One of college football's most productive cornerbacks is off the board, as Clemson's Cordrea Tankersley was taken with the No.97overall pick in thethirdround of the 2017 NFL draft by theMiami DolphinsonFriday. After the reigning national champion was selected, Twitter reacted to the fit, as well as his NFL prospects.The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero noted a connection between Tankersley and current Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell:Tyler Brooke was a fan of the selection:CBS Miami's Mike Cugno praised the Dolphins for filling roster needs through the first three rounds of the draft:Here's how others reacted to the pick:Although Tankersley wasn't necessarily considered a top-tier corner entering the draft, his numbers as a junior and senior jump off the page.Tankersley secured a career-high five interceptions in 2015, and followed that up last season with four more picks in addition to personal bests of 52 tackles and 11 passes defended.According to Pro Football Focus College Football, Tankersley was especially proficient last season at limiting big plays:Clemson's offense received much of the credit for the team's success in recent years with quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Wayne Gallman, wide receiver Mike Williams and tight end Jordan Leggett putting up huge numbers.After losing seven key defensive players to the 2016 NFL draft, however, Tankersley's play was key in maintaining the unit's high level of performance.Along with his on-field production, Tankersley tested well at both the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson's pro day.Tankersley measured 6'1" and weighed in at 199 pounds, per NFL.com, and ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.40 seconds.Bleacher Report's Matt Miller received positive feedback from scouts who watched Tankersley's pro day, including the following comment:"We really like his length and wiring. Much tougher than that kid last year [Mackensie Alexander]."Tankersley seemingly has the size and speed needed to cover essentially any type of receiver in the NFL, and that kind of versatility could make him highly valuable.Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney trusted him in all situations at Clemson, and filling that same role at the NFL level would make Tankersley a huge value pick considering when he came off the board.Injuries were a major issue for the Dolphins at cornerback last season, making the addition of Tankersley a much-needed insurance policy.Maxwell and Xavien Howard form a solid starting corner duo when healthy, but they combined to miss 12 games last season, which means Tankersley could potentially find himself in a featured role as a rookie.
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