Finding Broncos: Roger McCreary | CB | Auburn

Finding Broncos scouts the 2022 NFL Draft, with a cornerback going under the microscope.

Measurements

• Height: 5-foot-11
• Weight: 190 pounds
• Arms: 28-7/8 inches
• Hands: 9 inches

Combine Results

40 Yard Dash: 4.5 seconds 

Stats

Pros

• McCreary has a great build and has excellent strength. 
• He uses his strength exceptionally well at the start of routes and throughout. 
• His press technique is rather good, and you can see him get under the skin of receivers trying to get off his press. 
• He stood out even more, when he faced tough competition as he rose to the occasion. 
• McCreary faced some tough receivers and did a good job of handling them and limiting their impact. 
• While he doesn't have the best length, he does a good job disrupting the catch point. 
• He is hard to shake loose for receivers and sticky in coverage. 
• He has a good football IQ and uses it well in both man and zone coverages. 
• While his length will likely limit him to the slot, he does offer up some versatility with where he lines up and scheme versatility. 
• He has good instincts in zone coverage and will often find himself in the right position. 
• He has good ball skills when he can make a play on it with his length. 
• McCreary isn't afraid of being physical or involved in the run game. 

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Please take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Cons

• His length isn't great and is tied for the second shortest arms measured at the combine in over 15 years. 
• There are some issues at wrapping up as a tackler, mainly due to the lack of length. 
• He isn't the smoothest at flipping his hips or changing direction.
• He has and will struggle against bigger body receivers. 
• Quarterbacks can bait him looking if he doesn't develop more discipline. 
• His footwork can be choppy at times, and he needs to clean that up. 
• When receivers get by his press, they get separation that it takes a second for McCreary to recover. 
• While he has good recovery athleticism, it takes a short time to kick in, which leaves an opening. 

Overview

McCreary is an aggressive corner that was able to play inside or outside in college but likely going to be moved to a nickel role in the NFL. With his extremely short arms and their impact on his play, teams will want to limit that as much as possible. However, he is a good football player and could be a good corner in the NFL if you clean up other aspects of his game. 

The most significant issues with McCreary are getting his technique to be more consistent and react a little quicker at times. If you match him up well against the right receivers, you will do a lot to limit the impact of his length. He has the right attitude and play style to challenge the catch point and make plays, but you want him against receivers that don't have a drastic size advantage. 

With how aggressive McCreary is, he could offer up the ability to play as a safety. For that to happen, you will have to work with his reaction time and get him a little quicker to trigger downhill. The versatility that he offers up will be a draw for multiple teams, even with the lack of length. 

Fit with Broncos

With McCreary's versatility, it wouldn't be surprising to see George Paton and Ejiro Evero be enticed by McCreary. The question is how much they will put into his lack of length and whether that could be a deal-breaker. Outside of that, he is a great fit for what they want to do on defense and what they need. 

McCreary can work in the slot and be a good corner there in the NFL. It would provide him with better matchups, especially with some of the slot receivers in the AFC and AFC West. He could be a valuable matchup piece for the Broncos that still need help in the secondary and have the right traits to be a gunner in the NFL. 

Grade: Early Round 2

Where he Goes: Mid-to-Late Round 2

---

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!