2015 Atlanta Falcons Potential Draft Pick Profile: CB Marcus Peters

Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn comes from a situation where he loves to use big safeties and cornerbacks like Marcus Peters to run his physical and fast defense. Peters is a perfect fit in Quinn's defense at cornerback, but he has some off-field concerns that could prevent this selection.

Peters played across from current Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant during his redshirt freshman season at Washington, so there would be some familiarity there between the pairing. They would complement each other in the pros just as well as they did in college.

Marcus Peters

Cornerback

University of Washington

Combine/Pro Day Measurements

Height: 6'0" Weight: 197 pounds

Arm Length: 31-1/2" Hand Measurement: 8-3/8"

40-yard dash: 4.53 sec. 10-yard split: 1.61 sec.

20-yard shuttle: 4.08 sec. Three-cone Drill: 7.08 sec. Bench Reps: 17 reps

Vertical Jump: 37.5" Broad Jump: 10'1"

Stats (From CFB Stats)

2014: 8 Games Played, 30 Tackles, 4.0 Tackles for Loss, 3 Interceptions, 7 Pass Deflections

2013: 13 Games Played, 55 Tackles, 3.5 Tackle for Loss, 1.0 Sacks, 5 Interceptions, 1 Fumble Forced, 1 Fumble Recovered, 9 Pass Deflections, 1 Defensive Touchdown

2012: 13 Games Played, 44 Tackles, 2.0 Tackles for Loss, 1 QB Hurry, 3 Interceptions, 8 Pass Deflections, 1 Blocked Kick, 1 Defensive Touchdown

2011: Redshirted

Scouting Report

Strengths

Peters plays the run well and has experience at both cornerback and safety. The talented Washington corner can press cover with the best of them. He's more than willing to get physical with a receiver, put his hands on him and re-direct his routes at the line.

He's extremely aggressive when he reacts to the ball and can drive on it well. He's a true ball hawk and creates a ton of turnovers. The best aspect of his game is his attitude on the field. Peters shows the same kind of athletic arrogance that Trufant and former Falcon DeAngelo Hall have.

Weaknesses

Although it's more of a scheme thing at times, Peters can give up too much cushion trying to bait quarterbacks into bad throws and should stick to press-man coverage. He has trouble getting too many penalties when he's in man-to-man coverage and is getting beat deep.

At times, he takes bad angles in the running game. Also, Peters has trouble wrapping up with his tackling leading to more yards after the catch. He's not ideal in zone coverages because he has trouble finding the ball in the air. He doesn't truly understand how to bait the quarterback.

How does he fit the Comrade Filter?

Peters was loved by former Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian despite failing a drug test for marijuana during the 2011 season because of his work ethic and leadership shown. But when a coaching change to Chris Patterson happened before the 2014 season, things went haywire for the talented cornerback.

He started acting out on the sidelines and pouting like a baby because he didn't have a proper relationship with the coaching staff. However, teammates seem to love Peters. He just has to understand that the coaching staff is there for his benefit, and he'll prosper.

Overview

When it comes to cornerbacks who fit the NFL game today, Peters can fit multiple schemes but is ideal for a press role in schemes like those used by the Falcons, Seahawks and Jaguars. The Huskie corner can play the run and pass well and should be used as a true wide cornerback.

He wouldn't be ideal as a slot cornerback because he isn't the quickest player in the draft but teams could use him as a shadow for bigger tight ends like Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham and have him neutralize them effectively.

How he would fit into the Falcons' plans?

Peters would be an instant starter for the Falcons at right cornerback and could force Robert Alford into a safety/nickel cornerback role. The Falcons would likely have to take Peters after a trade down in the first round or a trade up from the second round.

The investment into Peters would give Atlanta one of the best secondaries in the NFL when you include Trufant, William Moore and a potential move of Alford back to safety. The talent is there for Peters, and his abilities are great for the scheme. It's just whether or not he's worth the risk.

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats, ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He's also a Draft Analyst for Pro Football Spot.

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