Broncos Draft – Countdown To No. 2: #2, Patrick Peterson

LSU defensive back Patrick Peterson runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Tuesday, March 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The 2011 NFL Draft is quickly approaching and unless they trade down, the Denver Broncos will be selecting second overall. We have been counting down our top seven prospects for the Broncos to select with their first pick.

Number two: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.  A 6-0 foot, 219 pound defensive back, Peterson is considered one of the top prospects in this year’s draft and one of the best corners to come along in a long time.

A three-year starter at LSU, Peterson won nearly every conceivable award – including being named the 2010 SEC Defensive Player of the Year – and was a candidate for the Heisman Trophy award during his senior season.  Also a return specialist, Peterson recorded seven interceptions during his collegiate career while returning two punts for scores.

Another young prospect (20), Peterson recorded freakish numbers at the NFL’s Scouting Combine for a player of his size.  After running a 4.34 timed forty yard dash, jumping 38 inches vertically and bench pressing fifteen reps, Peterson had impressed everyone.  He is projected to be a top-ten pick and could become the first ever cornerback to be selected first overall in the history of the NFL Draft.

My opinion:  Peterson has the size of a safety (he’s twenty-seven pounds heavier than cornerback Champ Bailey and nine pounds heavier than Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno) with elite speed and is an incredible playmaker – on defense and on special teams.  He is a special player, the kind that does not come around very often.

One of his few weaknesses is his gullibility to double moves and he is sometimes burned – his incredible speed helped him recover when beat in college, but he’ll find the pro game a much faster, higher level of football.  Peterson also played in a zone coverage scheme at LSU and the Broncos will be playing mostly man, he should be able adjust and play both extremely well, however.

Often compared to former NFL cornerback Deion Sanders, Peterson has all the potential to go on and have a career similar to Sanders’, concluding with an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  While it’s obviously too soon to predict something like that happening, the Broncos will be kicking themselves for years if they pass on him and he does go on to be as successful in the pros as he is expected to be.

Likelihood of him being selected second overall:  High.  It will be very hard for Denver to pass on such a gifted player, so hard in fact, that they might not be able to pass on him.

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