Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Lions NFL combine preview: Cornerbacks

The NFL’s annual scouting combine begins next week, so we’re going to take you through every position at the combine and give brief profiles of players the Detroit Lions might be looking at in Indianapolis.

The bios are working off a best guess of who the Lions might look at based off round, skill and need – although all of the invites from the official site will be listed at the bottom.

Previous draft previews by position

Alex Carter, Stanford (6-0, 202): Left Stanford with a year of eligibility remaining. He is the son of Tom Carter, a former first round pick by Washington in 1993. He had 41 tackles, nine pass breakups and one interception as a junior. He is rated as the No. 13 corner and No. 123 overall player.

Jalen Collins, LSU (6-2, 298): He is rated as the No. 4 corner and No. 33 overall player. He had 90 tackles in his career with three interceptions and 17 pass breakups. He started 10 games in his career and left with a year of eligibility remaining to enter the draft.

Ladarius Gunter, Miami (6-1, 200): Started his final two seasons with the Hurricanes and had 11 tackles and six interceptions. His size could be attractive to teams as well, especially since in the past, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has preferred taller corners. He is the No. 14 corner and No. 109 overall player.

Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest (6-1, 175): He made 190 tackles in his career and intercepted seven passes. Has returned punts minimally during his career – four during his junior season. Like Waynes, he has good size for a cornerback and ESPN’s scouting profile lists him with exceptional instincts and exceptional against the run. The same profile said he’s good on special teams as well in punt coverage. He is the No. 3 corner and No. 39 overall player.

Nick Marshall, Auburn (6-1, 210): He is the No. 27 corner and No. 245 overall player. His rating is tough right now, though, because he is making the conversion from college quarterback to NFL defensive back – a rare transition in the league. His size and speed make him an attractive prospect here if a team is willing to let him learn for a bit. He’s a player who could end up being taken later in the draft.

Quinten Rollins, Miami (Ohio) (5-11, 193): He is one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft. He was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year after making 72 tackles with seven interceptions. He spent the majority of his college career playing basketball, where he showed excellent hands and instincts with 214 steals and 391 assists. He is the No. 9 corner and No. 70 overall player.

Josh Shaw, USC (6-0, 198): Shaw transferred from Florida to USC and had 11 tackles in three games this season. Why he played in three games – a suspension due to a fabricated story about saving his nephew that ended up as an argument with his girlfriend – will be a topic for teams to fully investigate. As a player, he had 119 tackles and six interceptions in his first three seasons between Florida and USC before the incident. He is the No. 16 corner and No. 142 overall player.

Trae Waynes, Michigan State (6-1, 182): He has 101 career tackles and six interceptions. In his career, he defended 19 passes – 11 of them this season. He has played both boundary and field corner in his career. He also has really good size for a cornerback and his ESPN scouting profile has him above average in almost every area. He’s a potential first-round pick, so he might be a little too high on the board for Detroit. He is the No. 2 corner and No. 19 overall player.

Others attending the combine: Donald Celiscar, Western Michigan; Justin Coleman, Tennessee; Ronald Darby, Florida State; Quandre Diggs, Texas; Lorenzo Doss, Tulane; Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon; Charles Gaines, Louisville; Jacoby Glenn, UCF; Senquez Golson, Mississippi; Doran Grant, Ohio State; Troy Hill, Oregon; A.J. Jefferson, UCLA; Byron Jones, Connecticut; Craig Mager, Texas State; Bobby McCain, Memphis; Steven Nelson, Oregon State; Garry Peters, Clemson; Marcus Peters, Washington; Eric Rowe, Utah; JaCorey Shepherd, Kansas; D'Joun Smith, FAU; Tye Smith, Towson; Damian Swann, Georgia; Kevin White, TCU; P.J. Williams, Florida State; Julian Wilson, Oklahoma.

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