If the San Diego Chargers are looking to use their first-round draft pick on a cornerback, former Ohio State star Bradley Roby says he's their man.
Roby, who is NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock's No. 4-rated cornerback in the 2014 draft, will visit the Chargers on April 23 or 24, according to U-T San Diego, and he said he is excited to show the team that he can be a good fit for them with the No. 25 pick.
"It's time for them to get a great corner," Roby said. "I would love to play for you guys and have a great career."
Upgrading the cornerback position is one of the Chargers' top priorities in the draft, along with wide receiver and nose tackle, according to NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah. Shareece Wright is locked in as a starter, but the second cornerback spot is there for the taking following the release of Derek Cox and with Richard Marshall returning on a one-year deal.
Roby entered the 2013 season arguably as the top cornerback prospect in the nation, but he finished his college career on a disappointing note. Most of the questions surrounding his pro potential center on his uneven play on the field -- including his much-criticized game against Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis in late September -- but Roby told U-T San Diego he understands teams likely are to grill him on other issues, such as his July arrest on a Class A misdemeanor battery charge (later reduced to Class B disorderly conduct) and reports of poor practice habits.
"I think I had obvious shortcomings, on and off the field," Roby said. "I naively thought that I could just show up and play well. ... Being fundamentally sound, lining up right, all the little nuance -- I got away from that. You could see my play was slacking. I got away from what got me here."
Roby recently had strong showings at the NFL Scouting Combine, including a 40-yard dash clocked in 4.39 seconds, as well as Ohio State's pro day, reminding observers such as NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks that "there are few corners in the 2014 class capable of matching Roby's athletic talent." Brooks rated Roby as his No. 25 prospect on his latest Big Board.
But if the Chargers are intent on drafting Roby, the question might be whether he'll be available when it's their turn to pick. In NFL.com's latest mock drafts, Roby is projected to go as early as the No. 20 pick to the No. 24 pick; only one of the mocks does not project Roby to be a first-rounder.
Two other potential targets -- unless the Chargers decide to trade up or address another position -- are TCU's Jason Verrett and Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller.
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