New York Jets Draft Profile: WR Cordarrelle Patterson

Feb 24, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson makes a catch during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

This morning, we continue getting ready for the draft next month, with another one of our player profiles. This time, we take a look at a guy on the offensive side of the football. He didn’t appear too much on the radar, until Rich Cimini tweeted the following:

John Idzik, Terry Bradway attending Tennessee pro day. #Jets are very interested in WR Cordarrelle Patterson.

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 20, 2013

So, with that, we take a look at the young wide receiver from Tennessee, Cordarrelle Patterson.

MEASURABLES

He measures in at 6’2″, 216 pounds. He ran a 4.42 in the forty yard dash, and was tops in the vertical jump, recording 37 inches. A high vertical jump is certainly something that can’t hurt when playing wide receiver.

In his only season at the major college level, Patterson caught 46 passes for 778 yards and 5 TDs. He was also used a lot at the running back spot, registering 25 carries for 308 yards and 3 TDs. However, Patterson did most of his damage as a kick returner, compiling 671 yards and another touchdown on 24 attempts. He set an SEC single-season record with a combined kickoff and punt return average of 27.6 yards, and a school record of 1,858 all-purpose yards.

Here is some video to get things started:

PROS:You have to admire this guy’s speed. He gets off the line of scrimmage quickly, it doesn’t take much to get him into the high gear. He’s also got some pretty nifty footwork with the ball in his hands. Whether he was making the catch, taking the ball off a handoff, or running back a kick, he can make people miss. As a wide receiver, he has excellent hands, and with his 6’2″ 216 pound frame, does a good job at using his body to get position on the defender. He uses his blockers well when running with the football. He sets up his blocks like a guy with far more experience than he has.

CONS: Experience is the first thing you have to note with Cordarrelle. One year at the major college level is not a lot of experience. It has to be in the back of your mind, whether or not he is completely ready for the pro game at this point. We have seen the problems with guys that have come to the Jets with a small sampling of college experience,(right Mark?) You also don’t see many defenders get a hand on this guy off the line. College players often have trouble, initially, when playing against press coverage. Could Cordarrelle have a similar problem? One more thing for me, and it might seem odd but follow me for a minute. He runs the ball well as a running back, he can catch the ball, and can return kicks. Doesn’t that sound a bit like Brad Smith? A guy that is good at doing a lot of things, but not elite at anything? It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a career ahead of him, but is he more of that type of player? It would certainly make you question using the ninth pick of the draft on him.

Cordarrelle Patterson is a talented guy, no doubt.  He would definitely make his mark on the New York Jets.  But as I have said before, the Jets need a pass rusher much more desperately.  If they get Santonio Holmes back, healthy, pair him with Jeremy Kerley, Stephen Hill, and possibilly the return of Braylon Edwards, that group is not so bad.  Cordarrelle Patterson is not worth the 9th pick, and they could trade down for him, or get one of the many other wide receivers available.

He would be a nice addition, but not at number 9, sorry.