For Jets fans, the name Dee Milliner brings up painful memories of a recent first-round draft bust. Now, the Jets may be looking at another cornerback in the first round with an injury history.
Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore has been considered the top cornerback in this year’s draft for months, but lately there have been rumblings that teams could be concerned about his medical history. He has had a number of hamstring issues, so bad he needed surgery in 2014. The interesting part is the player who might jump him on teams’ draft boards is teammate Gareon Conley.
Lattimore and Conley visited the Jets on Tuesday, and both could make sense with the No. 6 pick for the team that is searching for solutions to fix a leaky secondary. Peter King of The MMQB reported this week that one team official told him he had Conley ahead of Lattimore because he is more reliable.
It sets up a fascinating draft-night scenario. Lattimore has been viewed as a top-10 pick throughout the draft process. Conley started out with very little buzz, but gained some with an outstanding combine. Scouts also have been impressed with how Conley has handled himself in the draft process. One scout said Conley interviewed very well with his team, and everyone at Ohio State spoke highly of him.
Ohio State could have three defensive backs taken in the first round with safety Malik Hooker also getting high marks from teams.
The consensus seems to be that Lattimore has the bigger upside, but Conley is less of a risk. Both players excel at man-coverage and would be good fits for the Jets.
“Lattimore has average size, but possesses elite foot quickness, agility and awareness,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote in his scouting report. “In press coverage, he is very patient and fluid to open up and mirror underneath. He can play a variety of techniques successfully.
“In off coverage, he is very aware and explosive to drive on balls in front of him. … He does an excellent job of locating and playing the ball down the field. He is outstanding in run support. He fights through blocks and attacks the line of scrimmage. He is a very sure tackler in space. I love the way he competes. He has all of the tools to develop into a No. 1 cornerback at the next level.”
Lattimore missed the 2014 season with the Buckeyes after surgery to repair a chronic hamstring injury that started in high school. He played in seven games in 2015 as hamstring issues flared up again. Last season, he started 12 of 13 games and had four interceptions. At the combine, Lattimore suffered an injury ESPN reported was his hamstring, but he said was his hip flexor.
While Lattimore has struggled to stay on the field, Conley has started 26 games over the past two seasons. He had six interceptions over his final two years with the Buckeyes.
“Conley has a nice blend of size, speed and instincts,” Jeremiah wrote. “In press coverage, he sits and grabs before releasing and mirroring. He is very fluid when he opens up from press and when he transitions from off coverage. He is very aware in zone coverage and shows an explosive burst to drive on the ball. He showed off his ball skills against Wisconsin in 2016 with two excellent interceptions. … He can locate and high-point the ball with ease. … Against the run, he needs to do a better job of wrapping up and getting runners on the ground. The effort is there, but the execution can improve. Overall, Conley is a polished player, ready to contribute right away.”
The Jets have not hit on a cornerback since taking Darrelle Revis in 2007. Kyle Wilson, taken in the first round in 2010, never developed like the Jets hoped. Milliner, the ninth pick overall in 2013, was a total disaster and is out of the league. A big problem for Milliner was staying healthy. Will the Jets roll the dice with another cornerback with a questionable medical history?