A game in transition: The NFL's search for longer defensive backs

As the game of football evolves, certain trends begin to get noticed. Right now, the recent influx of jumbo receivers have the NFL clamoring for taller cornerbacks. The likes of Patrick Peterson (6-2), Richard Sherman (6-3) and even Brandon Browner (6-4) have impacted the way scouts, general managers and coaches evaluate cornerbacks. Just a few years ago, a sub-6-foot cornerback wasn't a knock. A guy just an inch below could still be considered "big." Now, 6-1 and up is the standard.

That's not a bad thing. If you're going to contend with Calvin Johnson (6-5, 235), Dez Bryant (6-2, 220) and Julio Jones (6-3, 220), you better excel physically. The problem, if you're a fan of defense, is two-fold. Firstly, these taller, bigger cornerbacks are in short supply. Unlike receiver, defensive backs have to be able to at the blink of an eye, sometimes quicker. Defensive backs don't know the receiver's route. Trying to keep up with guys who run legitimate 4.4's is a hard enough task without them being able to redirect at their discretion. The taller a player is, the stiffer his movements tend to be. Current Chicago Bears and former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio explained, “The problem with most bigger corners has always been that they don’t have the quickness or the speed to cover as well as a guy who was your standard corner, but there’s just been a couple here lately, with Richard [Sherman] being the lead guy, that have had success, and now everybody is looking to get the next guy.” Cornerbacks that can match these receivers in size are at a premium. They're also rare. There is only one cornerback in this year's draft who is above the 6-2 label that is now considered "tall." There are only a handful of corners above the 6-0 threshold. We're seeing an in-demand trend with very little supply.
The other problem exists because of the small supply. Taller cornerbacks are rising up draft boards. Smaller, and sometimes more talented corners, are falling in the draft. The NFL is in danger of potentially washing out a breed of its most talent athlete. The undersized corner has often been relegated to nickel back duty. They don't get to press because the pro-offense rules favor the bigger receiver and coaches don't want them on the outside defending jump balls.

Admittedly, if a kid can play, the NFL will find you. At least in theory. However, a football player's career is short compared to most pro athletes and it's over in a flash compared to most other professions. Spending two to three proving you can play is part of the deal, but being ignored based solely on a lack of height is despicable. Maybe the desire for vertically superior cornerback gets curbed in the near future, but if it doesn't, we could be seeing offenses light up the scoreboard at record paces. Remember, the paces now are already more than anything we've seen.