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2015 NFL Draft Combine Profile: Washington Cornerback Marcus Peters

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By @ConnorFultonRS

Marcus Peters Washington

Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Without a doubt, Washington’s Marcus Peters is one of the most talented defensive backs in the 2015 NFL Draft. At the same time, the cornerback will be one of the more heavily scrutinized prospects in the pre-draft process because of his history of character issues. The team that drafts him will benefit from his ability but will need to be prepared for the extraneous items.

Standing 6-foot, 198 pounds, Peters is the prototypical modern corner. He is physical in one-on-one matchups with elite receivers, a sure tackler, and possesses top-tier ball skills as evidenced by five interceptions his sophomore year and three in his abbreviated junior season.

That shortened 2014 campaign was a result of run-ins with the coaching staff that called his character into question. If recent history tells us anything about troubled, talented cornerbacks, Peters could very well fall out of the first round. Look at Janoris Jenkins, for instance: an elite college corner who was taken on Day 2 because of off-the-field issues.

In eight games, Peters tipped seven passes and picked off three while totaling 30 tackles, four of which were for losses. In marquee matchups against Ty Montgomery and Jaelen Strong, Peters held his own and drew praise from NFL scouts. Drawing from those performances, one can say with confidence that Peters will be a solid NFL corner.

In many respects, Peters is as pro-ready as any defensive back in his class. But those pesky off-the-field issues will likely hurt his stock.

There are plenty of teams that are in need of a starting cornerback. The Oakland Raiders certainly could benefit from drafting Peters, as could the secondary-depleted New York Jets. If Peters falls into the second or third rounds, the New England Patriots might jump on him; Peters would be an upgrade over Logan Ryan on the depth chart. Bill Belichick has done stranger things.

Know this: In the right situation with a suitable coaching staff, Peters could be an eventual All-Pro.

Connor Fulton is a Patriots and NFL writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ConnorFultonRS, or find him on Google.

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