For anybody in attendance, one of the biggest winners from the annual Senior Bowl was Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary. The 2021 AP All-American First teamer & All-SEC defensive back showed exactly what he’d done in the SEC the past three years and absolutely haggled defensive backs.
As things stand before the combine, McCreary is generally listed as anywhere from the fourth to eighth-best corner in what is one of the deepest positions in this year’s draft. Headliners like Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner from Cincinnati and Derek Stingley from LSU eat up all the attention for who can go in the top-10 but after that it’s generally a mess trying to determine a consensus on the corner class.
McCreary would have been eligible, any many expected him to leave, for the 2021 NFL draft after a fine junior season. He had 45 total tackles, seven for a loss, and three interceptions with six passes defended. Instead, McCreary returned for a senior season that included 14 passes defended, leading the entire SEC, and a career high 49 tackles. His reward?
Arm length questions. So many questions about arm length. At the Senior Bowl, McCreary measured at 29 and 5/8 inches, a smaller measurement for a corner especially as receivers seem to get bigger each and every year entering the NFL. However, this is in odd juxtaposition to his dominance against larger competition in the SEC.
I asked Auburn’s Roger McCreary if, after an excellent season in the SEC, he was frustrated with having to answer concerns about minutia such as arm length
“Nobody wanted to talk about my measurements until now” pic.twitter.com/TZhdHzjXQa
— John Crumpler (@TexansDoc) February 2, 2022
J.D. McCarthy from The Auburn Wire sat down with the Texans Wire to bring some context to McCreary’s journey from a high school recruit to a corner in the national spotlight. The first thing he pointed out? McCreary has always been an underdog during evaluation, even since his recruitment days.
“McCreary was a diamond in the rough. He was the No. 989-ranked player nationally in the class of 2018 by the 247Sports Composite and was committed to South Alabama before Auburn offered. Despite this, he broke into the cornerback rotation as a true freshman. Some of this was a misevaluation but he also became a better player each season; a testament to his work ethic and the program.”
For context, Auburn boasted the 12th-best recruiting class in the entire nation in 2018. The three star who had barely snuck his way into the top 1,000 players to both get an offer from the Tigers and work his way into the rotation was a big deal. Another interesting tidbit? McCreary had never played corner. He was recruited to Auburn after only playing wide receiver and safety in high school.
The learning curve barely mattered. By his sophomore season McCreary appeared in all 13 games for the Tigers. Since then, he developed into one of the premier corners in the nation’s premier college football conference. When asked for a standout performance that highlighted the best that McCreary may be able to replicate, McCarthy pointed to the 2021 Iron Bowl (the annual Auburn-Alabama rivalry game) and his shutdown performance against Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and likely 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams.
“This may be recency bias, but the first game that comes to mind was the 2021 Iron Bowl. McCreary did a great job against one of the best receiver rooms in the country. I know he ultimately allowed the game-winning two-point conversion, but he also made several great plays to keep Auburn in the game. Concerns about arm length are fair but, if you look at his track record against the best receivers in the SEC, it shows that he is still a great player.”
This is the type of player that could make an instant impact for the Houston Texans. The team is well positioned to draft a player like McCreary, who likely falls out of the first round in the midst of a great position group. At 37th overall, Houston could add a player with 4 years of experience against SEC competition and their probable No. 1 outside corner entering camp. Despite a smaller frame at 6-0, 195 pounds, his career at Auburn and anyone who watches him shows a player more than capable of taking on receivers in the perimeter at the NFL level. Although McCreary predominantly played man coverage at Auburn, McCarthy had no problem projecting him towards a zone-heavy scheme like Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2.
“McCreary is best in man coverage and specifically press coverage, but he is also solid in zone coverage. Auburn played a heavy press-man scheme his first three years at Auburn and he clearly has more experience in that style of defense. However, Auburn shifted to an off-man style this season and he was also excellent at that. Bottom line, he can play any type of coverage with my biggest concern being his lack of elite speed.”
Should Houston opt to sign a quality free agent safety such as Quandre Diggs or select Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton at the top of the draft, as many have projected, they may feel easier with any concerns on speed. Even for those who project McCreary towards the slot, he could learn a lot from cornerback Desmond King if Houston opts to retain him.
McCreary stands as a prospect who has a lot to gain in Indianapolis this week, and it may be in his favor that Nick Caserio came out and said publicly he values performance on the field over any measurements or workouts.
Caserio: For player interviews this week, we let them teach us what they know, bc everyone is coming from different systems. Don’t wanna jump to judgement too quickly after interviews this week.
— Drew Dougherty (@DoughertyDrew) March 1, 2022
This is a cornerback who features some of the best tape in the entire draft. It is not McCreary’s fault that he stands in a heavy corner class nor that the draft industrial complex has decided to hyper focus on his measurements. Houston could take advantage of both of these things and add a starting cornerback to their week secondary should McCreary ultimately fall to 37th overall.
Everyone knows Houston has to find ways to improve against the passing game. Smith and Caserio turning in a card in the second round with McCreary’s name on it would be a great way to fast track that. Oh, it would also boost the state’s baked bean industry, apparently.
“A fun fact is he is a huge fan of baked beans and has them before every game. Every Friday McCreary makes himself not one, but two plates of baked beans with sugar on top.”
1 can of baked beans ✅
8 packets of sugar ✅
🚀🚀🚀@Rogerjamez @nflnetwork @seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/XJ5qsVVDAM
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) February 1, 2022
The draft board will determine whether Houston gets a shot at McCreary in the draft. Whether Houston takes the cornerback or passes will show how the Texans value the secondary.
