Trae Waynes Lights Up Combine, Solidifies No. 1 CB Status in 2015 NFL Draft

The 2015 NFL draft's top cornerback just left little doubt about his elite status. 

Michigan State's Trae Waynes entered the combine as my top cornerback and also No. 1 at his position on the boards of NFL Network's Mike Mayock and Daniel Jeremiah as well as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. 

He won't be leaving Indianapolis any further down on anyone's board. 

"

McShay says Trae Waynes won't fall out of first round. Could go as early as 11, named Lions as possible fit

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) February 23, 2015"

Officially, Waynes was the fastest cornerback at the combine with a 4.31 40-yard dash. In the entire event, that time was only bested once, by UAB wideout J.J. Nelson who ran marginally faster at 4.28. To round out Waynes' athletic profile, he jumped 38 inches in the vertical jump (sixth among corners) and put up 18 reps in the bench press (fifth). 

This is a classic case of checking off the boxes. 

No, it's not good scouting to credit Waynes for being athletic in spandex when he's already credited for being athletic on the field, but it's important to double-check and quantify that athleticism when he's lined up against his peers.

He lit it up.

Fortunately for Waynes, he's solidifying his stock in a year when the cornerback position is begging for a top talent. Every single corner has something against him, whether it's character issues, size concerns, athleticism issues or unpolished play.

Waynes is the only cornerback who brings a clean resume and sparkling tape to the table.

His combine performance just wraps a bow around it.

What Waynes Brings to the Table

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Don't pigeonhole Waynes as a just a "Michigan State corner."

Though it's certainly not a pejorative, the cornerbacks coming out of Michigan State under head coach Mark Dantonio and (now former) defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi are handsy, physical corners who make up for lack of athleticism by playing the kind of tough coverage coveted in the NFL but against wide receivers who aren't nearly the caliber of athlete they would face on Sundays. 

In a way, this becomes a mirage as it was for last year's Spartan cornerback drafted—Darqueze Dennard, now with the Cincinnati Bengals. It's one thing to excel in physical coverage. Corners from Alabama and Louisiana State are coveted for that as well, but it's important to temper that with the caliber of talent they're going against as well as projecting how those skills translate to the next level. 

Being physical is fantastic, but it needs to be part of the overall package. 

Last year, Dennard was drafted by the Bengals toward the end of the first round, but my assessment of him was that his athleticism wasn't enough to project his style of play to success at the next level. The 4.51 time at the combine helped solidify that for me, and the fact he only played 61 snaps for the Bengals, according to Pro Football Focus, says there's still work to do for him. 

That's not Waynes.

We've talked about his athleticism on a track, but out on the football field it's just as evident. He's smooth and fluid enough to turn and run with a receiver who has fought through his press. This allows him to continue to "body up" his man down the field, staying in the hip pocket of even the most athletic receivers.

His work at Michigan State was almost always on the boundary, which is likely where he would be used in the NFL as well. He is adept at utilizing the sideline as an "extra defender," and he showcases incredible awareness for field positioning as well as locating the ball in the air.  

He also "shifts down" well in coverage, which allows him to click and close on shorter routes and change direction before truly opening up. In the NFL, where he should be tested more than he was at Michigan State, this should result in a fair amount of interceptions. 

Perhaps most tantalizing for NFL coaches is that his physicality doesn't just show up against weaker receivers in their route. He's also a talented tackler who is willing (and able) to throw his body into a bigger target and bring him down. This should allow him to consistently defend the run as well as stop bigger receivers and tight ends in their tracks after the catch. 

Where Waynes Can Improve

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

All that said, Waynes is not an elite prospect...just the best prospect in a weaker class. 

Although Waynes has a higher grade than many top corners in recent years, he is not in the same upper tier with the Patrick Petersons and Joe Hadens of the world. What sets him a step below them is not necessarily his athleticism—Haden tested famously poor at the combine, in fact—but rather the lack of well-rounded polish to his game. 

Yes, Waynes can play in press man, which is rare for a corner coming out of college these days. 

However, he was rarely asked to play off man coverage and even less often in zone situations away from the boundary line. These are things he will have to do at the next level, at least sparingly, and there just isn't enough good tape on him to project those skills forward. 

