The 1992 WTF College Draft: Available Defensive Backs
See the Defensive Line thread for important RS/RP... Here's the defensive backs...a pretty decent crop all things considered. Name: Terrell Buckley Position: DB College: Florida State Outlook: Buckley is one of the headliners in a pretty good crop of defensive backs in this draft. A young (and I do mean young—Buckley will play the 1992 season at only 21 years of age) version of Kansas City Chiefs star Wayne Haddix, Buckley is fast, athletic, a premier interceptor, but is plagued by the occasional inability to shed blocks and make clean tackles. Regardless of his shortcomings, there’s little doubt that Buckley will be a top 5 selection in the draft. Some team will be lucky to grab him. MS HP INT % 69 38 69 50 63 31 63 25 56 25 56 15 75 44 75 10 Tecmo Comparison: Martin Mayhew Name: Troy Vincent Position: DB College: Wisconsin Outlook: Vincent is a star in the making. A little less polished a performer as compared to Buckley, Vincent would be a fine consolation prize (and in fact, a better tackler) for those who lose out in the Buckley sweepstakes. This Big 10 product is a real leader on and off the field and a class act athlete. MS HP INT % 63 50 63 50 56 44 56 25 69 56 69 15 50 38 50 10 Tecmo Comparison: Eddie Anderson Name: Kevin Smith Position: DB College: Texas A&M Outlook: Smith can run, tackle, and catch with high proficiency. A slam dunk second or third round selection is in store for this Aggie product. MS HP INT % 56 50 50 60 63 56 56 10 50 44 44 20 44 38 38 10 Tecmo Comparison: Issiac Holt Name: Dale Carter Position: DB College: Tennessee Outlook: If there’s one certainty about Dale Carter, it’s that this guy can FLY. His ball skills are slightly lacking, but his speed more than compensates for any shortcomings, and he can pack a powerful punch. A surefire first-rounder, Carter’s upside could put him among the league’s elite defensive backs. MS HP INT % 69 56 50 50 75 63 56 20 63 50 44 20 56 44 38 10 Tecmo Comparison: Deion Sanders Name: Frankie Smith Position: DB College: Baylor Outlook: This guy can’t run or catch but when it comes to laying the wood to someone, Frankie Smith delivers the goods. Smith would not be a bad option for a team in need of a hard hitting free safety. MS HP INT % 38 63 31 50 44 69 38 30 31 56 25 20 Tecmo Comparison: Nesby Glasgow Name: Ashley Ambrose Position: DB College: Mississippi Valley State Outlook: From the University that brought you Jerry Rice comes this diamond in the rough, Ashley Ambrose. Ambrose is a speedster with good ball skills but is generally regarded as a poor tackler. That should not dissuade some team from giving him a chance with their first round selection. MS HP INT % 63 31 63 50 56 25 56 30 50 19 50 15 69 38 69 5 Tecmo Comparison: Lemuel Stinson Name: Steve Israel Position: DB College: Pittsburgh Outlook: Israel is an average defensive back who has enough speed to find his way onto a roster for the upcoming season. Expect a late round selection for this Pitt Panther. MS HP INT % 50 50 44 50 44 44 38 30 56 56 50 5 38 38 31 15 Tecmo Comparison: James Washington Name: Marquez Pope Position: DB College: Fresno State Outlook: Pope should be an above average defensive back in the WTF and is a well-rounded and well-polished performer, especially for a player from a smaller college program. Some believe he won’t amount to much of anything in the pros, so approach this pick with some reservation. MS HP INT % 50 50 56 40 56 56 63 20 44 44 50 20 38 38 44 20 Tecmo Comparison: Ray Crockett Name: Rod Smith Position: DB College: Notre Dame Outlook: Smith is a good runner but lacks the ball skills to hang with the league’s top receivers. His tackling ability also leaves a bit to be desired. Due to his speed, Smith should find his way onto a roster but teams need to be careful not to match him up against the opposition’s premier wideouts. MS HP INT % 56 31 38 50 63 38 44 30 50 25 31 20 Tecmo Comparison: Manny Hendrix Name: Darren Woodson Position: DB College: Arizona State Outlook: This guy is the second coming of Ronnie Lott. He can run and hit like few others in the game and although he doesn’t excel as a pass defender, he has demonstrated considerable ability to intercept the ball while starring at Arizona State. Some team is going to be very lucky to snag Woodson on draft day. MS HP INT % 63 69 50 50 69 75 56 20 56 63 44 20 50 56 44 10 Tecmo Comparison: Ronnie Lott Name: Phillippi Sparks Position: DB College: Arizona State Outlook: Darren Woodson’s running mate with the Arizona State Sun Devils, Sparks himself is a solid performer well regarded for his intercepting ability. MS HP INT % 50 38 63 50 56 44 69 20 44 31 56 20 38 25 50 10 Tecmo Comparison: Dwayne Woodruff Name: Tyrone Legette Position: DB College: Nebraska Outlook: