Dallas Cowboys Draft: Five Second Round Options at Cornerback
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys CB possibility No. 2
Asante Samuel Jr.
Florida State
At 5-foot-10, 180 lbs. some will look at Asante Samuel Jr. and call him a slot-only cornerback. If the Dallas Cowboys see it that way, he won’t be in consideration here. Dallas already has two slot cornerbacks in Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis. They need a guy they feel comfortable playing outside. And despite the less than idea height, Samuel could be viewed as that.
It’s hard not to love Samuel. He’s a fiery personality who plays both physically and with finesse. Son of former NFL standout CB, Samuel is smart, technically sound, and disciplined. He has ball skills (led his team in INTs and has 33 PDs in 32 games) but he doesn’t have reliable hands (dropped 3 INTs).
Asante Samuel is a high character player who’s a team leader and great role model. He’s an asset in the locker room and his job knowledge and confidence make him an ultra-safe pick with little bust potential.
His ceiling is somewhat capped given his size but his skill and versatility make him a likely NFL starter for the next decade. He’s an option for the Dallas Cowboys because he’s ready to go right out of the box. He has 4.38 speed that should match-up well in the NFC East that headlines primarily smaller, faster WRs. He’s a great complement to Trevon Diggs in the starting lineup.
Once again, if Will McClay only sees him as a nickel CB, go ahead and scratch him off the board. Dallas is hunting boundary CBs…