The NFL draft is known for unique stories of players who essentially come out of nowhere to become first-round prospects. That is definitely the case with Miami (OH) cornerback Quinten Rollins.
That’s because until this past season, Rollins did not even play for the Redhawks football program. Instead, he was a four-year starter at point guard for the basketball team, playing in 116 career games and becoming one of the all-time leaders in steals in MAC conference history.
So should it come as a complete surprise that the former hoops standout with a penchant for forcing turnovers would make the overnight transition to become one of the best cornerbacks in the NCAA in his first year of play? Rollins was able to make the switch seamlessly, and looks to be in the mix with Michigan State’s Trae Waynes and Washington’s Marcus Peters to be the first cornerback taken the 2015 NFL draft.
In fact, Rollins (6’0, 205) seems like a a perfect fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Especially if Waynes is gone when it’s time for the Steelers to select with pick No. 22.
Though Rollins is raw and lacks experience, his 2014 performance with the Redhawks was nothing short of spectacular. As a first-year player, Rollins earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, was named First-Team All-MAC, and finished with 72 tackles, seven interceptions, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble and nine pass breakups. His seven interceptions ranked first in the MAC and third nationally.
One of the biggest things that stands out looking at film and Senior Bowl highlights is how fluid he plays. The fact that he was a point guard really shows; as he has great hip flexibility and makes seamless transitions in coverage. I love his feet and explosiveness out of breaks, and he just plays fast.
This is one of the things that makes Rollins such an intriguing prospect. He shows the instincts and skills of a veteran of the position, but yet has a learning curve based on his limited experience level that could mean he could show even more improvement as he learns the nuances of playing cornerback in the pros.
He is super aggressive and plays with smarts and confidence. Again, it can’t be a major surprise as a four-year starter at point guard, where you are expected to be the floor general. This experience has clearly translated onto the football field, where his exceptional vision, intelligence and anticipation was on display time and time again.
He is potentially the most complete package at the position, keeping in mind, I love Waynes (his profile is coming). Rollins, however, has what it takes to do it all from a coverage standpoint; great feet, recovery speed, the ability to play on an island in man-to-man coverage, and has no fear when it comes to being aggressive as a tackler in run support.
The biggest weakness with Rollins is obvious; he lacks the experience to not only be a relatively sure thing at a very difficult position to succeed at in the NFL, but might not be able to make a significant immediate impact as a rookie. For the Steelers, this could make picking a player in the first round that some consider a project a bit risky.
However, Rollins ceiling is extremely high, and if he develops to the level some believe he can, he might be the shutdown cornerback Steeler fans have been clamoring for repeatedly. He may not be as safe a pick as Waynes, but could be a similar quality player, perhaps even better over the long term.
