | 6-1 | 185 |
| Ryan Clark | LSU | 5-11 | 185 |
| Nate Coggins | West Georgia | 6-1 | 201 |
| Kevin Curtis | Texas Tech | 6-3 | 215 |
| Dan Dawson | Rice | 6-2 | 200 |
| Bobby Gray | Louisiana Tech | 6-1 | 209 |
| Billy Dee Greenwood | North Carolina | 6-2 | 185 |
| Corey Harris | Arkansas | 5-10 | 200 |
| Quentin Harris | Syracuse | 6-0 | 205 |
| Chris Hope | Florida State | 6-1 | 195 |
| Ralph Hunter | Virginia Union | 6-2 | 200 |
| Bobby Jackson | Illinois | 6-1 | 210 |
| Tony Jackson | Maryland | 6-1 | 210 |
| Stephon Kelly | Winston-Salem State | 6-2 | 205 |
| Chonn Lacey | Temple | 6-2 | 217 |
| Marquand Manuel | Florida | 6-0 | 205 |
| Kevin McCadam | Virginia Tech | 6-1 | 208 |
| Jon McGraw | Kansas State | 6-3 | 200 |
| Brandon Nash | Arizona | 6-1 | 215 |
| Billy Newman | Washington State | 5-10 | 197 |
| Willie Offord | South Carolina | 6-1 | 207 |
| Jermaine Phillips | Georgia | 6-1 | 205 |
| Pig Prather | Mississippi State | 6-3 | 195 |
| Jamonte Robinson | Missouri | 6-2 | 207 |
| Jeremy Robinson | Massachusetts | 6-2 | 195 |
| Rick Sherrod | West Virginia | 6-3 | 195 |
| Bobby Sippio | Western Kentucky | 6-3 | 215 |
| Jason Stephens | UCLA | 6-2 | 192 |
| Frank Strong | USC | 6-1 | 220 |
| Glenn Sumter | Memphis | 6-1 | 200 |
| Syniker Taylor | Mississippi | 6-0 | 195 |
| Lenny Walls | Boston College | 6-4 | 191 |
| Ramon Walker | Pittsburgh | 6-0 | 195 |
| Brian Williams | North Carolina State | 6-0 | 200 |
| Chad Williams | Southern Mississippi | 5-11 | 200 |
| Tank Williams | Stanford | 6-3 | 210 |
| Coy Wire | Stanford | 6-1 | 215 |
| Chris Young | Georgia Tech | 6-0 | 200 |
