“I like this kid. I really like this kid,” Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders said during a Friday appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s Ben and Skin Show, adding that he had to cancel recent plans to work out with Claiborne. “I watched countless amount of film on him. I like him. I really do.
“The only thing I would say is he plays a little bit high at times, but that can be fixed. It’s just not been taught well. I like the kid. He’s been consistent over his career. He’s been dominant. He played with some good players. He played in a tough conference. I really like him.”
Any cornerback the Cowboys draft in the first round will automatically be compared to Sanders, who played in four Pro Bowls and won one Super Bowl ring during his five-year stint in Dallas. Jerry Jones took that comparison a step further when the owner/general manager said that the Cowboys’ scouts hadn’t graded a cornerback in the draft as high as Claiborne since Sanders in 1989.
“I don’t know about that, because a guy named
Patrick Peterson, he had to be off the charts not only because of what he did on the field as a corner, but his return ability as well,” Sanders said, referring to Claiborne’s former LSU teammate who was drafted fifth overall by the
Arizona Cardinals last year. “I mean, he was the total package, so it would be hard for me to suggest that [Claiborne] was rated higher than Patrick Peterson. I mean, that’s tough. Physicality, instincts, everything -- Patrick Peterson has to be off the charts.”