STRONG POINTS

Cromartie is a very good athlete, with the rare addition of excellent size to go with it. He has the quickness, hips, acceleration and playing speed to stay with receivers all over the field in tight man-to-man coverage, and he can use his long arms well to break up passes. When he backpedals with bent knees, he can plant, drive and close fast on passes in front of him. He has the hands to cut in front of the receiver to make the tough interception. He has the size and strength to physically dominate receivers in press coverage -- he can slow releases and can push receivers off their routes down the field.

WEAKNESSES

Obviously, it is a concern that Cromartie rotated with two other cornerbacks for the two starting spots in 2004, and then missed the 2005 season with an injury, so he has not proven himself as a full-time starter. He tends to stay upright and high in his backpedal too often, which leads to him struggling to transition out of the pedal to close quickly and break up passes consistently. For a cornerback with his athleticism, it is frustrating how often he gets turned around and allows receivers to get separation and make catches. He does not consistently come up quickly in run support and can be blocked out of the play too easily.

POSITIONAL FACTORS

Grade Category Comments/Description 5.5 Read & React He can read and react very quickly when he uses good technique, but he is not consistent due to bad footwork. 5.5 M/M Off He does not read receivers' routes or passes consistently, and gets turned around too often. 6.5 M/M Tight Size, strength, athleticism and playing speed make him very good in tight man-to-man coverage -- he's very physical in coverage. 6.0 Zone Coverage He generally does a good job of reading the quarterback on passes in front of him and can close and make plays on the ball. 6.0 Break & Close He has the ability to be very good, but is not consistent because of inconsistent footwork/technique. 6.5 Hips/Turn Ability He has very good hips to turn and run without losing a step -- he stays on receivers' hips down the field. 5.5 Tackling He's good when he keeps his knees bent, but gets out of control and misses some tackles he should make. 6.0 Hands - Interception He has good hands to cut in front of receivers to make tough interceptions. 5.5 Hands - Fight Blocker He gives an inconsistent effort fighting through blocks to make tackles. 6.5 Deep Speed He has the playing speed to stay right with receivers on deep routes, and he can make plays on the ball. 5.0 Return Ability He did not show anything special as a returner in games graded, but has size, strength, hands and playing speed. 5.5 Errors He gets upright and high in his backpedal, and it leads to him allowing too many catches.

ATHLETIC ABILITY	Section Grade: 6.5
Cromartie is a very good athlete, but must improve a lot in order to produce at the level of his athleticism. In 2004, he rotated with Florida State's other two cornerbacks and was not a full-time starter. He has very quick feet for a cornerback -- he can accelerate to full speed quickly, and has the playing speed to stay on fast receivers' hips deep down the field. He has very good agility, and when he backpedals with his knees bent and stays over his feet, his quick feet combine with his agility so that he can transition out of the pedal quickly to close on passes fast. He flashes an explosive closing burst to make plays and break up passes. He has good hip flexibility which helps him to flip his hips and turn and run without losing a step vs. fast receivers. Overall, he definitely has very good natural athleticism, but he does not consistently show it on the field because his backpedal is so raw and choppy.
Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination 6.5 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.5

COMPETITIVENESS	Section Grade: 5.5
Cromartie has shown toughness playing physical in coverage and tackling bigger ball carriers. His overall production is tough to fairly grade, because in 2004, he was not even a full-time starter, and then he missed the 2005 season with a torn ACL. But when he played in 2004, at times he produced at a very high level. His footwork/backpedal need a lot of work in order for him to play at the level he is capable of -- right now, his pedal is very raw, choppy and high, which hinders his ability to consistently transition out of the pedal to make plays on the ball. His lack of playing experience shows in his inability to consistently read the receivers' routes. He gets turned around and allows slower receivers to get separation too easily. He has displayed good commitment to the team in his willingness to consistently play physical with receivers, and to tackle ball carriers in run support. When he loses a step in coverage, he never quits fighting and competing to get back into position, and he does not hesitate to grab and shove a receiver to keep him from getting away.
Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit 6.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 6.0 6.0

MENTAL ALERTNESS	Section Grade: 5.5
Cromartie is a smart cornerback, and has shown it with his very good press technique (and flashes of a good backpedal), but it is concerning that his tackling technique is so raw. He generally has good instincts, but does not always read the play well, and struggles to react quickly when he gets up high in his backpedal. He did not consistently show the ability to maintain his concentration, which is why his footwork and backpedal are so raw and choppy at times, and why he does not consistently read and react to the play well.
Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration 6.0 5.5 5.5

STRENGTH/EXPLOSION	Section Grade: 6.5
Cromartie has exceptional size at over 6-foot-2 and nearly 210 pounds -- on 2004 film, he definitely looked the part of a big, physical cornerback. While he has the size, flexibility and athleticism to most likely be a durable NFL cornerback, he never even completed a college season as a full-time starter, and missed the 2005 season due to a torn ACL, so his durability will be a question until he proves it. He is a naturally explosive athlete, and when he plays over his feet and transitions smoothly, he shows an explosive closing burst to make plays and break up passes. When he gets up high in his backpedal, he struggles to change directions and react and close explosively. He has outstanding strength for a cornerback, and can physically dominate a receiver -- he can really slow a receiver's release and can re-route receivers with his physical use of hands in tight man-to-man coverage.
Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength 8.0 4.0 6.0 7.5