FanHouse

Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will be devoted to defensive backs, and no one has a better chance to turn himself into a first-round pick than this guy:

That was Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a 6-foot-2 cornerback from Tennessee State who is a phenomenal athlete (he won the Ohio Valley Conference indoor track title in the 60-meter dash, long jump and high jump) who is expected to put on a show during Combine workouts. If he does, he could be a surprise first-round draft pick, much like his cousin, Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, was two years ago.

Rodgers-Cromartie, possibly more than any other player, can improve his stock with a good Combine because NFL coaches and scouts aren't sure exactly what to think of him. Although a lot of people like to deride the Combine as a pointless exercise because there's so much tape available, that's only partially true.

Yes, a player who was a four-year starter in a pro-style system on a BCS conference team already has a body of work that NFL teams can judge, irrespective of the Combine. But a player like Rodgers-Cromartie can make a big move at the Combine, and I think he will tomorrow.