2011 NFL Draft: Former Nebraska Cornhusker CB Prince Amukamara's Draft Profile

Leading up to the 2011 NFL Draft, I will be examining the top pro prospects from the University of Nebraska.  

Today's prospect is cornerback Prince Amukamara.  

Amukamara is rated as one of the top 10 overall prospects in this year's draft, and if it weren't for LSU's freak of nature Patrick Peterson, he would be the best defensive back available in 2011, by far.  

Let's take a look at the factors that will impact whether or not Amukamara is successful at the next level.

First we will look at the positive things Amukamara brings to the table, starting with his elite athleticism.  

For some reason, leading up to the NFL combine, a few questions arose about Amukamara and his athletic ability. He answered those questions by posting a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical. Those would be good numbers for an undersized corner, but Amukamara is 6-feet tall and checks in at just a little more than 205 pounds, giving him a killer combination of size, speed and athleticism.

As good as Amukamara's athleticism is though, that's not even the best part of his game.  

What really has scouts drooling is his instinctive ability in coverage.  

There are certain things in every sport, at each position, that simply cannot be taught. For quarterbacks, it is their accuracy; for defensive backs, it is their instincts in coverage.

Amukamara's instincts are considered to be at an elite level. The cherry on top is the fact that he is considered, by all accounts, to be an outstanding young man with excellent character.  

That may sound like irrelevant fluff, but in today's NFL, it is becoming more and more important. Just ask another former highly-touted cornerback prospect named Adam Jones.

On the other side of the coin, there are some concerns that have to be examined with Amukamara as well.  

The first issue is production. It is always difficult to assess the production of elite corners because opposing offenses will just avoid their side of the field completely, which obviously makes it a little bit more difficult to rack up impressive numbers.  Still, none of Amukamara's stats will jump off the page at you, and that worries some people.  For what it's worth though, Amukamara's stats compare rather favorably with those of Patrick Peterson.

The only other thing that gives scouts even a momentary pause about Amukamara is the perception that he struggled in college against elite receivers.

This perception was essentially created from Nebraska's 2010 matchup with Oklahoma State, where Amukamara was assigned to keep tabs on the Cowboys' standout receiver Justin Blackmon. Blackmon went off for 157 yards with two touchdowns on five receptions against the Huskers.  

In Amukamara's defense, after getting absolutely abused in the first half, he was able to make the necessary adjustments and more or less lock down Blackmon in the second half.

The verdict on Amukamara and his future in the NFL is that he will be extremely successful. Scouts are willing to overlook his one bad day against Oklahoma State in favor of his exceptional instincts and athleticism.  

Furthermore, cornerbacks who are highly rated as Amukamara do not become busts very often, and when they do, it is usually because of off-the-field issues or injuries.  

The good news is neither of those things appears to be factors for Prince.

Projected Draft Position: First round, between picks seven and 13.