| After petitioning the NFL draft advisory board, which indicated he could be a late first-round or second-round pick, Hosley decided to leave Virginia Tech after his junior season. He had a stellar sophomore campaign leading the nation with nine interceptions as an All-American, but his play slipped a bit in 2011 as he struggled through a hamstring injury and sustained a concussion in the ACC championship game. Hosley, did, however, have a career-high 59 tackles, three interceptions and 12 pass break-ups as a junior and earned second-team All-ACC honors. Although undersized and slim, Hosley plays bigger than his size with outstanding leaping ability and has a sense of urgency when around the ball. With 12 picks in 39 games for the Hokies, Hosley clearly has excellent ball skills and also may have the best instincts of any corner in this draft. It's only his lack of elite speed and size that may keep him from being a first-round selection. He performed well at the NFL combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds to rank seventh among cornerbacks. Hosley can also contribute in the return game, where he shows good agility and acceleration. While he fits best in nickel packages, Hosley should start outside relatively quickly after being picked in the second or early third round. |
