If a quarterback scores a four on the Wonderlic Test then we’ve got a problem.
A cornerback? Eh, not so much.
The cornerback position is about reading and reacting, which are two things that LSU’s Morris Claiborne does very well. NFL teams know this and thus, his draft stock shouldn’t take a hit in light of his low Wonderlic score, which reportedly was a four.
Apparently Claiborne has a learning disability that makes it difficult for him to take written tests. But that shouldn’t matter in this discussion either. He’s not a quarterback, a middle linebacker or a free safety. He doesn’t need to be able to diagnose plays at the line of scrimmage, rely information to his teammates on the go, or make key adjustments like a center would. He needs to be able to line up across from a receiver and then turn into a blanket as soon as the ball is snapped.
It’s a shame that Claiborne’s test score was released to the public. It’s even more of a shame that people have overacted to the situation by suggesting the talented cornerback could fall in this month’s draft. If by “fall” they mean fall on the way up to the podium after hearing his named called in the top 10, then yeah, I could see that happening. (Those stairs can be steep at Radio City Music Hall.) But I highly doubt that Claiborne’s low Wonderlic will affect his draft stock in the way some are suggesting.
Let’s not forget that the public is months behind the NFL in terms of information. Interested parties were already aware of Claiborne’s learning habits and probably tested his knowledge at the scouting combine or in private meeting sessions. It’s common that teams will have a prospect write plays or schemes out on a chalkboard one day, and then have him come back a few days later to see what he retained. Any red flags would have been discovered during this process – not when Claiborne’s Wonderlic score was revealed.
The bottom line is that Morris Claiborne is one hell of a football player and doesn’t play a position that requires him to be a Havard Law graduate. I like him to go No. 5 to the Bucs but if he doesn’t, he won’t fall much further than that.
His Wonderlic score be damned.
