LSU corner Peterson may be best in draft
Patrick Peterson, a star cornerback from LSU, is almost guaranteed to be a top 10 pick in Thursday's draft. Credit: AP
Patrick Peterson's pre-practice ritual was something trainer Brian Martin never had seen, so it threw him for a moment.
Peterson, the star cornerback from LSU who is almost guaranteed to be a top 10 pick in Thursday's draft, would close his eyes, take a series of deep breaths and almost go into a trance before taking his position for the drills. Three-cone drill. 40-yard dash. Back-pedal drill. All of them.
"He does almost a pre-yoga ritual and locks in," said Martin, who worked with Peterson at TEST Football Academy in South Florida in preparation for the NFL scouting combine. "But then he goes from this mild-mannered kid to a beast in an instant. He has the ability to turn it on and off very quickly. He just goes. It's almost indescribable."
But perhaps no more so than Peterson's performance, which will make him the first cornerback taken. And for all the attention, debate and intrigue surrounding quarterbacks Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Mallett, and even Jake Locker, Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick, Peterson may wind up being the draft's best player.
Although it's a stretch to see him go first overall to the Panthers, who have a glaring need at quarterback and are seriously considering Newton, Peterson may not have to wait much longer. The Broncos at No. 2 have done exhaustive study on Peterson, and director of football operations John Elway and coach John Fox have met with him.
Peterson undoubtedly will wind up in the top 10, and whoever gets him will land a premier cover corner with a rare blend of size (6-1, 219 pounds) and speed. His 4.34 clocking in the 40 was the second fastest at the combine; the fastest was 4.28 by Miami cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke. Peterson outweighs Van Dyke by 43 pounds.
"I've really never seen an athlete with this kind of size-speed combination," Martin said. "The guy trains extremely hard. He's almost like a robot. When it's time to go, he cranks it up."
Looking for an NFL equivalent? Try Charles Woodson of the Packers, the 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and reigning Super Bowl champion. He's the player Peterson models himself after, from his ability to cover and blitz to his explosive capabilities as a returner. Last year, Peterson averaged 29.1 yards on kickoff returns and ran back two punts for touchdowns.
"I don't want to be the next Charles Woodson,'' he said, "but I definitely want to pattern my game after Charles Woodson.
"He can play each and every defensive position on the field. If they gave him the opportunity to play D-tackle or D-end, he'd definitely do it. That's something I want to show the world that I can learn the scheme and understand the scheme, as well. Playing if they need me to play dime, if they need me to play corner, strong safety, rover, I'm definitely down for it."
Sound familiar, Packers fans? Defensive coordinator Dom Capers has used the 6-1, 200-pound Woodson in many roles, and his versatility has been a main reason for the Packers' resurgence. During Woodson's Player of the Year season, he had nine interceptions, three touchdown returns, 18 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and two sacks.
Peterson hopes for similar results once he becomes acclimated to the NFL. That shouldn't take long, because as a junior last year he won the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player, the Thorpe Award as the top defensive back, was a first-team All-American and the SEC defensive player of the year and special teams player of the year.
No wonder Peterson sees himself as the top defensive back in the draft.
"I'd probably say my ball skills, toughness, I can support the run," he said. "I'm an all-around cornerback and that's what I wanted to do coming out of college. I definitely want to continue that trend going into the NFL."
Best corner coming into the NFL this year? No doubt. Best player? Don't bet against it.
