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Baltimore - Alphonso Smith - CB - Wake Forest


cravnravn

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01/23/09 - Senior Bowl Practice Stars: CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest: Three interceptions in three practices. He was running the receiver's route for him and putting on a show with his ball skills. He's not very big and did struggle in press cover drills. But he'll learn that technique and is likely to go to a zone coverage team. - Chad Reuter, The Sports Xchange, NFLDraftScout.com

 

I do not know much about him, but from this little exert it sounds like he would not be a good fit for us. We need guys who are good at pressing and playing man coverage.

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Are you worried about his size? 5'9" is tiny, and knowing that next season we face the Pats with 6'3" Randy Moss, seems like a mis-match. But there is nothing but positives about him in the nflscouts link.

 

I am a little worried about his size, but if he can jam, tackle, and play a tight man coverage, I certainly would welcome an Antoine Winfield-type corner on this team.

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  • 4 weeks later...

The DBs are not running fast at all. Only one DB broke a 4.4 unofficially, Lardarius Webb of Nicholas State ran a 4.36.

 

Crav, your boy Alphonso Smith ran a 4.5-flat. Deion Sanders said he really liked Smith, stating he just has those instincts you need to play corner (21 INTs in his four year college career). What I like most about Smith is that Deion said that Smith would sit in on the QB meetings at Wake to better understand the passing tree and translate that when he plays corner.

 

DJ Moore ran a 4.58, he looked really stiff and uncomfortable in his 40. He did not really have the burst off of the line like Smith had.

 

Vontae Davis ran a 4.49 officially, and Sean Smith ran a very impressive unofficial 4.47 at 6'4" 214 pounds (a 6'4" CB!? :blink:). I heard that Mike Jenkins was in the 4.5s (EDIT: 4.53 is his unofficial time).

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I just don't understand the hoopla with 40 times. Dj Moore looks so quick and fast on film, but runs a 4.5 so his stock might drop. I read somewhere about Mcshay saying he didn't like how Jenkins would always be chasing the wr along with him having a slow 40, means he should play safety. That makes no sense to me, CBs always chase the wr cuz the wr usually knows where he is going to be going. Shit, Fabian Washington ran a 4.2 but he is always chasing. Jenkins can make up for his slow 40 with his height and physicalness. Lets see what these guys run at pro days.

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I just don't understand the hoopla with 40 times. Dj Moore looks so quick and fast on film, but runs a 4.5 so his stock might drop. I read somewhere about Mcshay saying he didn't like how Jenkins would always be chasing the wr along with him having a slow 40, means he should play safety. That makes no sense to me, CBs always chase the wr cuz the wr usually knows where he is going to be going. Shit, Fabian Washington ran a 4.2 but he is always chasing. Jenkins can make up for his slow 40 with his height and physicalness. Lets see what these guys run at pro days.

 

LOL, I was curious to see your reaction on Jenkins' time. Jenkins will still be a solid corner, I believe. And if worse comes to worse, he will be a great safety. I do expect his stock to slip a little bit though. As for Fabian chasing, he chases because he cannot tackle, not because he is getting beat deep.

 

The DBs were really slow this year, especially considering the times of the receivers. It is funny, when the receivers ran everyone said how Lucas Oil Field must be a fast track, but when the corners ran everyone commented that it must be a slow track. Officially, no DB broke a 4.4, five receivers ran a 4.4-flat or less.

 

As for D.J. Moore's 40. His start was horrible. Out of the block he shot straight up (something you are not supposed to do) and thus he had no momentum going forward and could not recover. I am not sure if D.J. would be a good corner in our system. There were questions about his closing speed, and he pretty much confirmed these concerns with his 40 time. Alphonso Smith on the other hand seems like he would be a great corner for our system. He is extremely instinctive, has great closing speed, and flashes a mean streak at corner with the ability to jam receivers. If DHB is not available, I would take Smith.

 

Darius Butler (UConn) is another guy who would be good for us. He ran a 4.45 40 and posted a 43" vertical leap. Butler might be there for us in the second round.

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RavensNest, here is what Todd McShay had to say on Mike Jenkins' combine performance:

 

Another big reason for the disappointment was the poor showing from top prospect Malcolm Jenkins (Ohio State). One of the scouts we spoke with clocked Jenkins' two 40-yard dashes at 4.55 and 4.56. That should translate to official times in the low 4.6 range. That's not top-10 cornerback material, folks. Even worse was the lack of fluidity he showed during drills, in which he struggled to open his hips and change directions smoothly. He struggled so much that we now feel safety is a better fit for him.

