When Jimmy Johnson was building the hated Cowboys into a dynasty in the early 1990's, he liked to use mid to late round picks on players that went to smaller programs and were really raw, but had huge upside due to pure athleticism. Players like Leon Lett, and Larry Allen from tiny Sonoma State. I like that philosophy in the late rounds when you already have a good team -- like the Eagles have now. That is why I am intrigued by, and kind of like, the drafting of Rashad Barksdale, a 6'0", 208 lb. CB from Albany. This 2007 NFL draft wasn't that deep in talent past the 3rd round anyway, so why not take a guy with 4.4 speed and real nice size for a corner? At worst, you project he could be a valuable special teamer, and he has returned punts effectively in the past. Barksdale has the physical tools to be a starter down the line if he responds to coaching -- that's why you take a guy this "raw" from a small school.
Sheldon Brown was impressed with Barksdale at the recent minicamp. "He's got some serious speed. I noticed that right away. You can teach technique and tackling and things like that, but you can't teach speed. Man, that guy is pretty quick." Barksdale is a mystery man as a prospect. He walked on to the football team at Albany as a senior, after giving up a baseball career. He played well enough in certain games, including versus Delaware where he nabbed 2 picks, to garner interest from NFL scouts. His stock "shot up the final 3 weeks before the draft" per Gil Brandt. There is no known video of Barksdale on the internet, and thus we are at the mercy of the draft websites to learn more. The best profile of Barksdale appears to be at : http://nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/barksdale_rashad
The scouting report points out the positives you look for in a real good NFL CB- works well in press, changes direction suddenly, good feel for the ball in flight (no doubt a skill honed in his baseball playing days), hip flexibility, and enough leg strength to pop a ballcarrier. He has been timed as fast as 4.38 in the 40, and ran a 4.46 on campus. He has a 34.5" vertical, and a 10'7" broad jump, as well as a 2.59 time in the 20 yard dash, and 1.53 time in the 10 yard dash. Compare that athleticism with the Giants first round pick, Aaron Ross. Ross ran a 4.45 on campus, but just 4.54 at the combine. Ross ran 2.63 in the 20 yard dash, and 1.58 in the 10. He has a 34" vertical, and scored 9'10' in the broad jump. Barksdale, carrying 16 more pounds than Ross, is arguably more explosive. Thats not to say it makes sense to compare their football abilitites, just raw athletic potential.
Pat Kirwan has a great article you can read to see why NFL teams use the measureables they do at the combine to help project success at the NFL level. I agree in many cases with Jerry Glanville, that the fact that a guy "looks good running around in his underwear" -- see Mamula, Mike -- doesn't necessarily mean he can play a lick. But Kirwan describes a formula that goes something like this. "Explosiveness" = vertical jump + broad jump + number of bench press reps. http://nfl.com/draft/strory/9326200 If you score over 70 on this formula, that's the kind of athlete that is super explosive, and makes scouts and coaches drool. Rarely, you get somebody over 80. LB's and DE's fare best, as expected. So don't completely discount Barksdale's impressive measureables as meaningless -- guys that can outrun their mistakes last longer than those who can't. We won't know more about Barksdale's potential until training camp. Combing the net for tidbits on Barksdale yields little-but here is a story prior to the draft by Paul Schwartz, of the New York Post: http://nypost.com/seven/04272007/sports/giants/albanys_barksdale_on_giants_radar_giants_paul_schwartz.htm
The Eagles need taller CB's to match up in the same division as T.O. and Plaxico. Will James, and now Barksdale, at least provide the physical prototypes you need to match up. Clearly, Plaxico is too much for Sheldon Brown 1 on 1. That's not a slight against Brown, Plax is a matchup nightmare for most teams. Brown is quoted on Barksdale here: http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?StoryID=589130&category=SPORTS&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=5/14/2007
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