There are, however, question marks about whether his physical abilities will allow him to do them well, and that is an issue. Balance is an issue for Waynes, and although he has great change-of-direction ability as a linear athlete, playing in space could expose him in terms of that balance and agility.

Combine that with lack of experience and polish, and he could be picked on rather easily. 

Much of this has to do with body type as well. Waynes is a longer corner in the "Legion of Boom" type, but he lacks the ideal bulk for that prototype. At only 6'0", 186 pounds, Waynes could end up having to bail and trail in coverage a lot more than he did in college. 

To use an extreme metaphor, Waynes' longer-than-tall body type is faintly reminiscent of a young man going through a growth spurt who doesn't quite understand the muscle control needed to operate his newfound size.

While that is obviously not the case with Waynes, he could easily stand to add some bulk and even sacrifice a little top-end speed in the process if it helped him remain physical at the next level and balance a little more easily. 

Finally, Waynes (like Dennard before him) was penalized far too much in college for it to not be at least a minor concern. While Dennard's penalties looked like an overcompensation for lack of athleticism, Waynes was simply in denial that he should ever be beaten. 

Because of the difference in penalties for pass interference in college and the pros, it's not a terrible strategy, and it's appears to even be allowed (preferred?) by the Michigan State coaching staff. That said, the NFL has made defensive contact an emphasis point, and he could be a magnet for flags if he doesn't play a little more cleanly. 

Why Not...?

It's a tight class with a number of borderline first-round prospects. 

Although Waynes is at the top of that class for many, there are concerns in the section above that have plenty of talented evaluators questioning if he should truly be in the top spot (including Bleacher Report's own Matt Miller). 

Still, though Waynes may not have the perfect polish of some of the top prospects in the past decade, his areas for improvement are hardly any more glaring than his peers in the 2015 cornerback class, and his warts seem far less serious. 

Let's run down the list:

Marcus Peters (CB Washington): Peters (6'0", 197 lbs) was kicked off his football team this season and had numerous run-ins with the coaching staff. Though he confessed to many of those mistakes in Indianapolis and it appears that some of the urban legends of his time there were overblown, it is still an issue teams will not be taking lightly. Though he's bigger than Waynes and plays a similarly physical game, he's not as long and does have the top-flight athleticism (first-round grade with character concerns).

Jalen Collins (CB LSU): He has the size (6'2", 198 lbs) NFL teams are looking for out of the cornerback position in recent years and has immense amounts of polish coming out of a top-notch SEC program. He's very raw, however, and doesn't have a lot of tape on him whatsoever. The tape that is out there showcases a guy who is better with the ball in front of him, and although he has the body of a man-press corner, he might be better in zone or even as a safety convert (top 50).

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB Oregon): At one time considered the top corner in this draft, injury issues submarined his already shaky stock which was always likely to plummet thanks to his less than ideal size (5'10", 195 lbs). If he stays healthy, the former All-American can be an elite nickel corner in the NFL, which isn't the knock it used to be. Still, it could keep him from going in the first round even if he convinces teams he's not a health risk (top 50 with size concerns).

P.J. Williams (CB Florida State): In many ways, Williams is a similar prospect to Waynes, as he's got good size (6'0", 196 lbs) and crosses off all the marks on the athleticism front. Williams showcases better ball skills than the Spartan corner. But he's not as consistent, and he played with some incredible talent around him which allowed him to have a little more freedom than Waynes, who was asked to do more on his own (top 100).

Ronald Darby (CB Florida State): Speaking of awesome help around Williams...Darby is extremely fast and a good overall athlete but feigns away from contact more than other top corners in the draft and is very raw in terms of movement and footwork (top 100 with polish concerns).

Though all of these corners may appeal to some teams more than others, none of them should appeal to as many teams as Waynes. With the extreme need for corners—especially toward the top of the draft order—there's a good chance these young men end up being drafted a number of slots (even a full round) above where I expect they should go. 

In this class, though, Waynes continues to stand head and shoulders above his competition and could hear his name called as early as the top-15 picks this April. 

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report, a writer for Football Insiders and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.