http://www.gridironguru.net/nfl-draft-coverage/great-debate-peterson-amukamar/
How would you guys compare the two?
When answering questions about draft picks and who is better than who it can seem a bit overwhelming. How could anyone, be it a crazed fan or a front office exec, realistically assess a player’s skill set and accurately translate that to the pro game? The number of teams and strategies involved in college football alone take a lot of consideration, but once you’re also juggling intangibles and scheme-compatibility, you might need an adderall or two to keep things in focus; it’s hard work!
And every draft commercial reminds us that Tom Brady was overlooked until the latter half of the 2000 draft. The experts tell us that Detroit had to spend three first round picks on wide receivers before they got one right (uhh, Charles Rogers?). We laugh at the Chargers for selecting Ryan Leaf with the second overall pick in the ’98 draft, but the real story there is that he was the second quarterback taken that year. The first was no other than Peyton manning. With the prevalence of draft busts, it makes questions like this more and more relevant. A team in desperate need of a certain position in the early first round could end up with their very own Ryan Mallett Leaf if they’re not careful.
Today’s debate is deep rooted in prejudice between SEC and Big XII (and now Big 10) fans everywhere. Ask anyone from the Midwest their views and they’ll tell you Prince Amukamara is the second coming of Nnamdi Asomugha. The Southern United States, the SEC, and ESPN’s talking heads will give the nod to Patrick Peterson because of his sheer athletic ability and dominance against the nations best receivers. I definitely have to agree that Peterson is the physical freak of the two. I wouldn’t be surprised if he measures more favorably in every category at the combine. He’s bigger, faster, and more explosive. When watching game film, however, Amukamara appears slightly quicker, and though Peterson has 15 lbs on him, Amukamara is surprisingly stout.
Peterson has all the accolades. He went toe to toe with Julio Jones and A.J. Green and stood his ground. He has more college interceptions and more prime time big plays; he scores touchdowns. His college career has made him a legend at LSU, and the hype-machine that is the SEC has propped him up on a pedestal that will be hard for him to earn. Patrick has a skill set that I’d compare to Antonio Cromartie in that he’s big and is a strider. Sure, he has all the physical tools in the world, but his hips aren’t as fluid as you’d like a potential top-ten pick to have. In college he was able to recover thanks to his size and excellent ball skills, but quick NFL receivers will be able to take advantage of that. His interceptions give you chills, they’re that good, but to dominate at the next level you have to be a technician.
That’s where Mr. Amukamara comes in. If you just saw him in street clothes, or looked at his stats, you’d never understand his value to the Huskers. He didn’t record a single interception this year, yet his stock still rose. It’s all because the qualities he possess are exactly what pro-scouts look for. As stated earlier, he is a very quick player. In the flats he has those short-quick steps that you look for, he plays very well with his hands, and his hips are very fluid. It’s a lot of fun watching him play ball.
A lot of people say Amukamara doesn’t have great straight-line speed, but the times he is behind seem to be due to recognition problems. I can see him playing great in a tampa-2 scheme (ala Ronde Barber) or suiting up with a man-coverage team. He is physical in the run game and sheds blocks exceptionally well for a cornerback. My only concern is that he sometimes tackles too high and that could be embarrassing at the next level. His ball-skills once the pass is thrown could be better also.
Between these two you really have to know what you’re looking for. Prince Amukamara will be a sound defensive player who is capable of shutting down a side of the field with a little coaching. Patrick Peterson is the sexy pick in that he can return kicks and interceptions for touchdowns. In the end I’m going to go with Amukamara because he has better coverage skills and plays the receiver a little more aggressively down the field. I think both should be top-15 picks, but each will fill a different role.
Oh and just a thought. I haven’t heard anything of the matter, but I could definitely see Peterson moving to safety at the next level. You see players like Antrel Roll and Malcolm Jenkins make the transition without missing a beat. Guys that lack that short-step quickness can still make a lot of money in center field.
How would you guys compare the two?
