Scouting the NFL Draft: CB Bradley Roby

Mar 7, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback

works out in front of NFL scouts on pro day at The Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

In tonight’s draft spotlight, we are on the defensive side of the ball. We are taking a look at a cornerback that the Jets apparently showed a lot of interest in during his Pro Day, as well as have a visit scheduled with in New Jersey.

We are looking at Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby.

As usual, here are his stats from college:

Defense & Fumbles

He measured at 5’11”, and weighed in at 194 pounds during his appearance at the NFL Combine.

He flew through the 40 yard dash at a position leading clip of 4.39 seconds, showing elite straight-line speed. He also broad jumped 124 inches, and ran the 20 yard shuttle drill in 4.04 seconds.

Clearly, a talented athlete.

Here is some video on the young man:

PROS:The guy is a terrific tackler, that stick out right away. He doesn’t miss. His speed is obvious as well, the way he can stay with a wide receiver, as well as how he can get into the backfield at a moment’s notice. See how quickly he closed on the punter for the blocked punt? That was fast.

He does have good ball skills as well, and has very fluid hips, that allows him to adjust with the wide receiver he is covering.

CONS:Here are his negatives from his NFL.com profile:

Has a small, wiry frame and size is just adequate — can be boxed out by tall receivers and outmuscled for “50-50” balls. Short on length and strength to jam and reroute bigger receivers. Gets wired to blocks. Durability could be an issue given his physical playing style. Could stand to iron out his pedal. Gets caught peeking — lets receivers behind him and is vulnerable to double moves. Misses some 1-on-1 tackles in space. Performance was uneven as a junior — did not dominate. Character should be looked into.

The only thing I didn’t like on the tape is that he sometimes would not turn around and look for the football when playing in coverage. He would try and time the hands going up by watching his man. He can get away with that in college, but not in the pros. Not turning and looking back will be P.I. almost every time.

If the Jets want to go here in round two, they could do a lot worse. To me he’s a borderline first round prospect, so 18 might be a little high. What do you guys think?