So is it a bit too early to start talking about the 2013 NFL Draft?
Normally, it would be. But there's one specific college player about whom I could no longer resist discussing. He's a player I thought could have came out for this year's draft, but I'm glad he chose not to. Had he declared early, it's highly unlikely that the Raiders, whose first draft pick was 95th overall, would have landed him.
His name is Xavier Rhodes.
The Florida State Seminole is the perfect pick for the Oakland Raiders come 2013. He is a talented player at a position for which the Raiders need a superstar. Signing veterans Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer to one-year deals are band-aids over a bigger problem.
Drafting Rhodes would be surgery.
First, let's look at Rhodes' size. He has really good size for a cornerback. Standing at 6'2", Rhodes is able to match up with most receivers in the NFL. Most wideouts are under 6'3", so he will not have to worry whether he is tall enough to defend a jump ball.
At 215 pounds, Rhodes is heavier than other cornerback prospects. He uses his size and strength to his advantage; Rhodes is very physical in coverage and—though he doesn't have elite speed—he has enough quickness to stay with many receivers.
Now, the "old regime" in Oakland would be drooling all over Rhodes based on his measurables. The "new regime" should be drooling on what Rhodes can do on the field.
Rhodes is hard to shake in press coverage, but he's no slouch in zone, either. Playing with Florida State, Rhodes has a lot of experience playing in both man and zone coverage. However, after watching film, I will say that Rhodes' strength is man coverage.
In the run game, Rhodes is a reliable tackle...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
