Draft preview: Big demand for bigger corners

Take a look at the size of the receivers in this year's draft. Of the top seven receivers, only Wisconsin's Lee Evans is under 6-feet tall. The others are all 6-2 or taller, which can make for tough covers for any corner.

That's why as teams ready for the draft, they do so with an eye on finding corners who can match up and cover the bigger receivers.

A 6-5 receiver against a 5-10 corner in the red zone usually goes by a distinct name: touchdown.

"Look at all the receivers coming out in this draft," New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett said. "They're all 6-1, 6-2, 6-3. Some of them are 6-4, 6-5. You aren't going to find a corner that's 6-5. There's one in the draft that's 6-1. So you always look for size. Then you always look for speed."

Of the top five corners in this draft, one -- Ohio State's Chris Gamble -- is taller than 6-0. The rest are all in the 5-10 neighborhood.

The best corner on the board, and one of the fastest risers heading into Saturday's first round, is Virginia Tech's DeAngelo Hall. At 5-10, 202 pounds, he has blazing speed, but he doesn't have the size.

No matter. When you can run a 4.15 40 -- which he supposedly did -- that can erase a lot of the height troubles. Plus, Hall plays with a swagger and a confidence that has drawn comparisons to Deion Sanders.

Hall insists he is a shutdown corner, but, at his size, is that possible? Or has the bigger receiver made it too tough for small corners to be considered in that class? Hall has a 37-inch vertical jump, which he has said will make it easier to defend the bigger receiver.

"If you're there, you make the play," Hall said. "And I am usually there. I can jump and make the play."

Hall excels in man coverage with his speed, which is why teams in the top 10 are eyeing him. The Browns (seven), Falcons (eight) and Jaguars (nine) would all love a shot at Hall.

"On paper, he's the most complete of all the corners," an NFC personnel man said. "He's not Deion Sanders, but he's a quality cover corner."

A former high-school running back who scored 30 touchdowns, he won't shy away from contact, either. One other thing: He loves to study opposing receivers. That helps cut down on the mistakes and can provide a pre-snap read that might result in an interception.

He is also one cocky player, which you have to be to excel on the corner in the NFL.

Sean Taylor is the top S due to his size and speed. (Getty Images)

"I have the ability to play with the best of them," Hall said. "I have the speed of Deion Sanders to shut down one side of the field. I have the physical tools of Charles Woodson and the playmaking ability of Champ Bailey."

At 6-1, Gamble has the size teams want, but he doesn't have the speed. He clocked disappointing 40 times, which he caused his stock to fall. He ran in the 4.5 range, which has drawn varying opinions.

Some teams still like him because he plays faster, but others have dropped him on their boards.

"The fact he didn't run well really hurts him," one NFC personnel director said. "He's still a good player, and will probably be a quality starter, but that speed scares you."

So, let's see: A good corner needs speed and size.

That's what makes players like Sanders, Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson so valuable on the corner. They have the size to play the bigger receivers and the speed to recover.

Then there's Ty Law and Patrick Surtain, arguably two of the top four corners in the league. They both stand 5-11 -- that's probably a bit generous -- and yet they can handle the bigger receiver.

Do you see teams picking on Law or Surtain in the red zone with taller receivers? It's because both are physical, smart corners who know how to handle all types of matchups, including bigger receivers.

The hope for teams in search of a corner is South Carolina's Dunta Robinson can be that type of player, despite being 5-10. Robinson is probably faster than both Law and Surtain, which is why his stock is rising.

Robinson is expected to go no later than 12th in the first round to the New York Jets, or he could go to Houston with the 10th pick.

"He's a guy I really like," the NFC personnel director said. "The more you watch him, the more you like him."

The corners have to be even better now with the league making pass interference and illegal contact a point of emphasis for the officials. That means less mugging and more turning and running with receivers.

That's why speed is imperative, but size is also important, because it's key to make sure the bigger receivers don't get off the jam at the line.

Maybe that's why corners got paid so well in free agency. A bunch of them changed teams with many big-money deals being handed out.

"This year, everybody overpaid the corners," Haslett said. "Everybody was worried they were going to get left without a corner. You have to have them. It's hard to play without a corner. Are they worth $10 or $11 million a player? Probably not."

A big, fast corner might be, though. And that's why with so many bigger receivers coming into the league, teams are salivating at the idea of a 6-3 corner that can run.

Too bad he plays free safety and goes by the name of Sean Taylor. The Miami safety is expected to be the first defensive player taken Saturday, which is an upset of sorts, because it's the corners who usually go before safeties.

He has what they don't, though, which is the size. If Hall were two inches taller, he would be taken above Taylor because there is such a premium on the corner position. As it is now, whoever gets Hall has to hope like heck his vertical jump and his 70 inches of height are enough to defend the influx of big receivers.