Kansas City Chiefs: 5 2015 NFL Draft Sleepers to Target
JaCorey Shepherd, CB, Kansas
Oct 4, 2014; Morgantown, WV, USA; Kansas Jayhawks cornerback JaCorey Shepherd (24) defends a pass intended for West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Mario Alford (5) during the fourth quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Mountaineers won 33-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Somewhat surprisingly, Sean Smith was very good for the Chiefs at the cornerback position last season. Unfortunately, the team does not have much else to speak of at the position.
With Smith becoming a free agent next off season, the Chiefs need to consider cornerback options throughout this draft. It is a position that they may target in the first round, but regardless they need to look at potential sleeper options later in the draft as well.
One guy who stands out as a potential steal as a late round cornerback sleeper is JaCorey Shepherd, who is 5-foot-11, 199 pound former wide receiver with a lot of athleticism.
Shepherd made the transition to cornerback as a sophomore, and has seemed to find a nice home. He has good size for the position, and uses his length very well in coverage. He shows very good ball skills in the air, and has had plenty of success in man-to-man coverage throughout his college career.
Shepherd rarely finds himself out of position, using route recognition skills from his offensive days to predict what opposing receivers are going to do. He does not have great straight-line speed, but he has nice quickness and very good leaping ability.
His fluid hips allow his to quickly turn and run with receivers, and he uses his hands very well in coverage. Shepherd may rely on his athleticism a bit too much, but he does show a very controlled ability to break up passes in the air.
Shepherd also has experience in the return game, something that could certainly come in handy right away.
He is a natural coverage corner with big upside. His lack of pure speed may hold him back at times, but Shepherd has the abilities to be a strong NFL cover corner.
Next: A Very Solid Center Option