Monday, March 8, 2010

CB Joe Haden: 40 time really hurt him?

Most people either saw it on NFL Network or heard about it and that was one of the biggest stories coming out of the last day of the NFL Combine, cornerback Joe Haden of Florida ran a 4.57 and a 4.60, 40 yard dash. Scouts, General Managers, media, and football fans alike couldn’t believe it, most people expected him to run in the low 4.4, and now many people feel unless he comes back and runs that he will drop in the draft. But the real question should be, is Joe Haden the best cornerback in this years class, and the answer is yes. Is Joe Haden a first round talent, the answer is yes. Before the combine was Joe Haden a top ten talent, and the answer that some scouts will say is no. The NFL Combine and the test that the players do, allow scouts, and personal people to get a comparison on players at each position, but is it just a small part of their overall grade on a player.

Example the 2005 NFL Draft, there where 3 running backs that where looked at for the number one overall running back spot in the NFL Draft, Ronnie Brown of Auburn, Cadillac Williams of Auburn and Cedric Benson of Texas. When we went into the combine and everyone thought that these 3 players where all top 5 picks but didn’t know what order that they would go in, but when Ronnie Brown had a great combine and blew everyone away with his 40 yard dash, it was set and Ronnie Brown was going to be the first running back off the board.

So with no other prospect challenging Joe Haden for the number one cornerback spot in this years draft, his slow 40 time doesn’t really hurt him as much as people think. Now he will get a chance to run it again at Florida’s Pro Day and he hopes for a better time, but when Aprill 22nd comes around Joe Haden will still hear his name called in the 1st round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

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