Versatility, velocity and a vertical

KSU cornerback Newman sprinting toward draft's top five

INDIANAPOLIS -- After you've relied on your breathtaking speed to escape a pack of pursuing dogs on the streets of Salina, Kan., what's so intimidating about running a 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine?

Apparently not much if you're Kansas State speedster Terence Newman, the draft's top-rated cornerback and a possible top-five pick. Newman again is being chased by the pack these days, as his blazing 4.35 timing in the 40 on Monday widened the distance between himself and every other draft-eligible corner.

"Growing up, I was chased by dogs in the streets, so I guess I had good training," said Newman, when asked if speed came easily to him. "I was pretty quick on my toes back in the day. They were Chows, but I wasn't the biggest on the street, so to me they were like big wolves."

A three-time Big 12 sprint champion in track, Newman all but predicted on Sunday that he'd come flying out of the blocks in his Monday workout at the RCA Dome. After skipping last month's Senior Bowl, Newman knew every eye would be on him in the final day of the NFL's weeklong Combine.

"I feel like I have nothing to lose, so I'm going to go out and try to put on a show," said Newman, who both ran and took part in all defensive back drills. "I feel like I'm in a position to do some great things. I ran track in my past, so I know I'm fast. Everybody talks about this being a slow track [at the RCA Dome]. But I know if you're a fast person, you're going to put a fast time on."

While league personnel men weren't surprised by Newman's clocking, they still were effusive in their praise.

"He's as explosive as hell," one AFC personnel man said. "He's a sprint champion, so you knew he was fast, but he just solidified his status with [Monday]'s workout. If you can do what he did here, it answers everyone's questions."

Added Kansas City general manager Carl Peterson: "I've been doing this a long time, and he's as impressive a cornerback prospect as I've seen. We had him at 4.37, and he was just outstanding in his workout."

Newman's speed and shut-down cover skills have pushed him so high on teams' draft boards that he is actually being mentioned as a candidate to go first overall to Cincinnati, if the Bengals talk themselves out of spending that pick on USC quarterback Carson Palmer or any of their other two or three highest-rated prospects.

That Newman's name even has surfaced as a possibility for the No. 1 slot is remarkable, given that only one defensive back in NFL Draft history has been the first overall choice, that being when Pittsburgh chose Colorado A&M's Gary Glick in 1956.

"I don't think about [going No. 1]," Newman said. "My biggest thing is just getting a chance. I was told a long time ago that I shouldn't be where I'm at right now. Just me being here is a blessing for me."

And who came up with that bit of prescient wisdom? "I used to play basketball with some guys, and they told me I was too little to be a football player," Newman said. "It was early in high school in Salina. I know who, but I won't give up his name. [I'd just say], 'Hey, don't call me when I get drafted.'"

Newman's size isn't very topical these days, although at 5-foot-10-plus, 189 pounds, he knows he's about to enter a league in which he will routinely be matched up against receivers who are four or five inches taller. As the trend toward taller receivers continues in the NFL -- and the top of this year's receiving class is filled with prospects who are 6-foot to 6-foot-2 -- cornerbacks consistently have come up short by comparison.

But that's where Newman's wheels and jumping ability will give one team a checkmate in the matchup game. In his senior season at Kansas State, Newman surrendered just one touchdown pass and he allowed just three scores for his collegiate career. Scouts consider him by far the most polished cover corner in the draft, ahead of Washington State's Marcus Trufant and Andre Woolfolk of Oklahoma.

"I think [the height gap between receivers and cornerbacks] has kind of widened," Newman said. "All these teams are looking for these tall receivers because they know there's a lack of tall corners. You just compensate with speed and jumping ability. You just have to be sound on technique and you have to focus a lot more.

"I know I'm big enough. There are guys in the league smaller than me who are playing, so I'm positive that I'm big enough to take on the challenges of those bigger receivers."

This weekend, Newman seemingly outran two other potential factors that could have affected his draft standing: At 24, he's a bit old for a first-round prospect, having been held back in second grade. Also, an additional MRI of an old shoulder injury raised no red flags. Not a cautionary word was heard about either subject.

Talent scouts weren't alone in heralding Newman's entry into the league. University of Texas star Chris Simms spoke for Big 12 quarterbacks everywhere when asked if he thought Newman's game will measure up in the NFL.

"He's just an unbelievable player," Simms said. "A lot of the teams ask you who’s the best players you played against during the year, during your college career. I always say Roy Williams of Oklahoma and I say Terence Newman. He's just a guy whose speed jumps out at you more than anybody else.

"We had a real fast team down at Texas, and he was the fastest guy on the field that day. He's very impressive. He got an interception off me where I thought I threw it over him, and he showed that 44-inch vertical and went up and got it."

In a league that has fallen in love with players who can handle multitasking, Newman's NFL value will be enhanced by his remarkable versatility. He played a good bit of receiver for Kansas State this season, and also took part on punt and kickoff return and coverage teams. In KSU's bowl game, he barely left the field, playing a mind-boggling 130 snaps or so.

That experience left him so drained -- he lost four or five pounds during the game -- that he opted out of the Senior Bowl in order to rest his body and prepare for Indianapolis. With Monday's strong workout, he proved that his Senior Bowl decision did no damage.

"Whatever it takes for me to win, I'm down for it," Newman said. "Versatility goes a long way. The person who is most versatile has more going for him than a guy who does just one thing."

With its obvious need at cornerback, at No. 5 Dallas is considered among the teams most likely to target Newman. With the Cowboys, Newman would be reunited with another former Big 12 dominating defensive back, Williams, who is a second-year Dallas safety. Not since Deion Sanders was in his prime time has the Cowboys' secondary featured a true shut-down corner. The thought of Dallas being able to pair Williams and Newman for the next decade must make opposing NFC East head coaches go gray with worry.

Newman said he has long studied the techniques of cornerbacks like Sanders, Charles Woodson, Champ Bailey and Darrell Green, and is capable of doing "some of the same things on the football field."

If that's true, Newman will find himself with an entirely different pack to stay ahead of as his NFL career unfolds. One with nary a dog among it.

Don Banks covers pro football for SI.com.

 

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