The 2022 NFL Draft is just nine days away! In this span, I will be offering you my positional rankings, my overall big board, and my final 7-round mock draft. But first I have one last scouting report to wrap up the 2022 cycle. This year’s cornerback class is very talented and certainly underrated, featuring one of the two best prospects in this class from my point of view in Ahmad Gardner, followed by two players with Pro-Bowl potential in Trent McDuffie and Derek Stingley Jr. Beyond the top three cornerbacks is a tier of players likely to come off the board at the end of the first round and the beginning of the second round and who represent really good value. In that tier is Auburn’s 6’0″ 190 lb. Roger McCreary, who may not possess elite physical traits but who proved himself against some of the nation’s best wide receivers to be a quality cornerback in his own right. Let’s dive into the tape one last time this draft season!
Strengths: McCreary’s best trait is his fluidity, which might be the most important physical trait for a cornerback. He flips his hips with such ease, not losing any ground in transition. His fluidity also allows him to mirror athletic wide receivers who run nuanced routes and string together moves. McCreary possesses good quickness and speed too, very rarely allowing more than a step of separation and showing the ability to stay in phase with some of top receivers in the country. McCreary positions himself well coming out of his initial stance in press coverage, crowding the receiver against the sideline. He is physical throughout the route, and jams well at the line of scrimmage. He possesses good strength and doesn’t usually lose the physical battle to bigger receivers. McCreary is excellent at disrupting the receiver at the catch point, showing a real knack to knock the ball down with his outstretched arm, as attested by his fourteen passes defensed, which ranked fourth in the nation. This allows him to force an incompletion even when he is beaten by a step. McCreary excels against the run, showing good willingness, a quick trigger, and a good ability to disengage from blocks. McCreary’s good burst makes him useful as a free blitzer.
Weaknesses: Though McCreary’s quickness and speed are certainly good, they are not elite, meaning he does sometimes surrender a step of separation on vertical routes and on slants. Against the latter, he often reaches in to break up the pass when targeted, but NFL quarterbacks who place the ball more precisely may get more completions against him on this type of route. McCreary’s lack of length also means his penchant for breaking up passes might not translate to the NFL. McCreary’s stop/start quickness is sometimes not quite on par with the receiver’s, making him susceptible to comeback routes. McCreary can get too grabby at times, such as when he is beat deep or when he is targeted while guarding a bigger receiver. He also needs to get his head around to play the ball and avoid penalties more consistently. McCreary can give too big of a cushion in off-coverage. He can also struggle working through traffic on crossing routes.
Bottom Line: McCreary possesses multiple valuable traits, including his fluidity and his ability to break up passes. His quickness and speed are good too, allowing him to excel in man coverage. He isn’t elite, as the most athletic or biggest receivers can cause him issues, but he is still really solid. I expect his level of play to translate to the NFL, where he may not be a future All-Pro selection but should become a highly reliable cornerback and maybe even a team’s CB1. There are no glaring weaknesses in McCreary’s game, making him a really safe prospect.
Grade: 2.0 (indicative of an early-second-round grade)
Sources
- Cover Image: https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-draft-auburn-cb-roger-mc-creary-sets-sights-on-blazing-40-yard-dash-at-combine-193219246.html
