Packers 2017 Draft: NFL Combine will shape top cornerback group

The NFL Scouting Combine is only a week away, and all 32 teams are preparing to send their representatives to Indianapolis to get a close look at 330 potential draft prospects.

Cornerback will certainly be a position of particular interest for the Green Bay Packers. Ted Thompson and his front office have some big decisions to make this offseason en route to repair a secondary that was decimated by injuries and struggled to defend the pass throughout the 2016 season.

The Packers will find out next week if the draft offers some potential solutions to fixing their 31st-ranked passing defense. Cornerback will most likely be a position Green Bay will try to target with the 29th overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Fortunately, this year’s cornerback class appears chalk full of early-round talent, and as things stand currently, there could be as many as seven prospects from the position in the first-round conversation on draft day.

Former Florida duo Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor are playmaking corners who excel in press-man coverage. Ohio State products Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley are also elite cover players and should be considered in the first round. Lattimore in particular possesses all of the tools to be a shutdown defensive back in the NFL.

A majority of draft analysts view either Wilson or Lattimore as the top cornerback in the class. However, there are some, like Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline, who view Marlon Humphrey as the top prospect at the position. The former Alabama defensive back offers a rare blend of size (6-1, 200) and athleticism, and if he runs a fast 40-yard dash time in Indy, he could rise up draft boards this spring.

Then there’s also former Washington Husky Sidney Jones and Tre’Davious White out of LSU, who are both fantastic athletes in their own right. Although a bit slimmer than the other top corners, measuring in at 6-foot, 180 pounds and 5-foot-11,190 pounds respectively, both cornerbacks are smooth in coverage and play with a physical tenacity.

However, both Jones and White will most likely have to put together impressive workout numbers to justify first-round selections this spring and remain in the top cornerback conversation. Granted, just about everyone expects both prospects to impress at the Combine next month.

Add in second-day prospects like Cordrea Tankersley, Adoree Jackson, Chidobe Awuzie, and Fabian Moreau and the top crop of cornerback talent appears to be very deep heading into spring workouts.

With the top tier ballooning, individual performances at the Combine could go a long way in sorting out the cornerback position. Defensive backs who test well in the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill, and vertical jump will help solidify themselves as first-round prospects, while poor testing numbers could drop some corners into the second day.

A blazing 40-time could even push a prospect into the first half of the first round, or allow a Day-2 prospect to sneak into the end of the first round. If any of the top-seven cornerbacks run a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, they could make a strong case for being the first player at the position off the board.

On the flipside, if one of the top cornerbacks runs slower than a 4.55 40-yard dash, then they could fall behind the pack.

Of course, 40-times aren’t everything, and we all know that. There’s certainly a lot more to playing defensive back in the NFL than straight-line speed. However, it is a physical attribute that holds a lot of value for the position. Players vying for top spots at their respective position must hit some minimum thresholds when it comes to testing drills, and a player looking to be a first-round cornerback in a class this deep can’t afford to test poorly.

Players lacking ideal size particularly can’t afford to test poorly if they want to hear their name called on Day One of the draft. If Jones, White, and Lattimore test as well as expected, they’ll certainly cement themselves as first-round talents. They could even make strong cases to be selected in the first-20 picks.

Conley and Tabor are more average sized cornerbacks who don’t appear to be as elite of athletes as the other three, but they could surprise people at the NFL Combine with impressive workout numbers. They will certainly need to exceed expectations to not get pushed out of the top-five cornerback conversation.

Wilson and Humphrey are in a bit different circumstances given their size, length, and physical playing styles. They still need to test well, as many expect they will. However, because of their rare size for the position they could still be taken in the first round if they test moderately. Cornerbacks with size can get away with average speed more than a smaller defensive back who has to showcase elite athleticism and speed in order to be considered a top prospect at their position.

If anywhere from 4-6 cornerbacks get selected in the first round this spring, players’ performances at the Combine could ultimately determine the order these players come off the board on the first day.

Wilson, Tabor, Lattimore, Conley, Humphrey, White, and Jones all boast impressive film. Each prospect showcases playmaking ability as well as fantastic cover skills and should be considered solid prospects even with average testing numbers. However, a blazing 40-yard dash time or quick three-cone drill in Indianapolis could end up being the tiebreaker when teams are on the clock and looking to select a starting-caliber cornerback in the first round.

With the Packers drafting at the end of the first round, it is unlikely they’ll have the opportunity to select one of the top three or four cornerbacks on the board. Players like Lattimore, Wilson, and Humphrey could be selected in the first-20 picks with good workout performances. There’s also a good chance whoever tests best out of Jones, Tabor, Conley, and White will also be drafted before Green Bay is on the clock.

However, there’s a good chance at least two or three of the top prospects at the position will still be on the board at pick 29. But, will that be guys like Tabor, Conley, or Jones?

Or, will Day-2 prospects that test well like Tankersley or Awuzie push themselves up into the end of the first round and be the guy the Packers hone in on?

Next: Top-10 Cornerback Prospects

A lot has yet to be determined at the cornerback position, and next week at the NFL Combine will be a huge step in shaping the top-end of the cornerback position.