There are few players more valued in the NFL than a legitimate cover cornerback. The South Carolina Gamecocks have produced three such players in Sheldon Brown, Dunta Robinson and Johnathan Joseph in recent years. Robinson and Joseph were selected in the first round. In Bennett, the Gamecocks have another standout cornerback.

At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Bennett has the size that every team is looking for at the cornerback position. Where Bennett stands out, however, is in the quickness of both his feet and hands. The angular corner has been timed in the mid 4.4s and his agility stands out on film. Also standing out is Bennett's ability to defend the pass once the ball is in the air. Bennett is among the SEC's career leaders in both passes broken up (24) and interceptions (nine) over his career. Despite most of the attention last year going to Joseph, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, Bennett earned Honorable Mention SEC honors. This season, his second as a starter in South Carolina, Bennett has been even better and will be a hot commodity come April.

Positives: Tight-skinned prospect with adequate muscle definition. Rare height for the position. Aggressive man-to-man cover corner. Effective jam of the receiver at the line of scrimmage. Rare speed down the field, especially for a corner of his size. Loses a step in transition, but has long speed and a second gear when the ball is in the air. Uses his hands well to break up the pass. Adequate awareness in zone coverage. Good burst to close on the ball. Athleticism and size combination make for an exciting upside. Not a finished product.

Negatives: Despite Bennett's size, he lacks toughness versus the run. Will react to the run and come up to support, but is more than willing to stand and let others do the dirty work. Rarely takes on blocks, choosing to run around them. No missed tackles on the games viewed, but tends to duck his head and swipe at the ball-carrier's feet rather than squaring up and driving his opponent to the ground. Good straight-line speed, but loses a step in transition and can struggle to blanket more agile or quality route-running wideouts.

Graduated from Manning High School in 2002 … Played for Coach Robbie Briggs … Was a 2001 Shrine Bowl participant … Rated the No. 4 prospect in the state of South Carolina according to SuperPrep magazine … Chose South Carolina over North Carolina and Clemson.

Fredrick Bennett was born Dec. 31, 1983 … His major is hotel, restaurant and tourism management.