Will The Kansas City Chiefs Draft A Cornerback In The First Round?
Oct 5, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Marcus Peters (21) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Stanford Cardinal in the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Marcus Peters – Washington – 6’0″ 197 lbs
4.53 forty, 17 bench press reps, 37.5″ vertical, 4.08 20 yard shuttle
There is no denying Marcus Peters’ talent. In fact, some draft experts believe that Peters is the most talented cover man in the draft. The major red flags for Peters are off the field. After multiple issues with the coaching staff at Washington he was eventually kicked off the team. So the questions with Peters are not related to his play on the field but rather is he worth the trouble and/or has he learned his lesson.
What Others Are Saying:
"Talented cover cornerback with size, ball skills and the confidence NFL teams are looking for, but lacks the necessary discipline and maturity on the field and in practice."
"In speaking with league sources, they’re split on whether Peters will go in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Multiple sources said that Peters did not interview well with teams and hasn’t eased doubts that he has grown for the better since his incident last fall."
What I Saw On Tape:
I watched Peters against Oregon and Hawaii. He looked good against Hawaii but wasn’t overly impressive against the Ducks (but the Oregon offense appeared to have the entire Washington D on their heels). There is no denying Peters’ coverage abilities. Where Collins showed an inability at times to “stick to” his guy, Peters definitely has that ability. In fact, with the NFL’s contact rules he may have to relax a little bit at the next level or he could find himself flagged frequently. When Peters did give the WRs space it almost seemed to be a conscious choice, almost like he was trying to bait the QB into throwing his way. He showed good ball skills in the Hawaii game in that he was able to find the ball and at times beat the WR to it.
I didn’t spend a lot of time watching Peters because frankly I wouldn’t be willing to gamble on him if I was John Dorsey. I don’t see his coverage skills as enough of an upgrade (if at all) over these other guys to make it worth while. If you can get equal coverage ability out of some of these others without the character concerns there is no reason to take that chance. I have a hard time believing that four CBs will go before the Chiefs pick so I’d take one of the other guys and let someone else gamble on Peters getting his act together.
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