NFL Draft results 2015: Trae Waynes taken by Vikings

With the 11th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected cornerback Trae Waynes of Michigan State. Waynes is the consensus top cornerback in this year’s draft.

Waynes was named a first team All-Big Ten player this past season, his junior year. He managed 46 tackles, three interceptions and a sack, and had another three interceptions as a sophomore. He ran a stellar 4.31 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, with a 38-inch vertical leap and 122-inch broad jump.

Waynes is an effective man-to-man corner who can take top receivers out of the game. He was asked to put receivers on an island for entire games and did so successfully. His low interception numbers can be attributed to opposing quarterbacks simply avoiding his side of the field.

He’ll be asked to do similar things at the next level and should be considered an immediate starter on the outside. He’s particularly good in deep coverage, though his biggest flaw is that he’s prone to committing penalties. He was penalized nine times between 2013-14, and most of those came from contact with receivers on deep balls.

Waynes was the popular pick for the Vikings throughout the pre-draft process and the move makes sense. Minnesota needs a starting cornerback outside, and Waynes is the most-complete corner in this year’s draft. He can step right into a starting role and should be able to do it well.