SI's take on Jenkins, Rodgers-Cromartie

Bucky Brooks of Sports Illustrated ranked the cornerbacks in this year’s NFL Draft, listing Mike Jenkins (Southeast High/South Florida) second behind Troy’s Leodis McKelvin. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Lakewood Ranch High/Tennessee State) is fifth behind Aqib Talib (Kansas) and Brandon Flowers (VaTech).

Here’s Bucky’s take on the two local lads:

On Jenkins …

Jenkins is an athletic cover corner with good speed, quickness and movement skills. The All-America is not a polished technician, but excels in man coverage due to great instincts and awareness. He shows good ball skills and flashes an explosive closing burst. Jenkins finished the season with three interceptions and recorded 27 breakups over the past two seasons. Scouts love his competitiveness and envision him developing into a solid starter as a pro. Jenkins also brings return value, as he averaged over 30 yards on seven kick returns and scored one touchdown. Jenkins ranks second on most draft boards, but could push McKelvin as the top corner with an impressive showing at the combine.

On Rogers-Cromartie …

Rodgers-Cromartie is a great athlete with outstanding speed, quickness and cover skills. The small-school All-America shows outstanding promise and potential as a press-man corner. His exceptional length gives him an advantage at the line, and he flashes enough body control to shadow from a trail position. Not only does Rodgers-Cromartie excel in press coverage, he flashes the footwork and athleticism to develop into a solid cover player from a few yards off. His ability to guard the top receivers in the Senior Bowl alleviated scouts' concerns about his ability to handle a jump in competition. Expect Rodgers-Cromartie to come off the board at the top of the second round.