The Arizona Cardinals need a cornerback opposite of Peterson; can WVU’s Rasul Douglas fill this void?
After my first two mock drafts (1.0 and 2.0), it is obvious I am a huge fan of West Virginia cornerback Rasul Douglas. If he remains on the board when the Cardinals pick in round three, I feel confident that the Arizona Cardinals’ GM Keim will have Roger Goodell call out Douglas’ name.
As a senior in 2016, Rasul Douglas led the NCAA with eight interceptions while also tallying eight passes defensed. He has a big, long body as he stands at 6’3” and 200 pounds. This size would play a vital role in the man coverage-heavy Arizona defense.
Douglas is a great tackler when the ball-carrier makes it to his side of the field. According to Pro Football Focus, Douglas missed only five of 58 attempted tackles during his senior season. Seven of his 15 solo tackles were in run defense.
The Mountaineers product is said to be able to “go up high and win 50-50 balls” and he doesn’t need much time to “get his hands ready” for the interception. These positives are projecting Douglas to be drafted as high as a late second rounder and as late as a fourth-round pick.
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The pros, however, do come with some cons. Douglas was clocked running a 4.59 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine. This time may not be a problem for most positions, but it is for CBs with the current speed at wideout in the NFL.
Rasul Douglas also is said to struggle in press man coverage. This is understandable as he played off-coverage with the Mountaineers, but he is also slow to recover from these press coverage “whiffs.” This slow recovery is likely due to his 40 time.
Overall, I believe Douglas will eventually be a top cornerback in the NFL. His struggles with press coverage can be fixed with the right coaching, and his 4.59 40 is not much of a problem.
Remember Joe Haden, the Browns’ cornerback that was once a top three DB in the league? He ran a 4.57 during the 2010 Combine. Douglas should be fine at the next level.