There is an old marketing trick that we all fall victim to every day: the dropping of a penny from the price tag of a product. Marketers have known for decades that, no matter how hard people try, our brains are hardwired to think of a product's value based on the first digit of the price.
This same mindset seems to have taken hold in the scouting world -- at least in the valuation of height among cornerbacks. I say this in part because of California cornerback Syd'quan Thompson. Depending on which Web site you believe, Thompson is either 5-foot-8, 5-foot-8 5/8, or 5-foot-9. While this disagreement exists, all the sites agree on this: His height is a detriment. It is always mentioned as a reason that he is considered a late first-round/early second-round prospect instead of an early-mid first-round prospect.
I tend to disagree, for two reasons.
To see KC Joyner's evaluation of Syd'quan Thompson -- both individually and in the context of the 64 cornerbacks currently starting in the NFL -- you must be an ESPN Insider. 