Checking the Tape: Cordrea Tankersley can play, but how high is the corner’s ceiling?

Size and speed. You can’t teach either.

With Cordrea Tankersley, the Dolphins think they can take care of the rest.

Coaches privately salivate about the Clemson corner’s potential. And yes, that potential is there.

He’s long. He can run. He is also raw. But their job is to take that ability and polish it into production.

It won’t be an overnight deal, however. Tankersley was boom or bust at times in college. The inconsistency has to be ironed out for him to contribute regularly in the NFL.

Dolphins blogger Max Himmelrich has the details.

Measurables

Height: 6-foot-1.

Weight: 199 pounds.

Arm length: 32 1/4 inches.

Hands: 9 1/8 inches.

40 time: 4.40 seconds.

Bench press: 13 reps.

Vertical jump: 29.5 inches.

Broad jump: 121 inches.

Three-cone drill: 7.00 seconds.

20-yard shuffle: 4.32 seconds.

SPARQ score: 108.9, 21.1st percentile, 80th among draft eligible corners.

Film breakdown

Max’s take

Pros: Tankersley fits the mold that the Dolphins look for in DBs; he's long, can play physically at the line and can beat receivers in press. Tankersley struggled in the vertical jump at the combine, but does show good ability on film to make plays against jump balls. He does a good job playing in zone coverage (which Miami utilizes heavily).

Cons: Cordrea Tankersley is fast, but he does struggle to stick with top-flight speed down the field. He needs to get better at using his length to compensate in that area. In addition, he'll need to work on his hand usage downfield, as he currently could be a liability for penalties in coverage.

Fit for the Dolphins: Tankersley needed to end up with a team that plays heavily in zone coverage, and that makes Miami a solid spot. He should be able to see the field as a rookie, representing a good fit with the mold Miami set forth for long, physical cornerbacks last year. It's unclear whether or not Tankersley has the tools to push his ceiling, but he should be able to make an impact rotationally in the secondary immediately with the Dolphins.

This story was originally published April 29, 2017 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Checking the Tape: Cordrea Tankersley can play, but how high is the corner’s ceiling?."