2011 NFL Draft: Is Patrick Peterson Really the Safest Pick?

As an avid NFL draft follower, I have no trouble admitting that one of my biggest annual pet peeves is when analysts and fans tag a certain player with the “safest pick” label.

If we’ve learned anything from past drafts, it’s that there’s no such thing as a safe college football prospect.

Still, that hasn’t stopped many from bestowing the classification on LSU CB Patrick Peterson this year.

There’s no disputing that Peterson is the best overall athlete in this year’s class. His size to speed ratio—6’1’’ 220 pounds, sub 4.4. 40—is off the charts. But that may not necessarily tell the whole story.

Possessing elite athleticism is one thing, being the best pure football player is another.

Ask any successful NFL player and they’ll all tell you that the jump from from the college ranks to the pro game is a taxing transition, one that involves a great deal of patience, dedication and desire.

It’s a leap that truly sets apart the men from the boys.

We’ve seen plenty of remarkable athletes dominate at the collegiate level only to end up overwhelmed by all the intricacies of the NFL game.

While I’m not about to discredit everything that Peterson accomplished week in and week out against the toughest competition in college football over the past three years, I will say that maybe I’m just a little more cautious than others when it comes to how easy the transition will be for the freakish defensive back.

I’m starting to hear people say some crazy, out there things such as Patrick Peterson is going to revolutionize the cornerback position.

Woah, woah, woah.

Exactly how often does a player come in and change the way a position is played?

Remember when people said Mike Vick would change the quarterback position?

Or how about when Reggie Bush was the dawn of a new era of running backs?

Yeah, about that.

Let’s slow down.

I know Peterson is a rare physical specimen, but when you break down just his cornerback traits, he’s an above-average prospect at best.

He’s not going to get away with the stuff he got away with in college anymore.

In the NFL, everybody’s fast. You can’t whiff on a pump-and-go and make up for it with ease.

There are no Vanderbilts in the NFC South.

Being a superior cornerback in the NFL has more to do with the mental side of the game than it does with a player’s physical skill set.

The great corners in the league are also some of the smartest, most instinctive players on the field. From what I saw of Peterson during his time at LSU, I wouldn’t characterize him as a smart football player. And his nine on the Wonderlic test only helped to cement that belief.

When you’re so much more physically superior than the opposition, as Peterson was in college, you have a tendency to take foolish chances and Peterson certainly had his fair share.

Again, those mistakes won’t fly in the NFL. It will be six points every time.

Now I’m not about to say that there’s zero chance Peterson ever turns into a defensive difference maker at the pro level. That’s just not reasonable. But maybe we should wait a minute or two before we book his speech at Canton.

Like I said before, let’s be careful when throwing that “safe” word out there.

I remember it was a few years ago when another LSU defensive back, safety LaRon Landry, earned himself the “safest pick” tag of the 2007 class.

The scouting report on Landry was full of gushing accolades and rave reviews. He supposedly had everything needed to step in and change games from day one.

And how did it turn out?

Well I'll just say that neither I nor DeSean Jackson have been overly impressed with Landry’s pro career up to this point. Given his pre-draft reputation, Landry should have stepped up and became an instant impact player after the tragic death of Sean Taylor.

Bottom line—it hasn't happened.

Landry is a solid starter, but not the spectacular stud many projected him to be.

So could we in fact be setting Patrick Peterson up for a similar letdown?

Maybe. Maybe not.

My crystal ball says that in five years Peterson will have made the move to safety and be a player in a similar mold to Landry.

Solid, yet unspectacular.

In the end, I guess that really is the definition of a safe pick. But the safest?

No, that’s a distinction no player should have to carry with them into the pros because it’s a tough reputation to live up to.

In terms of the scout speak of ceilings and floors, Peterson’s floor is pretty sturdy, but even though I maybe in the minority, I just can’t see him ever reaching that almost unattainable ceiling that people have set for him.

There’s no doubt that if I were in need of some help in the secondary I would take Peterson somewhere in the top 20. However, he wouldn’t be my first choice out of all the cornerbacks available.

If I had a big board, Virginia’s Ras-I Dowling would be the highest rated cornerback on it.