2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Patrick Peterson

Strengths:

Size, strength to play the physical game

Works well in press coverage

Fluid hips; runs with receivers

Elite speed and uses it to recover

Football intelligence; anticipates routes

Great ball skills; leaper

Excellent punt, kick and interception returner

Played against the best in the SEC

Versatile enough to play safety

Confident with short memory

Weaknesses:

Looks for the big play; backfires sometimes

Run support needs a little improvement

Not as impressive in zone coverage

Smart quarterbacks could fool him

Needs to work on technique discipline

Summary: Patrick Peterson is one of the top prospects to come along at the cornerback position in years. His size led some to believe he should move to safety. While he has that ability, he clearly has the speed to stay at corner – which he will. Like the legendary Deion Sanders, he can hurt the opponent on all four downs after showing what he can do on punt returns in his final season at LSU. As with many freak athletes, he needs to rely less on that ability and be more disciplined.

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2011 NFL Mock Draft: Greg’s | Walt’s

2011 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings

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