IN ADVANCE of this weekend's draft, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock has agreed to provide Daily News readers with his evaluation of the top player, riser and sleeper at each position. This is the fourth of four parts.
Cornerbacks
BEST
Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-0, 204
40-yard dash: 4.54
Projected round: 1
Mayock: "He's the best football player in the [cornerback] group. The problem is, is he a corner or is he a safety? He fits the Cover-2 prototype as a corner. He's a little better cover guy than your typical third- or fourth-round Cover-2 corner. But he's 6-feet. He's 200-plus pounds. He's physical. He's tough. He's a little tight in the hips, but he can play some man coverage. He reminds me as a pure corner of Leon Hall, the guy who came out of Michigan a couple of years ago. He got drafted in the teens and has been a solid starter. I think [Jenkins] is a solid corner. But I think he might be a Pro Bowl safety. So teams are going to have to decide how they value this kid. Because he's a really good football player."
RISER
Darius Butler, Connecticut
Height, weight: 5-10 1/2, 183
40-yard dash: 4.46
Projected round: 1
Mayock: "I think he goes 11 to 20. He's got the best pure corner feet in the draft. His change-of-direction skills are phenomenal. He's got return capabilities. He put on a show at his Pro Day. His ball skills were just phenomenal. And he played some wide receiver, so his ball skills should be phenomenal. I had veteran scouts walking out of his Pro Day saying, 'Wow, that's as good as we've ever seen a Pro Day.' The knock on him is physicality. He's a very selective tackler. Very thin-framed. He reminds me a little bit of a more polished Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. He's no problem off the field."
SLEEPER
Joe Burnett, Central Florida
Height, weight: 5-9 1/2, 192
40-yard dash: 4.59
Projected round: 5
Mayock: "He's feisty. He's quicker than he is fast. He can cover the slot, be a nickel guy. And he's the only return guy in the country who was in the top 10 in both kickoffs and punts. He gives you immediate value in the return game. And he's a nickel defender who could grow into a starter."
Safeties
BEST
Louis Delmas, Western Michigan
Height, weight: 5-11 1/2, 203
40-yard dash: 4.53
Projected round: 2
Mayock: "He's the most aggressive run-support free safety I've seen in 5 years. Almost overly aggressive sometimes. Gets in a little trouble in play-action every once in a while. You worry about whether his body will hold up. He's just 5-11 and 203. But God, I love the way he runs the alleys. He just comes and tackles and he's physical and he's tough. He's going to go early in the second round."
RISER
Chip Vaughn, Wake Forest
Height, weight: 6-1 1/2, 221
40-yard dash: 4.47
Projected round: 3
Mayock: "He's big and straight-line fast. He's a converted wide receiver, so he's only been playing safety for 2 years. There's a theory that he's very raw and that if he can grow into an understanding of the position, he'll be a find. I've got him in the third round right now. He ran in the 4.4s. Worst-case scenario he'll be a gunner on special teams. So he'll be a core special-teams guy and a backup safety and hopefully develop into a starter."
SLEEPER
Glover Quin, New Mexico
Height, weight: 5-11, 204
40-yard dash: 4.52
Projected round: 5
Mayock: "He's a corner-safety 'tweener. I kind of like some of those guys because if they're smart enough to play free safety and quick enough to cover the slot, sometimes you don't have to substitute [on passing downs]. You can jump him right into the slot and cover and not have to bring in a nickel. He's tough. He's physical. He's just not real fast. He's a 4.5 guy. But I like him at safety. I hope he's durable enough to not get hurt. And he can tackle."
