Detroit Lions: 3 players to watch at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine

Deandre Baker, Cornerback, University of Georgia:

Baker is widely considered one of the top cornerbacks in this draft class. He is a refined technician who has shown he can stick with receivers of all types, ranging from speed threats to big-bodied boundary receivers to refined route runners. Over the last two college seasons he did not allow a touchdown reception to be caught while he was in coverage.

Even though Baker has shown on film that he can stay with whatever receiver you put on him, people still question whether or not he has good enough long speed to be able to keep up with speed threats in the NFL. This is where his performance in the 4o yard dash will be very important for his draft stock.

If he runs a good 40 time he will likely see himself drafted in the early to mid first round. If he does not run a good 40 time then he will almost assuredly slip to the late first round, or maybe even the second round, much like current Lions cornerback Teez Tabor did after testing very poorly in the 40 yard dash.

Baker has always performed well on the field. The only question left to answer is if his long speed will really hinder him any in the NFL. If he is able to put up even a high 4.4 time he will probably shoot up draft boards, and if he runs in the 4.5’s his stock should hold steady or maybe even improve slightly. If he ends up running in the 4.6’s or 4.7’s however, expect to see him start to steadily drop down most draft boards.

If he shows that his long speed will not hinder him in the league then the Lions should absolutely look into drafting him in the first round to anchor the spot opposite cornerback Darius Slay. However, if he doesn’t fully answer those questions or, worse, confirms everyone’s fears, then the Lions shouldn’t even think about him until the second round.

Let us know who you are interested in watching during the combine and why you’ll be paying attention to them in the comments!