A couple of days ago, I released an article on Jalen Ramsey and why he would be a good fit for the Dallas Cowboys. Now, I’m releasing an article on another cornerback who would fit the mold of an off-man cover cornerback. If I think Ramsey is the best cornerback in this draft class, then Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves in probably 1B.
Before I get into my analysis of the player, it should be said that I believe Ramsey will be the better NFL player for the long-term, but I also believe that Hargreaves will make more of an impact from the get-go.
It’s no secret that the Cowboys will their question marks at the cornerback position. Sure top cornerback Orlando Scandrick will return from injury in 2016, but an ACL injury is extremely serious and it’s up in the air whether the injury will prevent him from getting back to the level he was playing at.
Morris Claiborne’s contract is up at the end of the season, and while he has been good for the most part of the 2015 season, it should also be said that the first three years of the experiment were a nightmare to say the least. If I were Jerry Jones, I would save my money rather than giving Claiborne a shiny penny.
The 2016 offseason could finally mean the end of Brandon Carr in Dallas. Carr is signed till the end of the 2017 season, but with the way he has performed in his Dallas tenure, the Cowboys might benefit from designating him as a post June 1st cut to receive more money.
With all of this being said, the Cowboys should be in the market for a cornerback when the draft nears. Dallas loves playing zone defense, and I don’t think there’s a more adequate cornerback in excelling at that in this year’s draft class than Hargreaves.
Dallas has been a fan of athleticism in the past few drafts. Look no further than Byron Jones in last year’s draft. Hargreaves is a guy that is by far the most athletic player on the field according to the eye test. When analyzing cornerbacks in today’s NFL, we look too often for that long-armed cornerback who excels in press coverage.
The reality, however, is that those players are stiff and they struggle to stick with faster and more athletic receivers in the NFL. That’s not the case with Hargreaves. He has the fluidity trait to change direction and stick with receivers.
At 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, Hargreaves will have his problems against taller receivers, but I think Hargreaves uses his height to his advantage. His small frame allows him to twist and turn faster.
Hargreaves was able to press receivers at the line of scrimmage in college, but I would love to see him add more weight. He fits what Dallas wants from a cornerback and by putting him into Dallas’ secondary, the Cowboys will reap the rewards from having two athletic defensive backs that can simply glide in the defensive backfield.
