2011 NFL Draft: Top 10 Cornerback Prospects

The NFL has become a quarterback driven league and it's forcing teams to bolster their defensive backfield like never before. The teams that are successful against the pass have at least one shutdown corner and two or three other very good cornerbacks.

The 2011 NFL Draft has two extremely talented cornerbacks in Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara. Those two guys should be able to start immediately upon their arrival to the NFL. As for the rest of the 2011 class, it's filled with a bunch of wildcards who might one day emerge as viable NFL starters.

2011 NFL Draft Top 10 Cornerback Prospects:

1) Patrick Peterson, LSU

2) Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

3) Jimmy Smith, Colorado

4) Brandon Harris, Miami (FL)

5) Aaron Williams, Texas

6) Davon House, New Mexico St.

7) Ras-I Dowling, Virginia

8) Curtis Brown, Texas

9) Brandon Burton, Utah

10) Buster Skrine, Chattanooga

2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Buster Skrine

Buster Skrine, Chattanooga (5'9" 185 lbs.)

Positives: He's a speedy corner who plays bigger than his size. He ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and runs well with the ball after interceptions. He has pretty good hands and solid footwork. He also has the ability to return kicks and punts.

Negatives: He's shorter than the average cornerback. He missed too many tackles and has a tengency to out-muscled by bigger receivers. He's a little tight in the hips and relies too much on talent instead of technique. His speed makes him intriguing, but he'll be a project in the NFL.

2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Brandon Burton

Brandon Burton, Utah (5'11" 190 lbs.)

Positives: He has good size and is pretty athletic. He is quick and doesn't shy away from contact. He plays the ball very well and is solid at timing his jumps. He has fluid hips and turns well in coverage.

Negatives: He has a tendency to get out-muscled on plays. He sometimes stands too high in is backpedal and gets caught flat-footed. He over-pursues too many plays and and finds himself out of position often. He lacks the instincts of a shutdown cornerback.

2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Curtis Brown

Curtis Brown, Texas (5'11" 185 lbs.)

Positives: He plays fast and has good instincts. He stops and starts with ease and has very fluid hips. He's a good leaper and plays taller than he is. He has a high football I.Q. and is a leader.

Negatives: He misses too many tackles and is not a very physical player. He doesn't have great recovery speed and isn't much of a game-changer. He'll fit better in a zone defense scheme.

2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ras-I Dowling

Ras-I Dowling, Virginia (6'1" 200 lbs.)

Positives: He has good size for a cornerback. He uses his height and leaping ability very well. He's not afraid of contact and can make tackles in run support. He has good upper body strength and can jam receivers at the line. He has good hands and times his jumps very well. Plays a lot like former Virginia cornerback and current Minnesota Viking Chris Cook.

Negatives: He doesn't have the speed to be a lockdown cornerback. He has had injury concerns in the past, including a serious ankle injury in 2010. Not very fluid in the hips and has a tendency to get high in his backpedal.

2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Davon House

Davon House, New Mexico St. (6'0" 200 lbs.)

Positives: He has good size and speed. He's a physical player with good upper body strength. He has quick feet and fluid hips, turns well and has the ability to run with receivers. He's a physical player who's not afraid of contact. Never missed a game during his four-year career at New Mexico St.

Negatives: He needs to do a better job of locating the ball in the air. He struggles with receivers who run good routes. He lacks the instincts of a playmaker and needs to work on fundamentals.

2011 NFL free agent cornerbacks

-Nnamdi Asomugha (OAK)
-Champ Bailey (DEN)
-Brent Grimes (ATL)
-Carlos Rogers (WAS)
-Johnathan Joseph (CIN)
-Ronde Barber (TB)
-Antonio Cromartie (NYJ)
-Ike Taylor (PIT)
-Richard Marshall (CAR)
-Brian Williams (ATL)
-Chris Carr (BAL)
-Fabian Washington (BAL)
-Josh Wilson (BAL)
-Drayton Florence (BUF)
-Richard Marshall (CAR)
-Corey Graham (CHI)
-Eric Wright (CLE)
-CC Brown (DET)
-Brandon McDonald (DET)
-Chris Houston (DET)
-Josh Bell (GB)
-Jason Allen (HOU)
-Travis Daniels (KC)
-Brandon Carr (KC)
-Al Harris (MIA)
-Lito Sheppard (MIN)
-Frank Walker (MIN)
-Kyle Arrington (NE)
-Usama Young (NO)
-Drew Coleman (NYJ)
-Stanford Routt (OAK)
-William Gay (PIT)
-Paul Oliver (SD)
-Dashon Goldson (SF)
-Kelly Jennings (SEA)
-Roy Lewis (SEA)
-Justin King (STL)
-Roderick Hood (TEN)
-Phillip Buchanon (WAS)

Free agents by position: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, CB, S