 

... we still think Jenkins will be the first defensive back off the board in 2009. Why? He is a big hitter who can stuff the run and make big plays in coverage when he keeps the ball in front of him. Besides, Ohio State lined Jenkins up at safety a fair amount of the time, and he reminds us of Arizona's 2005 first-round pick, Antrel Rolle, who has fared better at safety than he has at corner in the NFL. As a result, we think Jenkins will come off the board in the middle of the first round. Meanwhile, [sean] Smith doesn't look as fluid on film as he did in shorts Tuesday, so teams aren't going to just slide him ahead of Jenkins.

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/ins...&id=3932966

 

Kiper even said that Jenkins could fall to the late first round. If that is the case, I would scoop him up in a hurry. Jenkins is a gamer.

 

By the way, McShay said that D.J. Moore severely hurt his stock. First, Moore came in at the same size as Alphonso Smith (5'9", 192-193 pounds), which is smaller than expected. Second, Moore looked very bad flipping his hips and running with receivers in the drills. I bet Smith definitely leapfrogged Moore on the big board.

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McShay is too frustrating to even contemplate listening to. I find him the media- and hype-driven douche to Kiper's actual education and understanding.

 

I'll wait until Mel tells us what he thinks before I form any legitimate opinions.

 

Nevertheless, there's no way Jenkins is falling that far. I sincerely doubt that teams will put so much stock into that 40 time. Jenkins is the best corner, and will be the first one taken. And, for what it's worth, SI reports two quite different times: 4.57 the first time, and 4.52 the second (as if it matters).

 

Rolle ran a 4.49 during his combine. Take it for what it is.

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McShay is too frustrating to even contemplate listening to. I find him the media- and hype-driven douche to Kiper's actual education and understanding.

 

I'll wait until Mel tells us what he thinks before I form any legitimate opinions.

 

Nevertheless, there's no way Jenkins is falling that far. I sincerely doubt that teams will put so much stock into that 40 time. Jenkins is the best corner, and will be the first one taken. And, for what it's worth, SI reports two quite different times: 4.57 the first time, and 4.52 the second (as if it matters).

 

Rolle ran a 4.49 during his combine. Take it for what it is.

 

Mel already said he believes that Jenkins has fallen to a late first rounder. Will teams put much stock into Jenkins 40 time? A little bit. Like McShay said, corners do not go in the top 10 with a 4.55+ 40 time. What teams will put stock in is Jenkins poor combine workout where he showed stiff hips and poor ability to run with receivers. As for Jenkins as a safety prospect, he is seen as a good one, but not an elite one. He would not be a top ten pick.

 

As for Rolle's 40 time, that probably hurts Jenkins.

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I saw jenkins had the fastest time on the 3 cone drill. i don't exactly know what that drill consist of, but i bet that drill will be more beneficial than the 40. It sounds like its more about how shifty laterally and back and forth you are. I mean with ed reed back there, let them deep try to go deep on us. If jenkins is there when we pick, we better snatch him up. Plus Jenkins still looks fast on film. Put pads on these people and then you can really gauge how fast they are.

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I saw jenkins had the fastest time on the 3 cone drill. i don't exactly know what that drill consist of, but i bet that drill will be more beneficial than the 40. It sounds like its more about how shifty laterally and back and forth you are. I mean with ed reed back there, let them deep try to go deep on us. If jenkins is there when we pick, we better snatch him up. Plus Jenkins still looks fast on film. Put pads on these people and then you can really gauge how fast they are.

 

Good point! Jenkins had an excellent 20-yard shuttle time (4.07) and, like you stated, the fastest 3-cone drill in the draft (6.59). Granted, the 3-cone is a bitch to run and since it does not get the glamor of the 40YD or 20YS, most players will either not run it or not put much time into practicing it. I do think that Jenkins poor 40 time and his display of tight hips in the position drills will drop him out of the top 10, but some team will get a great value around 15 range.

 

The chain effect of these poor DB 40 times will be the run on CBs dropping. Someone good could fall into the second round. If DHB and Maclin are not there at 26, I do not see the point in drafting a possession receiver such as Nicks or Britt when we could get a guy like Robiskie in the second round. Thus, corner would be the way to go. If DHB or Maclin are there, we have to take one of these guys.

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Rolle's 20 yard shuttle was 4.01, and his 3-cone was 6.68. Remember, though, that he only worked out on his pro day, and not at the combine.

 

What does that translate to?

 

And Kyle Boller ran a 3.99 20-yard shuttle, what did that translate to?

 

43792570.jpg

 

:P

 

You wouldn't take Jenkins at 26?

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