Cornerback and second-round pick Roger McCreary was one of the most surprising 2022 NFL draft picks of the bunch for the Tennessee Titans, as cornerback wasn’t thought to be that high of a priority.
However, the more we learn about McCreary, the more we like about the pick. Hell, he had us at the story of his mom playing linebacker and her nickname being “Icebox.”
But in all seriousness, McCreary was a beast in coverage last season. Here are his 2021 rankings in some key metrics:
Forced incompletion percentage: 2nd (source)
PFF coverage grade in 2021: 3rd (source)
Passer rating allowed on throws of 20-plus yards: 2nd (source)
But wait, there’s more: McCreary’s career overall PFF grade of 92.8 ranks second all-time among SEC cornerbacks who have played a minimum of 2,000 snaps.
Highest career PFF Grade among SEC CBs (min 2,000 snaps)
🥇 Patrick Surtain II – 93.1
🥈 Roger McCreary – 92.8
🥈 Deandre Baker – 92.8 pic.twitter.com/uM9J6GPObN— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 21, 2022
As our Shaun Calderon recently pointed out in an article naming the position battles to watch in training camp, McCreary is probably better suited to play on the inside, but his best chance at a starting role right away may be on the outside in a competition with Caleb Farley.
Whatever the case may be, McCreary’s success in coverage in the toughest conference in college football only further justifies Tennessee’s move to select him in the second round.