New York Giants Draft Breakdown: Prince Amukamara
Prince Amukamara was the second rated cornerback in this past draft class. Amukamara played both Safety and cornerback at Nebraska and has the ability to do both in the N.F.L.
Amukamara was 8th on ESPN Scout’s INC’s (that’s Todd McShay and his team) big board. 7th on NFLmocks big board, 9th on Mel Kiper’s Big board, 5th on mocking the draft’s big board, and 15th on Rick Gosselin’s big board.
The Good:
Prince Amukamara was great value at 19th overall as according to a consensus of big boards. Amukamara is a top prospect that has many qualities and traits that teams look for in a N.F.L. prospect.He has a great size and speed combination for a defensive back. He’s physical in press coverage and in run support, reminiscent of Antoine Winfield the former Buffalo Bill and current Minnesota Vikings. He has elite instincts, the best of this class, and has good straight line speed. Amukamara also has scheme and position versatility. Amukamara is good at press man coverage and adept at zone coverage as well. He also has the size of a safety and can play safety or cornerback. Lastly, Amukamara plays a premiere position in the N.F.L.
On top of what he does on the field, he also is active in the community going on hospital visits, working with veterans and and has zero character concerns.
The Bad:
Prince Amukamara did not have great interception at Nebraska. Even though he broke up a lot of passes at Nebraska he only came away with 5 interceptions. Amukamara is not loved by all scouts. Dave Razzano former scout for the 49ers, Rams, and Cardinals conveyed to me that Amukamara was one of his most overrated prospects because he “runs hold and cold”.
Also down on Amukamara is K.C. Joyner of ESPN. Joyner is a pioneer in football “sabermetrics”. And breaks down what he finds to be a dissapointing performance by Amukamara vs FBS opponets. He mentions the Justin Blackmon game. Mayock has said about that game, “Watch the game tape against Oklahoma State and Justin Blackmon, maybe the best one or two receivers in college last season, because there are some misnomers. The kid [Amukamara] played a lot better than people give him credit for.”
Amukamara also needs refinement in his technique. Elite instincts for a cornerback, but gets a little high in his backpedal, but that’s coach-able and correctable.
An interesting additional note from Pro Football Weekly.
19 (19) New York Giants: CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
Amukamara slid in large part because of concerns teams had during the interview process with a quirky personality and questions arising about how well he would fit into an NFL locker room. Many teams shy away from cornerbacks without interceptions, but the Giants, a value-driven team, recognized his value and added depth to a battered secondary. He lacks ideal downfield ball skills and did not have an interception as a senior but he excels in short areas and could be a solid press corner for the Giants’ aggressive defense
The Grade:
I love this pick. Cornerback was one of the most under published needs for the New York Giants. Their depth at the cornerback position was absolutely abysmal. Terrel Thomas and Corey Webster are fine corners. Thomas arrow is pointing up, but Webster went from an all-pro caliber season in 2008 to two above average seasons the last two years. Aaron Ross has struggled to stay healthy, and the Giants clearly do not trust any of the other cornerbacks as they would not allow them on the field. Despite Joyner and Razzano’s reservations, Prince has the ability and maturity to excel with the Giants coaching staff. Add in a potentially ferocious pass rush and Amukamara’s interception numbers might increase with some easy pickings.
Grade A+. The best player available at that juncture (because there is clearly some worry about Da’Quan Bowers knees and Mark Ingram doesn’t have great positional) at a position that is a need to the New York Giants makes this a great pick.
Follow us on twitter @NFLmock and “like us” on facebook
Prince Amukamara Highlights