Friday, April 16, 1999DRAFT PREVIEW: CORNERBACKS
Bengals may be out of luck by second round
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerA class of cornerbacks led by a Champ has the Bengals wondering if any good ones will be left when the team picks second in the second round. The Bengals get nervous when they hear five corners might go in the first round.
Georgia's Champ Bailey will be the first to go with his splendid versatility. He is this draft's true can't-miss player after playing 95 percent of his team's plays at wide receiver and cornerback, as well as returning four punts and 12 kickoffs.
But lately, Arizona's Chris McAlister has been mentioned in the same breath with Bailey. McAlister blew away the scouts by running the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, and his 6-foot-1 frame has teams drooling.
Ohio State's Antoine Winfield is nearly 4 inches shorter, and his height could cause him problems in one-on-one matches in the NFL. But his fearless tackling and a big-time recommendation from Ohio State coach John Cooper (“Best cornerback I've ever coached”) could put him in the first round.
After those three go, the Bengals start crossing their fingers. They would love to get Alabama's Fernando Bryant, who played in 42 straight games and finished second in Southeastern Conference kickoff returns as a junior.
But Bryant probably will be gone. Clemson's Antwan Edwards, a solid college cornerback, may not be. Edwards has been projected as an NFL safety; Bengals brass is divided on him.
“I would think any NFL team would have to first try him at cornerback, because he's so big and we've been trained to be scared of small corners,” said Jim Lippincott, the Bengals' director of college and pro personnel.
At No.33, the Bengals probably are going to be looking at a group of West Virginia's Charles Fisher, North Carolina's Dre Bly and USC's Daylon McCutcheon.
The Bengals hope Fisher is there, because McCutcheon might be too small (5-8, 180 pounds), and Bly seems to have lost some of the speed he used to set the all-time Atlantic Coast Conference record with 20 interceptions.
The 6-foot, 182-pound Fisher was an all-state receiver in Pennsylvania before injuries forced the Mountaineers to put him at corner. The Bengals like his size and his ability to play the ball in the air as well as keep up with speed receivers. TOP CORNERBACKS
1. Champ Bailey, Georgia
2. Chris McAlister, Arizona
3. Antoine Winfield, Ohio St.
4. Fernando Bryant, Alabama
5. Charles Fisher, West Virginia
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