2012 NFL Mock Draft: Analyzing Late-Round Cornerbacks with the Most Potential

In the 2012 NFL Draft, the cornerback position is arguably the deepest and most talented from top to bottom.

So in other words, by the law of averages, this means that there will be more prospects who have reputable NFL careers as well as those who turn out as busts.

That being said, here's a look at some currently projected late-round corners with the most potential.

Josh Robinson, Central Florida

Although he's just an average-sized corner at 5'10", 190 pounds, Central Florida's Josh Robinson was one of the more productive coverage players in 2011.

Throughout his career, Robinson defended 46 total passes, 10 of which were interceptions, and he recorded 176 tackles. It was clear after his freshman season that Robinson was bound for the pros, as he picked off six passes, defended 14 total and made 69 tackles.

Opposing quarterbacks didn't challenge him much thereafter. However, Robinson managed to defended 32 more passes and make 107 more tackles.

The man has great body control, can easily change directions on a dime and has excellent instincts.

Whether it's in zone or man, Robinson has a great football IQ that allows him to anticipate breaking up passes. As a rookie he'll be a reliable nickel or dime back but could also see some time at safety with his awareness.

Since Robinson doesn't have the top speed like most corners, if he's not playing press coverage, sitting him in Cover 2 as a safety or Cover 3 will suffice.

Mike Harris, Florida State

One of the most overlooked players in the 2012 NFL Draft is Florida State's Mike Harris.

A big reason is because he only received playing time for two seasons and the Seminoles underachieved in 2011. That said, Harris performed well enough to be a projected late fifth-rounder and has decent size at 5'11", 195 pounds.

As part of the Seminoles' sound defense alongside players like Greg Reid and Nigel Bradham, Harris managed to record 99 tackles and defend 19 passes between 2010 and 2011.

In addition, Harris forced two fumbles and picked off four passes in 2010, so his stats were slightly down in 2011 but the production was not. As for the NFL, Harris has potential to be a No. 2 corner thanks to great awareness and quick-twitch reaction skills.

Now, he does need to build some strength to consistently play press coverage against bigger receivers, but his tackling ability will allow him to play soft coverage.

Worst-case scenario is that Harris only sees time as a dime back until he develops more on the outside.

Keith Tandy, West Virginia

It's definitely easy to not consider a cornerback like Keith Tandy because playing in the Big East nowadays doesn't get much exposure like the Big Ten or SEC.

However, Tandy performed at a consistently high level with the Mountaineers but is only a projected early sixth-rounder at best.

Still, with numbers alone that are impressive, Tandy has a lot of potential. A major contributor for three seasons, Tandy defended 37 total passes (30 between 2010 and 2011) while 13 were interceptions. He also accounted for 182 tackles from 2009 through 2011 and 131 were solo.

So, with almost 72 percent of his tackles being in the open field or directly after allowing a catch, Tandy rarely gave up yards after the catch.

Let's face it, every corner gets burned on occasion and no one is exempt. But, preventing the receiver from getting those extra yards is what really separates to great from the good.

With appealing reaction skills, ball awareness and willingness to consistently help with edge run-support, Tandy has developed into a complete corner.

Through time and if put in the right system, Tandy has No. 1 corner potential after a year or two.

Charles Brown, North Carolina

Because he was on one of the better defenses in the country last season, North Carolina cornerback Charles Brown will go overlooked.

And this should come as no surprise considering that the Tar Heels' front seven consisted of early-round prospects like Quinton Coples and Zach Brown. Not to mention an expected top 2013 draft selection in linebacker Kevin Reddick.

Still, Brown had a quiet but effective career with 30 defended passes, eight interceptions, 193 interception return yards and 204 tackles. His 2008 season was cut short due to injury, otherwise these numbers would be even more impressive.

Fortunately for Brown, he recovered and was able to get back on track and develop rather quickly. Pro football, however, will be a challenge since Brown is only 5'9" but weighs over 205 pounds. In other words, his short yard quickness will benefit his strength as a zone defender and press corner.

A more fitting solution, though, would be to try him as a safety who can play in a Cover 1, Cover 2 or Cover 3. Even without impressive top speed or footwork, Brown can really make an impact when viewing the entire field.

2012 First-Round NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)	17. Cincinnati Bengals (From OAK): Janoris Jenkins, CB (Northern Alabama)
2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)	18. San Diego Chargers: Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT (USC)	19. Chicago Bears: Dwayne Allen, TE (Clemson)
4. Cleveland Browns: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)	20. Tennessee Titans: Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)	21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG (Georgia)
6. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor)	22. Cleveland Browns (From ATL): Vontaze Burfict, LB (ASU)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame)	23. Detroit Lions: Zach Brown, LB (UNC)
8. Miami Dolphins: David DeCastro, G (Stanford)	24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams, OT (Ohio State)
9. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE (UNC)	25. Denver Broncos: Alfonzo Dennard, CB (Nebraska)
10. Buffalo Bills: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)	26. Houston Texans: Jerel Worthy, DT (Michigan State)
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Nick Perry, DE (USC)	27. New England Patriots (From NO): Whitney Mercilus, DE (Illinois)
12. Seattle Seahawks: Devon Still, DT (Penn State)	28. Green Bay Packers: Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)
13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)	29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, LB (Alabama)
14. Dallas Cowboys: Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)	30. San Francisco 49ers: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)	31. New England Patriots: Mark Barron, S (Alabama)
16. New York Jets: Michael Brockers, DT (LSU)	32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE (Stanford)

John Rozum on Twitter.