Morris Claiborne Scouting Report: Is the LSU Cornerback a Good Fit in Dallas?

LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne figures to be the first cornerback off the board in the 2012 NFL Draft, and in all likelihood, the Cowboys have no chance of scoring the play-maker.  If Dallas desperately desires a cornerback and don’t find Dre Kirkpatrick or Janoris Jenkins suitable, a trade-up is always possible.

I recently profiled Morris Claiborne in my "Scouting the Draft” series for the New York Times:

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In the passing game, Claiborne excels at using his body to wall off receivers. On deep balls, Claiborne “boxes out” receivers, all while turning his head to locate the football and avoid pass interference.  His awareness of the receiver’s location is uncanny.

One of the reasons Claiborne plays the deep ball so well is that he’s adept at flipping his hips.  The fluidity he displays from his backpedal to a turn-and-run position is outstanding.  Claiborne’s quick hips allow him to let receivers eat up his cushion before he turns to run if they go deep.  In turn, Claiborne can then squat on routes like comebacks and curls, knowing he has the quickness to recover if the receiver reaches his hip.

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Head over there to read the rest of my scouting report on Claiborne.

Previous Scouting Reports

Devon Still, DT/DE, Penn State

Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

David DeCastro, G, Stanford

Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida/North Alabama

Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

Michael Brockers, DT/DE, LSU