Friday, February 18, 2011

HBCU NFL Draft Prospect: Prathon Wilkerson, CB, Albany St

One of the top corners in DII football, Prathon Wilkerson, is a true sleeper prospect. Wilkerson stands out on film and had a break-out senior year in 2010 at Albany State with 38 tackles, 16 total PBUs, and 8 interceptions. He has a good understanding of the cornerback position and possesses decent size at 5-10 195 lbs. Wilkerson is a physical and instinctive cornerback who displays good footwork in all directions of the field, quickly breaks to the action, and has a nice burst out of his plant. He bates quarterbacks on pass plays by giving the illusion that the wide receivers are open, then jumps the route and proves he has good hands by rarely dropping interceptions. Wilkerson is a solid open field tackler and breaks down under control to wrap-up. He did a good job at practices during the HBCU Bowl week staying with receivers, reading routes and breaking on the ball. At times he gets a little high in his backpedal and looks somewhat stiff in transition. Scouts also wonder about his man coverage skills and long speed with receivers at the next level because of the competition he faced at the DII level. Wilkerson tested well at the HBCU Bowl combine with 4.5 forty times and 16 reps on the bench. He looks best suited to fit into a zone scheme system, but his ability to make a NFL roster in camp will rely on his special teams skill and his versatility in the secondary.

Prathon Wilkerson film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDEap-UrJT0