NFL Draft Truth or Hype: Michigan State CB Trae Waynes

We'll take a daily look at some of the most talked about prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft and tell you whether they're worth the hype or not.

I've been so obsessed with the edge rushers in the draft that I haven't analyzed a single cornerback in this series yet. Well, that changes now starting with Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes.

It seems as if 90 percent of the mock drafts (rough estimate) pairs Waynes and the Vikings with the 11^th overall pick. He's viewed as the top rated cornerback in the draft by many people at six feet and 186 pounds. Could he fill the need for the Vikings of a lockdown cornerback alongside Xavier Rhodes?

By the Numbers:

Redshirt Freshman (nine games): five tackles, (two solo), ½ sack

Redshirt Sophomore (14 games): 50 tackles (35 solo), three interceptions, five pass defended, 1.5 tackles for loss

Redshirt Junior (13 games): 46 tackles (34 solo), three interceptions, eight pass defended, one sack, two tackles for loss

NFL Combine/Pro Day results:

40-yard dash: 4.31 seconds

Bench press (225 pounds): 19 reps

Vertical: 38 inches

Broad jump: 10 feet, two inches

The Film

You can immediately tell Waynes is an aggressive corner that can hold his own in man-to-man coverage. It's clear that's where he's comfortable at, and Michigan State heavily relied on his man-to-man ability at the boundary cornerback position. Per NFL.com, he gave up just two touchdowns in the last two seasons.

I like his physicality, though at times he's overaggressive and puts him out of position, and how he was capable of playing on an island every week consistently. Waynes was always around the ball too. Though his technique might be off, Waynes was capable of making a play if a quarterback tested him.

The biggest knock on Waynes is his aggressive play can lead to penalties. In both examples, you can see Waynes grabbing and making contact with the receiver while the ball is in the air. Sometimes that'll be called for pass interference, as Waynes witnessed firsthand in college.

He also at times can appear a little sloppy in his mechanics. There were a lot of plays where Waynes took an unnecessary step that slowed him down or put him out of position. I was surprised he ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine because there are some plays where Waynes' speed doesn't translate on the field.

The margin between Waynes and some of the other top cornerbacks is narrow, but I think he'll be a solid cornerback in the NFL and worthy of a first round pick.