Nick Saban knows a thing or two about developing high level talent. Mark Ingram, Julio Jones, Rolando McClain, James Carpenter, Andre Smith and Kareem Jackson are some of the high end players that have come out of ‘Bama in the past few years and gone high in the draft.
Now it is time for Dre Kirkpatrick. As an in-state player coming out of Gadsden High School, Dre was one of the most highly touted players in the class of 2009. Ranked in the top ten nationally, he had pick of the litter when it came time to commit.
But he decided to stay close to home and join the powerhouse Crimson Tide. Kirkpatrick stepped in and played on the national champion team in his freshman season. But it was not until last year when he got the chance to start that he showed why he has drawn comparisons to the likes of Antonio Cromartie.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound corner has elite athleticism, and he is the model of what the new age cornerback looks like. With the likes of Calvin Johnson and Vincent Jackson tearing up the league, the day and age of diminutive corners is a thing of the past.
New-age corners need to be able to not only run with the receivers, but go up with them as well. Tight-ends are also starting to look more like power forwards, and on crossing routes, corners end up matched up with them.
Kirkpatrick had an impressive sophomore season, as he racked up 53 tackles and picked off three passes for the highly ranked Tide. He has continued his impressive play this year, as he is starting opposite another studly corner in Dee Milliner.
As of now, Kirkpatrick is regarded as the top corner in the 2012 draft class. But as Aaron Torres of our college football-obsessed brethren at Crystal Ball Run points out, the SEC is steeped with elite defensive backs. LSU’s Morris Claiborne and South Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore are right there with Kirkpatrick on many lists. But Dre has a size advantage over both of his competitors, and could hear his name called in the top ten.
With the rate at which ‘Bama is producing high end talent, and the possibility of another national championship season this year, it is likely that Dre will declare for the draft after his junior year, and Saban would be wise to advise him to do so.
He has the speed and agility to stay with smaller defenders, and the size and athleticism to compete with the bigger receivers and tight ends. He has the talent to become an elite all around corner in the league, and if he manages to stay away from the trouble that his counterpart Cromartie had off the field, then he should have a long successful career.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VWkKVUEE22w?wmode=Opaque
