Xavier

Crawford

Crawford played nickel and outside cornerback at Oregon State before transferring to Central Michigan where he was the team’s starter opposite eventual second-rounder Sean Bunting. Crawford had a team-best 13 passes defended. He competes but there are times he struggles with wideouts with size. Crawford will likely have to carve out a role on special teams.

Zierlein describes Crawford (6'0/201) as a “long, thin press corner with the agility, foot quickness and balances to allow for stickier coverage.” Crawford ran an impressive 4.40-second 40-yard dash at Central Michigan’s Pro Day, breathing life into his chances of getting drafted. Zierlein believes his athleticism gives him a “shot” as a backup cornerback outside or in the slot. He’ll be on the Day 3 border heading into the NFL Draft.

That’s a notable improvement off Crawford’s combine dash of 4.48 seconds. And it might have been even faster than that, as Pauline notes that some stopwatches had him as fast as 4.36 seconds. The Patriots, Giants, Raiders and Bears all checked in with Crawford during his pro day. At this juncture, Draft Analyst assigns Crawford a UDFA grade, but he could potentially work his way into the late Day 3 mix.

Crawford (6'0/201) wasn’t good as his fellow CMU defensive back Shawn Bunting (4.42 seconds), but it’s a good number. He also posted a 37.5 inch vertical jump, which ranks in the middle of defensive backs who participated. Crawford is a late-round pick candidate, and he didn’t do anything to hurt that prospectus on Monday. It’s just not likely he did anything to improve it much, either.

Crawford had one year of eligibility left, but he’ll give that up for (hopefully, in his case) greener pastures. A transfer from Oregon State, Crawford will be eligible to play in an all-star game because he’s a fourth-year junior, and the 6-foot-1, 190-pound defender should get a look from one of them -- perhaps the Shrine or NFLPA Collegiate Game -- to help improve his stock.

In an interview with The Oregonian, Hall spoke about Crawford and his potential at length. “I think he showed a lot of poise and he showed a lot of toughness last year. It’s hard to play 12 games straight and not miss a rep,” Hall said, adding that "[h]e’s not a secret anymore.” The 6-foot-1, 182-pounder missed all of three snaps this past season, playing in 926 of 929. During the campaign, he registered 70 tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble. Hall believes he has next-level potential.

Crawford injured his shoulder in the first half of Saturday’s loss to Minnesota. He was a 12-game starter for the 2016 campaign, recording 70 tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble in that space. Senior Kyle White -- who finished out Saturday’s game in his place -- will likely slot in as starter against the Cougars on Saturday. There is no current timetable for Crawford’s return.

Crawford suffered a back injury in the loss to Washington. He missed last week’s game against USC and will miss at least one more.

Crawford (6'1/182) gained extensive starting experience during his time in Corvallis, working as a 12-game starter in 2016 and trucking in that direction last season, at least before a season-ending back injury sidelined him after five games. In that healthy 2016 campaign, Crawford registered 70 tackles with 10 passes defended and an interception. Having graduated from Oregon State in June, he’ll have two years of eligibility -- including an immediate one available for the coming season -- to work with at Central Michigan.

Crawford suffered a shoulder injury in early September in the loss to Minnesota, but he quickly returned to the field. Apparently, he also suffered a back injury in last week’s loss to Washington.