NFL Draft Spotlight: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

April 15, 2010 @ 00:00:00

By Cory J. Bonini
Edited by Bryce McRae

Joe Haden, the standout cornerback from Florida, remains atop of most cornerback rankings charts despite a lackluster NFL Scouting Combine. Nevertheless, he still figures to be the top corner chosen in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Strengths

• Good timing and anticipation skills
• Excels in press coverage
• Sure tackler
• Sheds blocks well and locates the ball carrier
• Extremely fluid - sinks his hips well
• Fast enough to cover one-on-one without a lot of help over the top
• Fantastic closing speed
• Versatile athlete - was recruited as a quarterback and dabbled in the slot
• Durable
• Quick learner - only Gator in history to start the season opener as a true freshman

Weaknesses

• Poor straight-line speed: timed 4.57 and 4.60 in the 40-yard dash at the combine
• Not a lot of experience at the position
• Could stand to be more instinctual
• Overvalued in a weak cornerback class?

Expected draft placement

The slow 40 times may hurt Haden's draft stock to a minor degree, but there is so much in the way of quality tape on this guy that he won't fall far. Is he the best of a weak class? Yes. Does that matter to NFL scouts? No. Haden is a top-10 talent, but that doesn't mean he will be drafted that high. Expect him to go No. 13 to the San Francisco 49ers, and he shouldn't fall out of the top 18 picks.

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Cory J. Bonini

Cory J. Bonini is a senior editor at KFFL. In late 2002, Bonini joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst. He vaulted himself into one of the industry's leading fantasy analysts.

Bonini has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, he has been featured in print, on the radio and is also a published writer on scores of sites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors.

Follow him on Twitter @CoryKFFL

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