2011 NFL Draft: Why Patrick Peterson Is the Best Player in the Draft

The 2011 NFL Draft has a handful of elite players to choose from, so picking the best out of the group is no easy task. You have extremely athletic quarterbacks, dominant defensive lineman, and play-makers all across the board.

Patrick Peterson is considered to be the best cornerback to come out in the draft and I don’t think that many people find reason to argue that conclusion.

I am under the impression that Peterson is actually the best player in the 2011 NFL draft, though.

He shows a unique blend of raw ability, instincts and size that separate him from any other player in the draft. He has the ability to change the way that an offense plays the game and he can put points on the board for your team as well.

What makes Peterson stand out from any of the cornerback's in the draft is his size. He weighs in at 6’0’’ and 219 pounds, which is pretty hefty for a corner.

When you combine his size with the blazing speed that he possesses it becomes easy to see why so many teams want to draft this guy.

He has no problem turning and running with quick wide receivers and he is one of the best at grappling for position while the ball is in the air. He had six interceptions and 24 passes broken up in his last 26 starts at LSU.

He has the instincts to be able to recognize routes and the ball skills to go up and make tough interceptions. He plays good when on an island against a receiver, but he also displays good range to cover the middle of the field, and has excellent sideline awareness. He plays good at the line of scrimmage as well, and has no problem making a big tackle without any defensive help.

His size also gives him an edge on jumping routes and getting in front of receivers before the ball is able to get to them. If he was smaller the athleticism he possess would still make him a great cornerback, but it’s his size that really puts him over the top.

What made Peterson so exciting in college was his ability to return kicks. He returned two punts back in 2010 and totaled nearly 1,000 return yards on kickoffs. He displays exceptional vision when returning kicks and once he gets in the open field and is able to turn on the afterburners he is very hard to catch.

Let me just lay it out for you very plain and simple.

 I can keep running through the scouting reports of Peterson and gush about all of his attributes and qualifications, but in the end of the day that is not what is going to set him apart from everybody else in the draft.

When you look at the top players in this draft they are all very qualified at their respective positions. The thing that separates Patrick Peterson from everybody else though is his ability to contribute to all three phases of the game.

For instance when you look at the two big quarterback prospects, Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert, I have a very hard time thinking up many scenarios where they will be taking punts to the house or shutting down a teams No. 1 receiver.

Another example would be to look at Nick Fairley or Marcell Dareus. Here we have two dominant defensive linemen that are sure to cause havoc all over the field. But, I think there is a better chance of Brett Favre playing for the Packers this year than one of those two returning kickoffs.

My point is that Patrick Peterson is the best player in this draft because he can contribute to all three phases of the game in big time ways.

Defensively he has the ability to be your No. 1 corner. He is a shut down corner but also plays very well against the run.

There are questions regarding whether or not he will be used as a kick returner in the NFL, but even the fact that he has the ability to do so sets him apart from the rest of the big names.

He can contribute greatly special teams, and consider that even if he doesn’t return kicks I can almost guarantee you he will snag a few interceptions that he will be able to take the house.

Patrick Peterson can be a shut down corner, a stellar kick returner, and at the end of the day he is going to put points on the board for your team in one way or another, and contribute to the offense.

Find me another player in this draft that can do that.

I have a feeling you won’t be able to.