Background:
Mesphin Forrester, the second player the Jaguars' signed after seeing their workout at Mini-Camp, was a safety and cornerback at Washington. Mesphin came from a recruiting class that was heralded as one of the top 20 in the nation five years ago, although it hasn't lived up to that billing, as the team went 0-11 last season. That poor record may have caused some to overlook Mesphin, whom the Jaguars thought enough of to offer a contract after seeing him workout.
Forrester may not stick with the team, but he has the size and athleticism to seriously compete for a spot. He wasn't invited to the combine, but he was stellar at his pro-day, and was an All Pac-10 choice at Safety in 2007.
Scouting:
...ran 4.52/4.53 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 32" vertical, a 9'8" broad jump, a 4.15 short shuttle, a 6.96 3-cone; and did a very solid 17 reps on the bench at 225 lbs...
Mesphin's greatest asset may be his versatility. He can play both safety and corner, and started at both positions during his stint at Washington. He's got the size for either position. He's 6'2" 201 lbs, and showed his strength on the bench. He seems to be ready to compete for a spot, physically speaking. Some players body's just aren't ready for the NFL and they require a year to bulk-up before they can be successful, this is not the case with Mesphin.
Some concern has been raised about the fluidity of his hips, which is something very important for coverage corners. At his size, he may be better in press coverage, bumping a receiver off his route, in a nickel package. Here's what one reporter had to say.
He has played both corner and safety, but as one observer told me, he was a cornerback in a safety's body. You could see him struggle a bit with the position (Safety) in 2007 when Jason Wells went down. His best moments have come playing in the nickel.
Mesphin was a three year starter for the Huskies, and had a nice season last year. He recorded 56 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 10 passes defended last year at CB, while starting all 11 games. He also played special teams at Washington, and was projected as a 6th round pick before the draft.
-Collin Streetman