Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Chippewas Show Their Strengths On Pro Day
3/14/2019 7:05:00 PM | Football
Bunting among highest-rated cornerbacks ahead of NFL Draft
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – More than 50 professional scouts, scouting directors, and coaches were in attendance on Thursday for Central Michigan Football's Pro Day in the turf bay of the Indoor Athletic Complex.
Among those participating in the event included CMU cornerbacks Sean Bunting and Xavier Crawford, both of whom are looking expectantly to the NFL Draft, which begins on April 25.
Bunting is a 6 foot, 195 pound cornerback from Macomb who recorded 37 tackles, including 26 solos in 2018, his junior season. He recorded two interceptions and was named First Team All-Mid-American Conference and earned the Chippewas' Defensive Player of the Year Award.
"My greatest strength would be my physicality," Bunting said. "I know I've shown it throughout my college career. I'm very physical at the line of scrimmage as a press corner. There's not a press corner like that in the league, there's not a lot of press corners like that in college, so I feel like the press is unique based on the speed and my length."
One thing Bunting said he could improve upon is his tackling.
"I could definitely improve on my tackling and just being a more efficient tackler," he said. "Being more heavy in the run support is definitely ideal for a corner. A corner that can tackle and do everything like that are more valued. There's not a lot of them that do that in the NFL. If I add that do my game, it'll make me a more complete corner."
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has Bunting as a second-round pick and a top-50 player in the draft.
"Sean Bunting is my sleeper CB in this draft," Miller tweeted on Feb. 15. "But the more I watch his film I see a potential top-50 player. So, not much of a sleeper anymore."
At the NFL Combine two weeks ago, Bunting ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash time, while recording a vertical leap of 41.5 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 6 inches. Among cornerbacks at the combine, Bunting had the fifth-fastest 40 time and the second-highest vertical jump.
"I felt like I performed well, performed to the best of my abilities, and left it all out there," Bunting said on Thursday of his performance at Pro Day. "It's always a blessing and a pleasure to go and do what I love to do at the place that I love. Definitely a pleasure (to be here) and I proved myself today."
Playing on the opposite side of Bunting last season was Crawford, who came to CMU as a transfer from Oregon State and recorded 24 tackles, 18 of them solos, and led the Chippewas in pass breakups with 12, recovered two fumbles and had one interception.
Since declaring for the draft, Crawford has been training in Los Angeles. At the combine, Crawford ran a 4.48-second 40-yard time, and measured 37.5 inches on his vertical. His 40 time on Thursday was below 4.40.
"I just felt more comfortable here," Crawford said in explaining his improved time. "The combine got to me a little bit mentally. By the time I got to run and do all the drills, I was a little heavy legged, and just mentally tired from a few days before. But today, it's more relaxing. It's my environment so I was comfortable."
Crawford said his greatest strength has to do with his mentality.
"I like to study film and watch my opponents," he said. "At the next level, everybody is going to be fast, strong, and big, so you've got to have an edge somewhere else, that's the mental part of the game."
Crawford said the last few months since declaring for the draft has been a good learning experience for him.
"It's a new process for me," he said, "so it's a little bit different than getting ready for spring ball. But overall, this is a learning experience, and it's a great experience. I've just got to start working more to get ready for the next level."
Among those participating in the event included CMU cornerbacks Sean Bunting and Xavier Crawford, both of whom are looking expectantly to the NFL Draft, which begins on April 25.
Bunting is a 6 foot, 195 pound cornerback from Macomb who recorded 37 tackles, including 26 solos in 2018, his junior season. He recorded two interceptions and was named First Team All-Mid-American Conference and earned the Chippewas' Defensive Player of the Year Award.
"My greatest strength would be my physicality," Bunting said. "I know I've shown it throughout my college career. I'm very physical at the line of scrimmage as a press corner. There's not a press corner like that in the league, there's not a lot of press corners like that in college, so I feel like the press is unique based on the speed and my length."
One thing Bunting said he could improve upon is his tackling.
"I could definitely improve on my tackling and just being a more efficient tackler," he said. "Being more heavy in the run support is definitely ideal for a corner. A corner that can tackle and do everything like that are more valued. There's not a lot of them that do that in the NFL. If I add that do my game, it'll make me a more complete corner."
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has Bunting as a second-round pick and a top-50 player in the draft.
"Sean Bunting is my sleeper CB in this draft," Miller tweeted on Feb. 15. "But the more I watch his film I see a potential top-50 player. So, not much of a sleeper anymore."
At the NFL Combine two weeks ago, Bunting ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash time, while recording a vertical leap of 41.5 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 6 inches. Among cornerbacks at the combine, Bunting had the fifth-fastest 40 time and the second-highest vertical jump.
"I felt like I performed well, performed to the best of my abilities, and left it all out there," Bunting said on Thursday of his performance at Pro Day. "It's always a blessing and a pleasure to go and do what I love to do at the place that I love. Definitely a pleasure (to be here) and I proved myself today."
Playing on the opposite side of Bunting last season was Crawford, who came to CMU as a transfer from Oregon State and recorded 24 tackles, 18 of them solos, and led the Chippewas in pass breakups with 12, recovered two fumbles and had one interception.
Since declaring for the draft, Crawford has been training in Los Angeles. At the combine, Crawford ran a 4.48-second 40-yard time, and measured 37.5 inches on his vertical. His 40 time on Thursday was below 4.40.
"I just felt more comfortable here," Crawford said in explaining his improved time. "The combine got to me a little bit mentally. By the time I got to run and do all the drills, I was a little heavy legged, and just mentally tired from a few days before. But today, it's more relaxing. It's my environment so I was comfortable."
Crawford said his greatest strength has to do with his mentality.
"I like to study film and watch my opponents," he said. "At the next level, everybody is going to be fast, strong, and big, so you've got to have an edge somewhere else, that's the mental part of the game."
Crawford said the last few months since declaring for the draft has been a good learning experience for him.
"It's a new process for me," he said, "so it's a little bit different than getting ready for spring ball. But overall, this is a learning experience, and it's a great experience. I've just got to start working more to get ready for the next level."
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