NFL Draft Player Breakdown: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could be one of the best athletes in the 2008 NFL Draft class. He has developed as a defensive back, and in the last two years his stock in the draft has sky rocketed.

Rodgers-Cromartie attends Tennessee State, a historically black university. The school is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as 1-AA).

The defensive back is known for his straight line speed, recovery speed, acceleration, and leaping ability. At this year's combine, Rodgers-Cromartie ran a 4.33 40 yard dash, jumped 38 inches on his vertical test, and ran a three cone drill in 6.74 seconds.

Below are Rodgers-Cromartie stats in his four year career (http://www.fftoolbox.com):

Freshman: Started all games--2 interceptions, 3 pass defenses, 33 tackles

Sophomore: Started all games--1 interception, 4 pass defenses, 41 tackles

Junior: Started all games--6 interceptions, 13 pass defenses, 43 tackles

Senior: Started all games--2 interceptions, 11 pass defenses, 37 tackles

Obviously, Rodgers-Cromartie's junior season was his breakout campaign. That season he was named to the All Ohio Valley Conference First Team. In his senior season, he was invited to the prestigious Senior Bowl.

There had been questions about how Rodgers-Cromartie would fair against opponents with better athleticism and skill. He answered those with his play in the Senior Bowl; Rodgers-Cromartie was awarded the Under Armour New Prototype Award. Scouts feel that he needs to add strength to even further his ability. At only 6' 1" and 181 lbs. Rodgers-Cromartie tends to not be as physical as he should be. This leads to his better play in zone schemes as compared to man to man. However, he takes good angles to the ball and has confidence that is hard to come by some college athletes.

There is question as to where Rodgers-Cromartie will go in the draft. The Kansas City Chiefs seem to be an excellent fit. With the recent release of Ty Law, and the aging Patrick Surtain, the Chiefs could use a cornerback. The Chiefs should have the opportunity to draft Rodgers-Cromartie in the second round with the 4^th pick. He will be able to contribute immediately, and with some coaching and experience, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will turn into one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.