Ashton Youboty, CB, Buffalo Bills

May 10, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Brian Dean and Ryan Rich
Edited by Cory J. Bonini

Cornerback Ashton Youboty decided to forgo his final year of eligibility for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2006 to enter the NFL. Born in Liberia, Youboty moved to Philadelphia, then Texas, where he starred in football and track at Klein High School.

As a true freshman for the Buckeyes in 2003, he notched 14 tackles while playing behind starting cornerback Chris Gamble, who now is a starter for the Carolina Panthers. In 2004, Youboty put himself on the map as a bona fide NFL prospect. He started nine games, intercepting four passes for 89 yards, leading the Big Ten Conference in that category. Youboty’s production dipped in 2005, as he only intercepted one pass, but it was enough to get him named as an All-Big Ten first-team selection.

Table: Ashton Youboty - Career Statistics (2003-05)

Year	Tkl	INT	Pass Def.
2003	14	-	-
2004	61	4	14
2005	56	1	9

Positives

Youboty has a very good but not outstanding size and speed combination. He ran a 4.44 at the scouting combine while weighing in at 5-foot-11 3/4, 189 pounds. Youboty excels in man-coverage, showing the hips to turn with receivers and the speed to recover.

He also has a good break on the ball. Youboty fills well against the run but could add bulk to help deliver the hit and will never be a great tackler. The lineage of successful NFL cornerbacks from Ohio State (Chris Gamble, Shawn Springs, Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements) can only help Youboty’s stock.

Negatives

He didn’t come in as big or fast as advertised at the combine and could stand to add some strength in the weight room. After a stellar sophomore season that put him on the map, Youboty was beaten more often as a junior.

He tends to take chances, and it can cost him. Youboty is still a bit raw overall, similar to Gamble. Scouts may have looked at the talent around him at Ohio State and discounted his production.

Summary

Following their surprise selections in the first two rounds, the Buffalo Bills nabbed the talented Youboty with the sixth selection of the third round. Youboty will pair with fellow former-Buckeye Clements to form one of the strongest cornerback tandems in the NFL. By adding a first-round talent, the Bills now will have a distinct advantage over the weak No. 2 wide receivers in their division, namely the New York Jets Justin McCareins, the Miami Dolphins Marty Booker and the New England Patriots Reche Caldwell. 

Youboty will likely start his professional tenure as a nickel back and could possibly aid in punt returns, pairing with Clements. While the Bills may have had a questionable draft overall, the selection of Youboty was lauded and warranted.

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Brian Dean

Brian "Birdman" Dean has been a contributor at KFFL since 2005. This musician and lifelong athlete is known at KFFL for his foresight and dead-on predictions, as witnessed by his back-to-back NFL mock draft title.

Ryan Rich
Ryan Rich has been a KFFL contributor since 2006.

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