Throughout the next few weeks we’ll be looking at the potential draft prospects the Cowboys could land in the upcoming draft. We’ll be doing profiles, draft combine results, and how they’ll fit in the scheme the Cowboys will be running.
Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska (Projection: Top 10)
Overview:
Prince Amukamara is the consensus pick for the Cowboys by Todd McShay, Mel Kiper, and plenty of other “experts. Does that mean we’ll get him? It’s hard to say, it’s hard to even say that we’ll NEED him either.
Strengths:
Prince is a physical corner who plays a lot like Revis. Relies on the jam and loves to be in man-on-man tight coverage. His speed is far above average; Prince is a converted running back who has incredible range. Maybe his biggest asset is his size; at 6-1 205 lbs Prince will be able to match up well against the leagues biggest receivers.
Weaknesses:
Some things against Prince are that he is fresh off his “breakout” season. That being said you have to consider whether he is seasoned or proven enough. Also, some scouts worry about his top end speed against streak routes and the quicker NFL receivers.
How He fits:
The call by Cowboys fans for improvement in the secondary is echoing louder and louder these days. With Terrence Newman getting older and Mike Jenkins still leaving much for the Jury to discuss, Prince Amukamara would be able to come in and play either two roles: He may 1) come in right away and start over Mike Jenkins or 2) Play his first season in the slot over Scandrick and figure out if Mike Jenkins is a “Shut-Down Corner” or a bust. If it turns out the Jenkins has a future you can expect that him and Prince would create a hell of a team.
One thing you have to consider is what Rob Ryan wants to do with his coverage scheme. Prince really thrives in man-to-man coverage so if Ryan wants to employ a zone coverage, you’ll have to consider if you Prince is that versatile. I think he’ll be worth the risk
Notes:
Just because we draft Prince (if we do) doesn’t mean the Newman and Jenkins are on the way out. Newman will most likely retire a Cowboy and though most of you have your issues with Newman, I still feel like he’s got top 10-corner ability.
College Stats:
2009- 64 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 5 INT, and 11 Pass Deflections
2008- 34 Tackles, 2 Sacks,
2007-4 Tackles