Yikes! This guy really can’t tackle to save his life, and he isn’t much better at intercepting the ball. But he can really fly and that could be his saving grace when rosters are being formulated for the 1992 season. MS HP INT % 63 19 38 50 56 19 31 30 69 25 44 15 50 19 25 5 Tecmo Comparison: A slower Darrell Green…but this guy is still pretty fast. Name: Jeremy Lincoln Position: DB College: Tennessee Outlook: Here’s another guy with good speed but little else to work with. Lincoln is a solid run defender from the safety position but his skills in pass defense will make him a liability against good passing teams. MS HP INT % 56 38 38 80 50 31 31 10 63 44 44 5 44 25 25 5 Tecmo Comparison: Lionel Washington Name: Leonard Wheeler Position: DB College: Troy State Outlook: Wheeler is below average in all three main facets of the defensive back position and should have trouble squeezing his way onto a WTF roster for 1992 MS HP INT % 38 44 38 80 44 50 44 10 31 38 31 10 Tecmo Comparison: Mark Lee Name: Sean Lumpkin Position: DB College: Minnesota Outlook: Lumpkin can hit with authority but lacks speed and has hands of stone. A team looking for a hard-hitter at safety could do worse than Lumpkin, but probably could do much better with a player who’s more of a total package. MS HP INT % 38 56 44 70 44 63 50 20 31 50 38 10 Tecmo Comparison: Rod McSwain Name: Matt Darby Position: DB College: UCLA Outlook: Darby looks like a promising upgrade for some team at the safety position. He lacks speed but makes up for it with good tackling and decent ball skills. Would not be a bad pick in the third or fourth rounds at all. MS HP INT % 44 56 50 60 50 63 56 20 38 50 44 10 31 44 38 10 Tecmo Comparison: Jerry Holmes Name: Jason Belser Position: DB College: Oklahoma Outlook: Belser is the next in a long line of solid defensive backs from Oklahoma and he should be a serviceable upgrade for some team at the cornerback position. He is adequate in all phases of the position and should be able to step right in and contribute from day one of the 1992 season. MS HP INT % 50 44 50 60 56 50 56 20 44 38 44 20 Tecmo Comparison: Maurice Hurst Name: Willie Clay Position: DB College: Georgia Tech Outlook: A fast defensive back with good hands, Clay’s penchant for arm tackling should prevent him from becoming a premier defender in this league. He will get trounced easily by opposing ball carriers due to his horrid tackling skills. That said, his upside would still place him among the best defensive backs in the league, so a team with few holes would be wise to take a chance on Clay. MS HP INT % 56 19 56 50 63 25 63 20 50 19 50 20 69 31 69 10 Tecmo Comparison: Jarvis Williams with no strength Name: Kurt Schulz Position: DB College: Eastern Washington Outlook: Despite his small school resume, Schulz should be a pretty good defensive back in the WTF. He won’t win any sprints and would not be a good choice to put in one-on-one coverage with the premier wide receivers in the league, but he can hit with authority and has good skills around the ball. MS HP INT % 44 56 56 50 38 50 50 30 50 63 63 10 31 44 44 10 Tecmo Comparison: Bobby Humphery Name: Mark McMillian Position: DB College: Alabama Outlook: McMillian’s dimunitive stature (5’7”, 155) will leave him torn asunder like a rag doll in run defense but he has the potential to be a premier pass defender who could take it to the house any time he touches the ball. MS HP INT % 63 25 56 50 69 31 63 20 56 19 50 20 50 19 44 10 Tecmo Comparison: Carl Lee Name: Dana Hall Position: DB College: Washington Outlook: Hall’s biggest asset is his hitting ability, where he stands as one of the best in this crop of defensive backs in that category. The rest of Hall’s game leaves a bit to be desired but he would be worth a late round gamble due to his ability to lay a powerful punch in run support. MS HP INT % 44 63 44 60 50 69 50 20 38 56 38 20 Tecmo Comparison: Mike Harden Name: Darryl Williams Position: DB College: Miami (Fla.) Outlook: Williams was a premier pass defender in college and it appears likely his game will be easily transferable to the pro game. Unlike many in this draft, Williams can also tackle relatively well and stands a good chance at being a first round pick due to his well-rounded skill set. MS HP INT % 56 50 56 60 63 56 63 20 50 44 50 15 44 38 44 5 Tecmo Comparison: Louis Oliver Name: Darren Perry Position: DB College: Penn State Outlook: Perry might actually be the most complete player in this entire draft. He does everything well at his position and has Fulcher-like upside. He’ll be 24 for his rookie season, so he’s no spring chicken, but there is no doubt that he would provide an instant, massive upgrade to any defense in the league. MS HP INT % 63 69 63 50 56 63 56 25 50 56 50 20 69 75 69 5 Tecmo Comparison: Joey Browner