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A prospect who could interest the Broncos in the first round is Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer. Poyer a 6'0", 182 lb. cornerback, ranks among one of the best corners in Aprils NFL draft. CBSSports.com ranks him as the 6th overall corner in this draft and the 48th overall prospect in the draft. Poyer has clocked a pre-combine 40 time at 4.49. Jordan expects to go anywhere from the mid to late first round to mid second round.
Bio:
Jordan Poyer enjoyed a productive 4 year career at Oregon State. He contributed on defense and in special teams. During his career on his defense, Poyer totaled 153 total tackles, 7 for a loss, 3 sacks, 13 INTs, 3 defensive TDs, 36 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles.
On special teams Poyer's career numbers look like this. 66 kick returns for 1,711 yards (25.9 average). On punt returns he totaled 30 returns for 321 yards (10.7 average) and 1 TD.
Jordan's best season came in 2012 when he totaled 51 tackles, 5 for a loss, 2 sacks, 7 Int's, 14 pass deflections and 1 TD.
Class: Senior
Birth date: 04/25/1991 (21)
2012: Jordan is one of the top athletes on the team ... has become an excellent cover cornerback ... has a flair for the big play, having scored touchdowns three times in his career - twice via interception, once on a punt return ... excels in all aspects of the game, including as the team's kick and punt returner as well as a gunner on coverage teams .... chosen as one of four team captains for the 2012 season.
2011: Started all 12 games ... earned Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team at cornerback ... named to All-Pac-12 Conference First Team by CollegeSportsMadness.com ... set the Reser Stadium record with an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown against UCLA - earning Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week and National Punt Returner of the Week by College Football Performance Awards ... scored on a 51-yard interception return against BYU ... registered his first multi-interception game with two at Arizona State ... named College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention following UCLA and Arizona State games ... finished the season with 16 total passes defended (four interceptions and 12 pass break-ups) which tied for eighth in the nation ... performed as the Beavers' primary punt returner all season, averaging 14.1 yards per return - the fourth best rate in OSU history ... also the starting kick returner for most of the season.
2010: Second on the team for all-purpose yards with 1,109, a 92.4 yards per game average ... second in the Pac-10 for kickoff return yards per attempt at 27.8 - the seventh-best mark in OSU history for a season ... on the receiving end of a 23-yard fake punt pass from Johnny Hekker that set up OSU's second touchdown vs. TCU ... 34 tackles on defense as a cornerback, where he moved from safety prior to the season ... made two interceptions, returning one 65 yards for a touchdown giving OSU a 10-0 lead in the eventual victory against USC ... played for the Corvallis Knights, a summer wood bat baseball team for college eligible student-athletes.
Via: OSUBeavers.com
Draft Profile:
NFL.coms Scouting report on Jordan Poyer:
ANALYSIS:
STRENGTHS:
Smooth athlete with solid overall size. Has fluid hips to turn and run with receivers and quick feet to undercut an out route. Intelligent corner, who transitions smoothly out of his back pedal. Solid hands for the interception, extends to grab passes in front of receivers. Fights for 50/50 balls, competes even when he doesn’t have great position against a larger receiver. Aggressive, will attack in the run game. Brings some pop into tackles when able to line up his target. Experience as both a man and zone corner. Willing to take the ball straight upfield as a returner and has enough speed to break it with good blocking.
WEAKNESSES:
Average size and strength for an outside corner. Plays well off the line of scrimmage, but doesn't display the skills to press. Doesn’t disengage from blocks consistently. Backpedal is high and slow, receivers eat up his cushion too quickly. Recovery speed is not exceptional, doesn’t close on seam throws and stays behind receivers with average speed. Misses too many tackles in the open field by throwing his shoulder. Lacks a second gear or great elusiveness as a returner, and has muffed the occasional punt.
NFL COMPARISON: Tarell Brown
Via: NFL.com
CBSSports.com scouting report on Jordan Poyer:
Strengths:
Balanced athlete with good closing burst. Tough and competes with very good eye discipline. Sets the edge and works hard to shed, playing stronger than he looks. Gets physical and matches up well with bigger receivers. Nice job reading the eyes of the quarterback and puts himself in position to make a play on the ball.
Willing run defender and throws his body around, taking accurate angles. Quick learner as a former safety, moving to cornerback in 2010 and starting the past two seasons. Good experience in zone coverage, often moving inside to cover the slot receiver. Leader of the secondary and a fiery player. Extensive special teams experience on kickoff and punt returns. Former Oregon State baseball player.
Weaknesses:
Leaner frame with limited bulk, probably will never be able to gain 190+ pounds. Not a quick-twitch athlete and lacks natural explosion. Plays too far off the line of scrimmage to protect against speed, allowing too much of a cushion and conceding underneath throws.
Tends to bite on fakes and gets overaggressive at times. Streaky tackler and often lowers his head and whiffs in the open field. Can get caught with his eyes in the backfield too much and struggles to recover after false steps. Reliable return man, but not a dynamic performer in this area. Some minor character concerns after an arrest last May for a bar fight.
Via: CBSSports.com
Scouting Report/Comparison on Jordan Poyer by SBnation.com
Conclusion: Poyer isn't an elite cornerback prospect, but he possesses a lot of traits that will make him a valuable player in the eyes of many NFL scouts. He fits the mold of what a team wants in a secondary player. he's quick, he's tough and he is smart.
Pro Comparison: Brice McCain, Houston Texas
The trait that stands out in both McCain and Poyer is the quickness inside to match up against slot receivers. Like most comparisons, it is not perfect, though. McCain has better deep speed, but Poyer is a much smarter player.
Via: SBNation.com
Videos:
Jordan Poyer vs Wisconsin (2012)
My Take:
I like Jordan Poyer. I think he can be a solid corner in the NFL. Now the question is if he's an outside corner in the NFL? I think he will make a very good nickel corner, but the Broncos already have Chris Harris who's pretty good at the Nickel spot. If Harris goes outside, maybe they get Poyer for the Nickel. Poyer is a guy I'm going to watch at the combine. He's a good corner, I'm just not sure if he's right for the Broncos.