Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Just as importantly, he's looked the part when he has stepped up in competition. When playing an SEC opponent in MSU, they stayed away from him most of the game and he made plays when they did challenge him. He stood out in the East West shrine game practices and (less importantly) in the game as well, and of course tested as well as any CB at the combine in terms of athleticism. He also looked smooth in the drills and displayed sure hands/ball skills.
For me, the one area he needs to work on is tackling as he didn't always wrap up and secure the runner. The effort was there, but he's got to work on tackling fundamentals. But in terms of pure cover ability, the speed to run with most WRs and the size/ball skills to make plays, IMO he's displayed enough to warrant 3rd round consideration.
Good point - tackling has never been Phillip's strong suit and he's not going to be a man-to-man corner out of the gates. Phillip will excel in the slot one day one in the NFL which is something the Niners have needed in recent years. For his sake, I'd love to see him go in the 2nd round but I think 4th is more realistic.
I think the 49ers can select Gaines in the 4th or 5th round...Has he done enough to get him in the 4th round?...Maybe If he is there in the 5th they should grab him because He won't make it to the 6th round
If Rogers doesn't come back and Tarell Brown leaves via F/A, with Morris being almost a ST player exclusively, there is huge need for a large infusion of new talent in the secondary when it comes to the CBs
Originally posted by footballfreak49:
I'm a huge supporter of the Niners waiting until later in the draft to fill the CB need. Gaines is a big (6'0), fast (4.38 40-yd dash/second fastest in the combine), and very coachable corner. What do you guys think of taking Gaines in the 3rd/4th instead of investing heavy on a CB in the first round?
Oh, and in the name of full disclosure: Phillip is my stepbro and I grew up with the kid. I'm a lifelong 49ers fan and I've been a season ticket holder for 5 years. FOREVER FAITHFUL!
Wish I can see some game tape. His physical athleticism is impressive tho.
This dude looked really good at the combine. He made all the drills looks so effortless. Other than Justin Gilbert, I'm hoping this is the CB we take. Maybe I'm way of base, but the way he moves he reminds me of Antonio Cromartie.
Phillip Gaines sounds like a decent prospect from what people are saying (I honestly didn't see him play this year), but he'd have to be pretty good to be my top CB in the draft with the last name of Gaines (EJ).
Kid looks like a baller no doubt it. Can be had perhaps 4-5 round. Seems like he has younger VD hands. some of the balls should have been picked off. Hopefully with right coaching he can correct that.
Originally posted by Orlando49erfan:
If Rogers doesn't come back and Tarell Brown leaves via F/A, with Morris being almost a ST player exclusively, there is huge need for a large infusion of new talent in the secondary when it comes to the CBs
After a year of developing, who knows what his role might be? Wouldn't be the first time an undrafted guy ends up as a major contributor for a team.
Unfortunately I see the 49ers picking Colvin and stack him in IR we have so limited amounts of roster spots that Gaines will likely be cut imo
This makes me laugh. There's a 4-5% chance of Colvin becoming a 49er. Just cause he's injured doesn't make that probability go up any. All teams have his game tape, and will have a chance to draft him or not. Any team can take a chance on him and put him on IR for a year and wait and see. We aren't the only team that does it.
Back on topic, think Gaines is definitely a kid would seem to be on the 49ers radar. Fast, athletic, good sized player seems like a Baalke calling card.
Originally posted by footballfreak49:
I'm a huge supporter of the Niners waiting until later in the draft to fill the CB need. Gaines is a big (6'0), fast (4.38 40-yd dash/second fastest in the combine), and very coachable corner. What do you guys think of taking Gaines in the 3rd/4th instead of investing heavy on a CB in the first round?
Oh, and in the name of full disclosure: Phillip is my stepbro and I grew up with the kid. I'm a lifelong 49ers fan and I've been a season ticket holder for 5 years. FOREVER FAITHFUL!
They may draft more than one CB. A lot of it is who is available, with his combine he may go a low second to high third. His pro day will tell a lot also if he is consistent.
Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
I wrote this up on 2/14 in the Combine thread:
I really liked what I saw from Rice CB Phillip Gaines in some clips (Cortland Finnegan-type, IMO) and noticed that he was one of the top defenders in college football in 2012 regarding passes broken up (2nd only to Dee Milliner) and passes defended. But I noticed the stats in the 2013 Liberty Bowl that MSU star WR Jameon Lewis torched Rice for 9 catches and 220 yards. I had to see for myself how much of that was on Gaines. Turns out, none of it was on Gaines.
After a few series of Gaines blanketing Lewis for zero catches, MSU moved him to the slot and away from Gaines' press coverage. He proceeded to light it up until the game was out of reach. The only time Gaines was tested after they moved Lewis away from him, Gaines made a great play in the end zone batting the ball away. Essentially, they threw away from Gaines because his initial coverage on their top WR was perfect.
What I saw in that particular game is a guy who plays really good press coverage, has long arms to ride WRs off the LOS and enough speed to run down the field with them. He also breaks and the ball very quickly and isn't afraid to come up and play the run. He needs work on his tackling though, but that could be said about a lot of college corners.
How much a player falls or rises will depend on also, if there is a stampede on a position. The trends that are set by the SB winning team or whatever. WCO, four wr sets, two te, hbacks power running game, seattle's D, etc.
He looked really good in the db drills at the combine. Nice back pedal and solid hands for a db. I really like him as a mid round guy. Pick him up but not too late!!! His top notch speed and solid college production might have him going earlier than some think. I'd be happy with him in the 3rd.
Gaines was a shutdown corner in C-USA and showed his skills against greater talent in the East-West Shrine Game. Also, I went to the Liberty Bowl and MSU avoided Gaines the entire game. That said, Gaines still had two TD saving breakups against MSU (including a near INT) and a fumble recovery. I've got him as the 5th best CB available after Joyner...Gaines would be a steal in the 3rd round.
Draft Projection
Phillip Gaines has shown he has a tremendous amount of ability and still has potential to be a terrific cover corner in the NFL. With better ball skills, he has the upside to be one of the best in the league. Still, his tackling and run support needs to improve to be a well-rounded player. Gaines warrants a top 100 pick, but a pure man team could take him in the second round, provided his injury history is not believed to be a lingering issue.
Some of the film used in this scouting breakdown was provided by the good folks at draftbreakdown.com