Let’s start with the Green Bay Packers top pick, Jaire Alexander. He’s within an inch in height of a guy I have in mind. He’s not quite as fast, but he’s within a 10th of a second in the dash. He’s a bit better leaper and nearly as agile. The two players are just one bench press rep apart.
The big difference is that Alexander is a sturdy 196 pounds, while Sam Shields was feather-light at 184. I’d gladly give up a small amount of speed (4.38 vs. 4.30 dashes) in exchange for 12 pounds of bulk. Even with that bulk, Alexander was still among the fastest of all the cornerbacks at the NFL Combine this spring.