When the NFL first shifted into offseason mode and started looking ahead towards the draft it was assumed that the Minnesota Vikings would be targeting a wide receiver in the first round. Teddy Bridgewater had impressed in his rookie year and the Vikes wanted to get him a shiny new weapon to play with in his second season. Maybe even his former Louisville teammate DeVante Parker. Makes sense, right?
But after the trade for Mike Wallace, the need for a first-round receiver lessened and Minnesota has since been closely linked to Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes. Waynes is considered by many draft analysts to be the best overall cornerback in this draft. With head coach Mike Zimmer's affinity for defense, nabbing the best player at a position of relative need also seemed to make sense. But Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner thinks Waynes may be the most overrated player in this draft.
"While most left the combine in awe of Waynes' speed, the discussion among PFF analysts centered on the fact that his 20-yard shuttle (4.39 seconds) was slower than his 40 (4.31), a rare feat we couldn't recall seeing," Renner wrote. "That poor change-of-direction ability was evident on tape, and is a problem at a position where change of direction is vital.
"Moreover, for someone who possessed the recovery speed to not have to worry about getting beat deep, Waynes was fairly average breaking on intermediate routes and had only three pass breakups on 59 targets. His mark for yards per coverage snap allowed was just about average, at 1.04, but he was exposed against the most talented passing team the Spartans faced all year (Oregon). In that game in Week 2, he yielded 113 yards on seven targets, including a touchdown."
It's not uncommon for the first cornerback taken off the board to disappoint after a strong pre-draft showing. The Cleveland Browns may be regretting their selection of Justin Gilbert last year at No. 8 overall. Will a similar situation unfold for Waynes? Only time will tell.
