Patrick Peterson: Was the LSU Cornerback This Good Coming Out of High School?

As his buzz has never been higher and as we await to see how he fares at his pro-day workout today, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson sits atop many NFL Draft boards as the No. 1 overall player and prospect in this upcoming draft.

This is a rare feat, as Peterson is a cornerback, where many times the top prospect is either a quarterback, left tackle or defensive end due to how the game is played in the NFL.

Yet this year, Peterson is the top prospect after blowing up the combine in Indy, where he ran a sub 4.4 40 yard dash at nearly 220 pounds, tested well and look phenomenal in positional drills. This past year at LSU, Peterson was even mentioned as a Heisman candidate during early portions of the season.

Whether a true "shut down" corner exists in football anymore is up for debate in the talent evaluator realm of discussion, but if it doesn't then this past season Peterson was the closest thing to one. He was rarely tested as teams shied away from his half of the field in the passing game on the regular.

Peterson capped off his junior year by winning the Thorpe Award for the top defensive back in the country, and also the Bednarik Trophy as the most outstanding defensive player in college football.

But was Peterson projected to be this good coming out of high school? Is his development and success a shock? Was he highly rated? The answer is yes to those questions and more.

In 2008, Peterson was known as Patrick Johnson, as he changed his last name to his biological father's shortly after arriving in Baton Rouge as a true freshman. He was a 5-star prospect out of Pampano Beach, Florida by just about everyone's accounts and hailed as the top defensive back prospect in the country.

One of Peterson's main rivals in the recruiting field was Miami cornerback Brandon Harris, as there was always talk about who was better in the Florida high school football and recruiting scene.

Yet, it was Peterson who was viewed by many nationally as the top back end defender in the 2008 class. He was already 6'1"and weighed in the 190-195 pounds range. Interestingly enough, as it is today with Peterson, talk back then was that he might grow into a safety in college. As he prepares to hear his name called in the first five picks or so next month, there is talk that Peterson may be better suited to play safety.

NFL Draft analyst Mike Mayock thinks Peterson is a tremendous cornerback prospect, but says he would be an All-Pro safety. Peterson dominated competition as a prep star, even showing great speed and play-making ability at both receiver and running back.

Today, Peterson routinely states that if NFL teams want him to play safety then he is fine with that. He's faster than former Ohio State corner and current New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins. He's also developed into a fantastic punt returner.

But he always would state that he wanted to play cornerback in college, and even committed to Miami for a short time early in the fall of his senior season. He had offers form just about every major FBS program, including USC, Florida State and LSU. He decided to re-open his recruitment and finally settled on LSU.

Ranked among the top five overall players in the 2008 class, Peterson was a recruit that was looked at as having outstanding potential, thus making expectations higher for him. He arrived in Baton Rouge with much fan fare, and saw playing time as a true freshman.

He earned a starting spot as a sophomore and was already viewed as one of the top defensive players in the SEC, and the top corner in the conference.

John Chavis routinely asked Peterson to shadow the opposing team's best receiver, including the likes of Julio Jones, AJ Green and Alshon Jeffrey. Peterson more than held his own. Even in high school, Peterson dominated the camps and combines circuit before his senior year.

He was the MVP and top prospect at the Miami NIKE Camp in the spring of 2007, shutting down every receiver in the one-on-one portion of the camp, with a sprained ankle. His size and speed ratio was already phenomenal as a teenager, and you knew he would probably grow into the 200 plus range as far his weight.

He was a fantastic prospect then, and he's developed into an even better player today. As you see him go through drills today at the Tigers' pro day, just know that he is a fine example of player that lived up to the hype as an incoming elite recruit, worked extremely hard and is a product of just how important recruiting is.

He's earned all of his success to this point and will be a dynamite professional player. But will it be as a corner or safety?