Generate no mistake; every NFL team so want to have a Darrelle Revis. Don't assume all team would be ready take a risk on his knee and pay back him what he requires, but every team waiting to have his consistent construction. Revis is still this prototypical cornerback that anyone wants because he does everything well and may also shadow and shutdown No. 1 receivers.
When contemplating the 2013 rookie class, only one has the chance to be the next Revis, plus it isn't the player this replaced him in The big apple. The next Revis is usually University of Houston cornerback D. J. Hayden.
In what was a one of the big surprises of the draw up, the Oakland Raiders traded down from No. 3 to No. 12, didn't write University of Florida protective tackle Sharrif Floyd and additionally selected Hayden. The Raiders were even ready to take Hayden at Simply no. 3 if no trade had materialized.
When your team drafts a cornerback this is—at worst—the third general player on its snowboard, he is expected to become among the best in the league. The expectations should be high, and comparing Hayden to probably the greatest cornerbacks in the league shouldn't be a whole lot of of a stretch.
Revis can be 5'11" and 198 fat and ran a 4. 4-second 40-yard dash at his pro day ahead of 2006 NFL draft. Golf club back slowly that point, Revis was considered some sort of cornerback that should go at the end of the first round and he ended up going 14th overall to your Jets.
Hayden is 5'11" together with 191 pounds and ran between a 4. 33-second or 4. 42-second 40-yard dash at his pro working day, depending on the origin. Up until that position, Hayden was considered a cornerback who should go in the second and third round, but he have been going 12th overall with the Raiders.
In Hayden's event, he was also coming off just about the most unique injuries in historical past of the draft. After tearing his inferior vena cava in a very November practice, an injury that's almost always fatal, Hayden sacrificed 30 pounds. Just four months following your injury, he was owning a blazing time at his pro day.
At least from your size and speed viewpoint, Revis and Hayden are similar. If Hayden can add a few more pounds after he is put in an NFL weight room or space, the difference between each of the will be very hard to discern.
We can help make athletic and size comparisons easily, but the real test is going to be once Hayden faces the best receivers on the earth. Outside of Hayden's damage, for which he is now totally cleared, the biggest concern about him was the degree of competition he faced playing with the Conference USA.
Teams aren't about to disclose which players they really enjoy, which left only a good number media members with usage of game film the opportunity to truly evaluate Hayden.
The only games available to most people were two 2011 games and one 2012 game against UCLA—not sufficiently for amateur draft scouts giving Hayden a complete assessment and ease the concern about the level of competition he faced.
Scott Mayock of NFL. com elevated Hayden earlier Dee Milliner on this draft board just days before the draft, citing his capabilities against Louisiana Tech's Quinton Patton. Full Eisen of NFL. com asked Mayock on his podcast who had been a "tape warrior" in addition to Mayock shared this narrative about Hayden:
I went back and additionally put three of his tapes on the next morning. I is all pumped up; I love these kind of things and five teams called me with the same day.
Then the third video tape was Louisiana Tech and they also got Quinton Patton, who's probably a second-round large receiver, and D. M. Hayden got in his jock and shut the dog down: four catches, thirty seven yards, kid couldn't log off the line of scrimmage.
Comparable time that Mayock was visiting the conclusion that Hayden was the superior cornerback, Greg Cosell of NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Films was doing the exact same. Cosell appeared on that Yahoo's The Shutdown Cranny Podcast and said some pretty interesting reasons for Hayden (via the Father christmas Clara Press Democrat):
We watched four games involving D. J. Hayden the following week, and I'm telling you it was the 1st time I'd ever seen him or her play, and as I'm viewing I say, "Wait a second, this guy's the best corner in the draft. " My guess is actually he won't be drafted the result. But on film in my opinion, he was the best corner in the draft. He has the by natural means quickest feet of any corner with the draft. His backpedal was the most fluid. His balance together with body control was unquestionably remarkable. He was a sudden mover. He was competitively priced. He played the work. To me, he was just about the most physically gifted corner within this draft class.
Typically a late-riser on draft boards a consequence of tomfoolery by NFL competitors, but Hayden's hype appeared to be real. Despite two of the most extremely respected analysts being at the top of him, there were still some questions about Hayden's power because his performance with Patton never really noticed the light of day…until now.
When Revis was at his best in '09, the Jets allowed group lows in yards per attempt and touchdown rate despite an average pass rush. Revis had a major impact on the whole defense because he made everything so well, among them playing off-man coverage.
Matt Bowen in the National Football Post phones off-man coverage the toughest thing to play at the NFL level. Bowen also cites Revis as a guy who is a good top-tier defensive back owing to his ability to enjoy both off-man and press-man insurance coverage.
Off-man is the most difficult coverage because it requires the defensive back in "stay on top with enough cushion to turn (their) hips and operate, or to plant and drive downhill over the comeback, curl and dig. " The cornerback will either have single-safety help over the top or no help in any way.
Hayden displayed excellent off-man coverage skills with the matchup against Patton. From this example, Houston is working with Cover 1, which means single-safety help for Hayden as well as the other defensive backs.
Hayden shows like he's about to press Patton, but drops off the line just before that snap. Louisiana Tech has three receivers to the left, meaning Hayden can't totally count on the deep safety being there for him. Notice Hayden's eyes are relating to the quarterback.
