No. 22

Pick by Blogging the Boys Antoine Cason Cornerback Arizona

Good morning!  With the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have selected Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason.  David Halprin, more commonly known to his Blogging the Boys community as "Grizz", is here to explain his selection of Cason:

  The Dallas Cowboys have two huge needs entering the 2008 draft. They desperately need a third corner that can man the nickel position; there is no depth behind starters Terence Newman and Anthony Henry. They also need a complementary running back to give starter Marion Barber III some rest after losing Julius Jones. Now, there is the Pacman Jones thing, but for this exercise I'm not counting on the Cowboys having him on the roster. The talks have stalled, the commissioner hasn't ruled, so I'm basing this pick on the roster we have now. Even if Pacman did come to Dallas the Cowboys would need to protect themselves by drafting a corner just in case Pacman blows it and also because Newman is a free agent next year. Running back was a serious contender here, but the depth at the RB position is good and the Cowboys can still pick up a quality back later. The cornerback position has fair depth but thins out after the top five or six. So cornerback is the pick and Antoine Cason from Arizona is the guy.

Cason is the Thorpe Award winner as the best defensive back in the NCAA last year. He's started every game since his first day as a freshman at Arizona. Cason is physical, he's experienced, and he's a technician who can also make plays on the ball. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he can make things happen. He notched 15 INTs in his career and was good against the run. His one knock is top-end/recovery speed, but his technique and football smarts put him into position to make up for it. He ran a sub-4.5 forty at the combine so speed really isn't that much of an issue. He can also double as a punt returner, something Dallas also needs in the worst way. While other corners with bigger measurables or freakish athletic skills have jumped Cason on a lot of charts, the Cowboys will go with the tried-and-true, a kid who made plays over four years of college ball, has excellent character and has the competitive drive you want in a corner. In fact, besides the supposed "speed issue" it's hard to find a fault in his game.

Last year, the Giants picked Thorpe Award winner Aaron Ross at #20 in the first round. Ross was a major contributor on the Giants defense during their Super Bowl run. The Cowboys hope to capture that same magic this year with Antoine Cason at #22.

Matt Miller, host of this site as well as owner of New Era Scouting, provides his analysis below:

  I was able to talk to the Cowboys' GM before making this pick, so I'm coming in with a lot of insight. Simply put, I love this pick. The Cowboys secondary is solid, but Terence Newman has injury issues and Anthony Henry has not been a consistent cornerback. As a worst case scenario, Dallas now has three capable cover corners for a nickel situation. Cason is NFL ready and I'm quite surprised he's still on the board at 22. In three years, we may see Cason as the best corner from this class. He's that good. Top player who fills a need.

Grade: A  ::  Antoine Cason Scouting Report - New Era Scouting :: Matt Miller's Top Five Prospects Remaining: 1.  LB Dan Connor, 2.  QB Brian Brohm, 3.  LB Jerod Mayo, 4.  QB Joe Flacco, 5.  RB Felix Jones

Two more picks coming to you this afternoon, starting with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Those Steelers, represented by Behind the Steel Curtain, are now on the clock.