LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is undeniably the top cornerback in this draft. He’s going to be compared to former teammate Patrick Peterson as a potential top-five pick, but there are clear differences between the two players.
Claiborne describes himself as more of a “technician.” Peterson, who ran an unofficial 4.32 last year, has superior measurables.
Claiborne ran a 4.47 and 4.54 unofficial forty time at Tuesday’s Combine. That won’t blow teams away, but it’s good enough not to damage Claiborne’s stock. North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins’ best time was 4.44. But his 10-yard split was a a terrific 1.47, which shows the short area quickness that teams are looking for.
Nebraska’s Alfonzo Dennard, known as a press cornerback, ran a 4.51. Former Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris topped out at 4.59 and Iowa State’s Leonard Johnson’s fastest forty was at 4.65.
Once you get around 4.6, teams start wondering if the player can convert to safety.