Xavier Rhodes should be a 2nd round FS pick, not 1st round CB

[BucNY]

Just watched some film on the guy so I'm now an expert, lol.

Here is what I saw, feel free to point out my mistakes.

He has really nice size and length, reported 6'2 and somewhere in the neighborhood of 215 to 220lbs. Despite the claims he is an excellent bump and run corner I don't see it. I think he's better in man coverage than zone but is no where near an in-penetrable force getting off the line. I think he lacks the quickness and agility to jam NFL receivers and break on the ball. He seems to have good ball skills. He is more than willing to stick his head in on a run play but he's shown to lose his responsibility and contain. Even though willing to make tackles, I would not say he is an above average tackler.

Overall impression:
I think with his size and willingness to play run support would make him a good candidate for a safety. His quickness and agility also seem to dictate a safety position as he lacks foot quickness to effectively cover shorter and quicker routes. He doesn't seem to lack field speed and is often in good position on deep routes which again shows me he may be a good candidate helping over the top. I do think he would be a good match up for the TE's we have to face in the NFC south.
I see him as a less effective tackler than Mark Barron but slightly more adept in man coverage.

Taking him in the middle part of the 1st round as a CB would leave many of us disappointed. Thoughts?

[NotDeadYet]

    Maybe the next Myron Lewis as a CB...

[BucNY]

Don't remind us. That project is just about to end. If Schiano couldn't get anything out of him, there is no hope.

[calibucfan15]

I was thinking the same thing. I think with his size and physicality he'd be more suited for safety. I see him as a similar prospect as Malcolm Jenkins a few years ago. A decent college CB but would likely be a pro bowl Safety. I see the same for Rhodes. I think he'll fall short of our expectations as a CB but can be one hell of a safety.

[Detrimental]

He is a converted WR-DB. He isn't polished just yet but he has gotten away a ton with his physical tools more so than his coverage technique. He isn't a pro-ready CB out the gate but with some tuning he could be a stud. My only concerns is his deep speed and think that a guy like him would struggle against smaller receivers. Rhodes is a first round talent based on his film+potential. He could play FS but with proper coaching he could Asomugha lite circa 2007(best season ever for a DB coverage wise)

[Dolorous Jason]

Seahawks seem to be doing just fine with big strong corners....

[dexmonkey]

Seahawks seem to be doing just fine with big strong corners....

kinda what i was thinking. sherman and the other corner arent that fast. they are just very physical and know how to use their bodies to cover up the receiver

[spurzo]

Amerson is an intriguing safety prospect.  Tracks the ball and catches like a 6'3 receiver, watch his highlights he makes some crazy INT's.  Definitely more of a FS

[JDouble]

All the more reason to draft him. If you are right and he can't cut it at CB, we'll still have an elite FS prospect! That's an insurance policy!

[BucNY]

All the more reason to draft him. If you are right and he can't cut it at CB, we'll still have an elite FS prospect! That's an insurance policy!

Didn't think of it like that. Not a bad idea though.

Despite the title of this thread, if we get Milliner or Rhodes, I wouldn't complain to much. I prefer to get Rhodes with a trade down but life ain't perfect.

[Benchwarmer#1]

Wide receivers like Smith will make toast of this guy.

Make no mistake, the guy can play the run great, for a corner especially. However, Tampa's main problem has been letting WR continuously catch the ball.

With that being said, I believe Milliner and Banks would not only be better cover corners in the NFL, but a better fit for a team that already has run defense shored up no matter who the corners where previously.

[JDouble]

I think your perception is not reality. The fact is there are NO elite man cover guys in this draft. Banks is slipping because he is more of a zone guy and he plays soft. Milliner and Rhodes look to be the best in straight up man coverage, but neither are elite. With Rhodes, you also get a big, physical guy that gives you more than Milliner or any other top prospect. He is also a WR converted into a CB and still evolving, so his ceiling is higher. Milliner is probably already close to the player he will always be, while Rhodes might continue to improve. Bottom line is, if you don't want to draft a CB unless he is great in man coverage, then you need a top 5 pick....and in this draft you couldn't even get one then.

[Boid Fink]

I like X.

He is seemingly a cure for what ails the Bucs.

But what if the Bucs just draft more offense?  That Eifert kid is a stud prospect, and would seemingly improve the paper thin TE ranks. Provide another big target for the erratic #5.

[lyronmewis]

I like X.

He is seemingly a cure for what ails the Bucs.

But what if the Bucs just draft more offense?  That Eifert kid is a stud prospect, and would seemingly improve the paper thin TE ranks. Provide another big target for the erratic #5.

yeah I like Rhodes, but none of the CBs truly impress me enough to draft them instead of trying to make the offense elite

Eifert isn't Vernon Davis or anything in terms of potential, but he's still the best foreseeable TE prospect we can lay our hands on

With him you won't have to worry about Doug Martin getting stuffed because of poor blocking on the edges. You will also get another good redzone target and safety net for Freeman.

[JDouble]

I like X.

He is seemingly a cure for what ails the Bucs.

But what if the Bucs just draft more offense?  That Eifert kid is a stud prospect, and would seemingly improve the paper thin TE ranks. Provide another big target for the erratic #5.

Check out this guy. He is currently rated as a 4th to 5th round prospect. I apologize for the horrendous music.