[autotag]Roger McCreary[/autotag] keeps getting recognition ahead of the NFL draft.
The Touchdown Wire released a list of 50 draft prospects and their NFL comparisons. McCreary’s comparison was with Atlanta Falcons cornerback Casey Hayward, who most recently played with the Las Vegas Raiders for the 2021 NFL season.
Here is what Touchdown Wire had to say about McCreary in comparison to the Pro Bowl cornerback:
“What McCreary did over his career in the SEC should count for something. Yes, the measurables (especially arm length) might make him somewhat of an outlier, but he makes up for that lack of length with great closing skills, good fluidity and great awareness for the position. I think he can still play on the outside, but his versatility makes him a solid option as a slot corner out of the box. He’s a smooth match cornerback who brings Casey Hayward to mind in a lot of ways.”
Like Hayward, McCreary has been particularly looked at as a man-coverage specialist whose physicality can keep up with larger receivers. They are both of a similar build — McCreary is two inches taller and a similar weight — and McCreary could perhaps follow in Hayward’s footsteps as a threat to any team’s physical wide receiver. Hayward has two second-team All-Pro. nods and two Pro Bowls, so the comparison is one McCreary should certainly strive to live up to.
McCreary is projected to be a second-round pick in the NFL draft in what is expected to be a deep cornerback class. The NFL draft is set to begin on April 28 and the second round is set to kick off on the next day.
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