Washington Redskins: Which cornerbacks are worth the No. 13 pick?
By Ian Cummings
Mike Hughes – UCF
Mike Hughes began his college football career at North Carolina, and after one year, he left the program following discipline over a misdemeanor assault charge. He went to play at a community college for a year before transferring to UCF in his junior season.
It was there that Hughes made a name for himself as a very good college cornerback. In 13 games, he logged four interceptions and 11 pass deflections. His stats may seem deflated at first, but by watching his tape, it’s clear that Hughes wasn’t leaving plays on the field. Rather, quarterbacks simply didn’t throw his way.
Hughes’ talent is unique in that he can take options away. At 5-foot-11, 185, he has the size and quickness to maintain leverage through a receiver’s route. His length allows him to blanket receivers, discouraging quarterbacks to throw his way, and when they do, he is aggressive. Sometimes too aggressive.
In the future, Hughes will need to learn when to take a risk and when not to. But the talent and the potential for success is there. Hughes’ lack of experience is one of the biggest knocks on him as it stands. He’s fairly raw in this stage of his development, and the learning curve in the NFL could hit him hard. Does he have potential? Absolutely. Starting potential. All-Pro potential. But he won’t play at that level in his rookie year, or in his second year. It will take time for Hughes to develop, and time is something the Washington Redskins don’t have.