Hayden gives himself adequate cushion to show and run with Patton when needed, but he also trusts his instincts. The quarterback didn't also released the ball and additionally Hayden had already stuck his foot in the ground to drive forward and take the cushion he had given Patton.
With the ball inside air, the entire cushion fully gone and Hayden is draped across Patton. Hayden is there so quickly which he has to take care not to commit pass interference. Your quarterback sails the move, perhaps expecting Patton to help shake free like he did the rest of the season.
Hayden has great awareness and has the ability to turn, run and dive in order to make the interception. The ball lands just because of Hayden's reach, but the fact that he was anywhere close to making the interception can be remarkable.
The Raiders had a two-time All-Pro cornerback in Nnamdi Asomugha who thrived playing press-man coverage for a long time, but he struggled as soon as asked to play other coverage types while using Philadelphia Eagles. Like Asomugha, Hayden are able to play press-man coverage, but he's really not a one-trick pony.
When you can use those hands to be able to disrupt the release with the WR, keep leverage and play with the hip of the road, you will be allowed to make a play.
You'll notice in this example that Hayden is playing press-man for the goal line on Patton. An error here means six points for Louisiana Tech.
Hayden hits the chest plate associated with Patton, disrupting the route and forcing Patton to do around him to get open. Hayden could have been more physical, but at the goal line, it's more important to guarantee the receiver doesn't obtain separation.
Hayden drops into Patton's "hip pocket" and additionally mirrors his release. Perhaps the bravest quarterbacks wouldn't throw into such tight insurance coverage.
If the quarterback were taking a chance, Hayden is in perfect position to generate a play as he rides Patton's hip over the back of the conclusion zone. Patton gets definitely zero separation from Hayden, plus the quarterback is forced to help you pull the ball straight down. He is eventually tackled before he causes it to become into the end sector.
Some cornerbacks will cover, but not every cornerback is ready to make plays in your run game. If a defensive coordinator wishes to use Cover 2 programmes, he needs to get confident his cornerbacks comes up and make your tackle.
Hayden's willingness and effectiveness supporting the run provides a defensive coordinator great flexibility to employ whatever coverage is best for ones situation.
One play after Hayden stuck to Patton like glue at the goal line, he made this play within the run game. Louisiana Tech slides out in the pistol configuration with three running backside and two receivers. Hayden is again working with press-man coverage on Patton with the outside.
Hayden's savvy enough to peek within the backfield only to read the running back getting the ball within the 7-yard line.
As the Houston protection strings the Louisiana Tech running into the outside, Hayden battles off Patton's block, plants and explodes forward to attempt the tackle.
Hayden lowers his protect level and puts a giant hit on the functioning back, knocking his own helmet off in the way. Hayden had to emerge for a play just by rule, and Louisiana Tech scored a touchdown over the following play.
There are some cornerbacks that thrive in zone coverage who aren't excellent in man coverage. Some defensive schemes don't perhaps ask the cornerbacks to complete both because finding players who can do so effectively are generally rare.
Revis actually has underrated zone coverage skills that provide a defense a whole lot of flexibility; he's just so good shutting down No. 1 receivers in man coverage that your Jets didn't use your ex in zone coverage usually.
The Raiders will love the different things they are do with Hayden that they wouldn't dream of doing last season with a depleted secondary.
The most effective zone cornerbacks are smart, understand offenses and will trust their instincts to make plays on the ball. On this 3rd-and-10 play, Hayden understands that Louisiana Tech is just trying try to arrive at the first down.
Hayden drops on the first-down marker, keeping his feet under him so he can quickly break on some sort of underneath pass and generate the stop to coerce fourth down.
You may notice that Hayden is a only player to break hard relating to the underneath route as all of those other defense continues to sit with the first-down marker. The obvious goal for any defense is to avoid the first down, but Hayden's instincts instructed him he'd either be able to make a play or simply force the throw to get elsewhere.
Although Louisiana Tech would get the first down by beating the zone to your flat on the opposing side, Hayden's zone tactic and instincts were terrific. If the quarterback possessed tried to force nourish Patton, Hayden would are working position to make a play on the ball.
This is the kind of technique you want to see from a wonderful zone cornerback. Hayden is likely to make plays, force quarterbacks to return off their primary go through and help Oakland's excrete rush. These are the identical qualities Revis possesses and why they are the highest-paid cornerback inside entire league.
Although Hayden gets the skills to be the next Revis, that doesn't entail he's already there. NFL offenses are significantly more complex than the types he faced in National gathering USA.
It sometimes takes a while for a young cornerback to include it all together, so there will be some growing pains. 1 shouldn't expect Hayden so that you can shadow No. 1 receivers being a rookie, and he'll probably get burned several times too.
Hayden also is likely to get overly physical in the event the ball is in the air, which could result around pass interference penalties (he possessed two against Louisiana Tech). Fortunately that Hayden wasn't effectuating pass interference because he or she got beat or was from position.
There was also at least one instance that Hayden was fooled by the play-action fake, had to flip his hips early to do with Patton and got beat by a double move. These are the different types of little things Hayden will need to improve at the guru level if he really wants to be an elite cornerback.
With the right coaching and exertions, Hayden will become the following Revis. It might often be a miracle Hayden is alive, but it will not be a miracle if he develops into possibly the best cornerbacks in the whole league.
Special thanks for the University of Houston for providing the adventure tape and making this approach piece possible.
Via: Further than the illusion
