Morris Claiborne: 6 Biggest Pros and Cons of 2012 NFL Draft Prospect

Even though the majority of the college football fans could more easily recognize his talented teammate Tyrann Mathieu, Morris Claiborne was the best player for the LSU Tigers last year.

Claiborne heads up our list of 2012 NFL Draft Cornerbacks and was a top 10 player overall. He will not last too far into the first round.

Read on for Claiborne's strengths and weaknesses.

Strength: Fluidity

Claiborne rarely seems like he is laboring on the football field, which is not a bad thing. He is so fluid and natural in his movements that he makes things look very easy.

He sticks with receivers in and out of their breaks, showing the ability to change direction with only losing minimal speed.

Strength: Speed/Quickness

A 4.4 40-yard dash and a 7.0 3-cone drill at the 2012 NFL Combine merely reinforced the speed and quickness that I saw on tape.

When receivers gained a bit of separation, Claiborne was able to close quickly and make a play on the ball.

Strength: Ball Skills

If you are playing against Morris Claiborne, you do not want to see the ball in his hands. Whether he is returning kickoffs or an interception, he is a threat to take the ball to the end zone.

Claiborne tracks the ball very well, possesses good hands and has a good feel for routes, all of which help him get his hands on more footballs than offenses would like.

Weakness: Strength/Tackling

Let's get this straight first. Morris Claiborne's "weaknesses" are few and far between. The three things that I'll talk about are only separating a great corner from being an elite corner.

The first is his strength, specifically when tackling. He shows decent enough technique, but power running backs have bounced off him a few too many times.

Continuing to develop his upper-body strength will be key to compete in the physical world of the NFL.

Weakness: Pressing Quick Receivers

When watching the Arkansas game this year, it was tough not to notice the ultra-quick Arkansas receivers giving Claiborne fits at the line of scrimmage.

Claiborne usually excels in press, but he will face even quicker receivers in the NFL and will need to improve his technique.

Weakness: Technique

Speaking of Claiborne's technique, there are a few things he can clean up to take his game to the next level. 

Correct hand usage in press, keeping balanced while trying to re-route receivers and staying lower in his pedal are all minor things that Claiborne can correct before he ever plays an NFL down.