Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander declared himself the best cornerback in the 2016 draft at the NFL combine in February. Superlatives like that have become commonplace amongst athletes; they all believe they are the best at their position and that confidence helps propel their play on the field.
But Alexander has some of the stats to back it up.
According to Pro Football Focus, Alexander allowed just 33.0 percent of passes thrown his way to be caught. That’s the best of any corner in the nation. Alexander allowed just 19 receptions on 58 targets for 258 yards and no touchdowns in 2015. Those stats beat out the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Vernon Hargreaves III and Eli Apple who are all slated to be drafted ahead of Alexander.
When Alexander faced Notre Dame’s Will Fuller, one of the nation’s top receivers, Fuller was limited to just one catch. Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated says that Alexander has the “best mirroring and transition speed of any cornerback in this class… [He] transitions between man and ball coverage seamlessly, which is a process that many NFL cornerbacks find tough to handle.”
So, why isn’t Alexander going over Jalen Ramsey in the top five picks of the draft? The scouting on him is all over the map. Walter Football has him as the seventh ranked corner in the draft and claim a few NFL teams have him graded as a fourth rounder. His measurables aren’t ideal against NFL bodies. He’s 5’10” and at times his height was an issue at Clemson. He’ll face prototypical wide receivers every week at the next level.
Another knock on Alexander? No interceptions in 2015.
The Giants are in the market for a cornerback to play in the slot and failed to land one in free agency. If the Giants don’t see Hargreaves available at ten or go another route with their first round pick, Alexander may be available to them in the second round.
Farrar assesses Alexander’s professional a career like this: “He has the talent to be a starting slot and number-two corner from Day 1 and the potential to be a lot more than that. When he says that he’s the best cornerback in this draft class, Alexander speaks the truth.”