Auburn CB Roger McCreary Reflects on Matchup With Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase
Indianapolis -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have informally met with cornerback Roger McCreary at the NFL combine. The Auburn standout corner has been in the news a lot over the last several weeks, but unfortunately for the wrong reasons.
His measurements at the senior bowl drew a lot of concern as his arms came in at 29 1/4" which is well below the NFL threshold for boundary corners.
McCreary might be an exception to the rule, however. His tape in an SEC conference is outstanding. One of the best receivers that he matched up with college was the current offensive rookie of the year, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.
I had the chance to ask him about that matchup in particular and what he thought that it showed scouts.
"Going into that game which was the first time that I had started in college, I was just happy to be out there," McCreary said. "I didn't care who he was, I was just going to go out there and play and just be me, be there for my teammates. I feel like I did great in that game and it gave me confidence. Starting my college career there and going against that type of guy and what he's doing now, I'm confident going into the next level."
Despite the length concerns, McCreary is a corner that likes being in press coverage and did so in that matchup against Chase.
"I wasn't surprised that I did good against him because I'm confident in me," McCreary said. "I truly believe that I can guard anybody. Going into the next level, what people say about my short arms, I don't care. No matter what. Tall receiver, quick, fast, no matter what, I'm just playing against the best."
Some have speculated that the lack of length could lead McCreary to a career as a nickel corner, primarily playing in the slot. However, there's plenty of game tape of him matching up against some of the most talented receivers in the country. He played in a conference that featured Chase, Devonta Smith, John Metchie and Jameson Williams and more than held his own.
The Steelers have been no stranger to taking corners with shorter arm lengths. They selected Senquez Golson in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft and a few years later selected Cam Sutton in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Both of those guys come in below the NFL's preferred arm length threshold. We never saw Golson in an NFL uniform but Sutton did start his career inside before transitioning to the boundary last season in his first year as a starter.
The Steelers have several free agents in their cornerback room including Joe Haden, Ahkello Witherspoon and Arthur Maulet. Bringing in a player as talented as McCreary could pay massive dividends given his experience covering NFL caliber receivers at the collegiate level.
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