49ers Post-Combine Cornerbacks: Three Risers and Fallers
The NFL Combine is officially in the rear-view mirror, and the NFL Draft will be here before we know it.
The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in need to upgrade the cornerback position as they look for a new playmaker to lineup opposite of Richard Sherman. The 49ers hold the 31st overall pick and with that selection, they have a good chance at landing one of the better cornerbacks in this year's draft class.
Risers
C.J. Henderson
Florida's C.J. Henderson arguably helped himself more than any cornerback during his combine performance in Indianapolis. The former Gator ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, ranking second among participating cornerbacks. In addition to Henderson's staggering speed, he also posted a top-10 finish in the vertical and broad jump.
Prior to the combine, Henderson's biggest knock surrounding him consists of poor tackling techniques, but tackling for a cornerback isn't the end all be all, as evaluators want cornerbacks with speed and coverage ability, and Henderson offers both traits.
Kristian Fulton
The major holdup with LSU's Kristian Fulton was whether he could offer adequate straight-line speed when receivers take him the distance, downfield. Fulton answered exactly that, running a 4.46 40-yard dash, tying for the 10th best at his position.
Fulton offers numerous intriguing qualities, including the ability to play press coverage as he did throughout his time in Baton Rouge. Now after posting a 40-time where his speed will clearly translate into the NFL, Fulton has proved to talent evaluators that he has what it takes to make up ground when beaten off the line. Fulton's skillset is one that should interest many teams come draft day, due to his sticky coverage ability and quality speed.
Jeff Gladney
Despite needing surgery to repair a torn meniscus, TCU's Jeff Gladney still participated in the NFL Combine and did so at a high level. Gladney ran a 4.48 40-yard dash, tying for 12th among cornerbacks. He also displayed sufficient strength during the bench press portion, completing 17 reps of 225-pounds after measuring in at 5' 10", 191-pounds.
Gladney separated himself the most during the on-field drills, showing solid footwork and hip mobility running downfield. For someone who completed every drill with an injured knee, most people wouldn't have even known due to his flawless effort throughout the week. Gladney is now expected to undergo surgery but should still hear his name called in the ballpark of the second round.
Fallers
Troy Pride Jr.
Notre Dame's Troy Pride Jr. attracted some national buzz after he put together a solid performance at the Senior Bowl. That same mojo was expected to follow Pride into his combine performance as he stacked lofty expectation on himself setting a personal goal to run in the 4.2s. Unfortunately for Pride that was not the case.
The former track star registered a 40-yard dash of 4.4 seconds, which ranked fifth-best among cornerbacks. Pride followed that up with a 35.5” vertical jump, ranking 14th among cornerbacks and a 119” broad jump which finished last among the 20 cornerbacks that participated. With a track background, you'd expect Pride to jump through the ceiling at Lucus Oil Stadium but unfortunately, he was unable to do so. Pride projects as a mid-round pick who can play in the slot or on the outside.
Cameron Dantzler
Mississippi State's Cameron Dantzler had a combine to forget. His 4.64 40-yard dash and 34.5" vertical jump both finished in the bottom-five among cornerbacks. He was the tallest cornerback at 6' 2" but his results definitely raised many eyebrows for concern.
Prior to the combine, it was apparent that Dantzler is a raw prospect but what severely hurt his draft value was his performance was even worse than expected. Dantzler definitely didn't help his case for the NFL Draft but his film indicates he's a much better player than how he tested in Indianapolis.
Lamar Jackson
Entering the NFL Combine with the name Lamar Jackson will create hype for that alone. Jackson posted a 40-time of 4.58 seconds after running his initial 4.65 on his first attempt. Jackson isn't a burner, but more of a big-body defender who utilizes his physical ability to win, so running a slower time wasn't that shocking after all.
However, the former Cornhusker did struggle showing evaluators that he is technically sound throughout the on-field drills. Jackson's larger frame was somewhat a disservice when testing his athleticism but from a big picture perspective, his production in college should still pull major weight for his draft value.
