NFL Scouting Combine: Nebraska's Prince Amukamara Has Measurable Success, But...

Normally, I think anything Deion Sanders says makes everyone who listens to him a few IQ points dumber.

But during the defensive back workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine, he does have some credentials. After all, he will be going into the Hall of Fame as a defensive back.

Before the defensive backs did their backpedaling drills, Primetime showed us a technique that he finds to be important in the drill: the ability to grab some grass. In this drill, you need to be able to bend down and get low because that's what you would be doing in an NFL game.

Of course, this advice didn't help Neon Deion with his tackling skills. But it's important for future defensive backs because running backs will run outside on them and they'll need to know how to play bump-and-run coverage with a receiver.

Unfortunately for Nebraska's Prince Amukamara, who was ranked as the No. 2 cornerback by Mike Mayock, he looked too much like a track star in this drill. As he tries to compete with LSU's Patrick Peterson for a top pick, this may hurt him.

Now, Amukamara did run unofficial 40-yard dash times of 4.37 and 4.47. That is important because defensive backs need recovery speed these days.

But he will need to get this drill down before pro day to show that his speed will fundamentally fit in the NFL.

Texas' Curtis Brown Shows Ball Skills

On the other hand, former Longhorn cornerback Curtis Brown may have improved his draft stock with his performance in the ball drills.

Brown backpedaled once toward each hashmark during this drill. Not only did he locate the football, which is what's the most important part of this drill, but he made a fantastic catch on each backpedal.

This shows that he has excellent ball skills. In the NFL, that is an important asset to have.