Analysis (Matt Bove): You can never have enough cornerbacks in the NFL today, and Ted Thompson is certainly proving that so far in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Quinten Rollins only has one year of playing college football after starring on the hardwood for Miami (OH), but he showed a ton in that one year winning the MAC defensive player of the year after picking off seven passes. The thing you like about Rollins and first-round pick Demarious Randle are how green they both still are. They have their best football in front of them and Thompson is trusting Joe Whitt to bring it out of them.
>Rollins doesn’t have top end speed for a corner (4.57 40-yard dash), but he seems to be a natural playmaker. His ball skills and run support are the two areas in which he shined at Miami (OH). He was quick to locate passes and has the size, strength and jumping ability to break up contested passes.
Rollins is willing to set the edge in the run game and has the strength to work through clutter and get off blocks. He’s going to need to work on his technique and his instincts should come as he gets more experience. Whitt should be able to help with those things.
Team fit (Ross Uglem): Well this is fun, isn’t it? Ted Thompson continues his acquisition of talent with little regard for team need or public opinion. Rollins is another defensive back that is at least 5’10” and can play wherever Joe Whitt and Dom Capers want him.
Rollins is quicker than Randall but not quite as fast. The Packers are re-loading in the defensive backfield and with more vigor than normal. This isn’t a team that normally spends a lot of resources on the cornerback position. Their wizardly cornerbacks coach (Whitt) has allowed them to have undrafted and low-round players play at one of this NFL’s most important positions.
The defensive backfield competition is going to be so much fun to watch in training camp. Between Randall and Rollins and Goodson the Packers have some very talented athletes vying to play very serious reps in the defensive backfield for a Super Bowl contender.
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Ross Uglem is a writer at PackersTalk.com.
You can follow Ross on twitter at RossUglem
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2 responses to “BREAKING: Green Bay Packers select Quentin Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio), 62”
I don’t see enough experience here for any to start but the 2 have instincts. Not that they’re better than any CB that went before them. In fact, they’re pretty inexperienced but multifaceted, having played other sports. Does that give them an edge? We don’t really know. Goodson played the bench all 2014. He thinks he’s God’s gift to football and may not even make the team. CB is one of the most complex positions to play. In Thompson I don’t trust. But he does a bit beter than MM who imploded at the wrong time. They won one super bowl but that a trend did not make.
I don’t see enough experience here for any to start but the 2 have instincts. Not that they’re better than any CB that went before them. In fact, they’re pretty inexperienced but multifaceted, having played other sports. Does that give them an edge? We don’t really know. Goodson played the bench all 2014. He thinks he’s God’s gift to football and may not even make the team. CB is one of the most complex positions to play. In Thompson I don’t trust. But he does a bit beter than MM who imploded at the wrong time. They won one super bowl but that a trend did not make.