Oakland Raiders: How to add cornerback help in the first three rounds

Second Round Options: Anthony Averett and Jaire Alexander

While there are great prospects on the board at cornerback in the first round, the presence of even better prospects at other positions of a higher need makes a scenario in which the team selects a cornerback in the second round far more likely.

There may not be can’t miss prospects at the position after the first round, there are still several extremely talented players to be taken who can be day one starters. One of these players includes Alabama’s Anthony Averett.

Alabama defensive player have a long history of becoming great players in the NFL, which makes sense seeing as the school receives some of the best recruits in the nation every year. While Averett may not be a can’t miss prospect like some Crimson Tide players before him, there is a good chance he still becomes a fine player.

Averett possesses the necessary athleticism to keep up with top end receivers in the league, as he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash time and was the top long jumper in the country when he was in high school.

Some of the concerns that will cause him to fall to the second round include a lack of experience, due to the insane defensive depth at Alabama, and slight frame. He isn’t regarded as the most physical corner out which may be a turn off for some teams. Many scouts see him as a player who will likely be very good, but may not have the potential to be great.

For a second round pick this is something you can live with and ultimately be very happy with.

Another play like this is Louisville cornerback, Jaire Alexander. Alexander battled through injuries in his final year of college, but otherwise looked very good. Before last season, Alexander was known as a physical outside corner. After his injury it appeared he lost some of his tenacity on the field as he seemed to play while trying to avoid injury.

This has made some scouts concerned, which may cause him to drop to the second round. The talent is still there so if he were to be taken in the back end of the first round it would shock no one, but he is more likely to go in the first half of the second round.