2012 Bills Draft Picks: Stephon Gilmore Scouting Reports

Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore began the draft process as a second-round pick in the eyes of most prognosticators. Because of that, several of these scouting reports still have him ranked down there, as they haven't been updated. It provides some perspective on how high he's moved up in the eyes of the public thanks to great private workouts, as well as his performance at the combine.

Stephon Gilmore 2012 NFL Draft scouting report - Mocking The Draft
Dan Kadar has Gilmore as his fourth-best cornerback: "He should be best in the NFL in a zone scheme, but has the size and athleticism to become a good press corner in time."

2012 NFL Draft: Buffalo Bills GM Buddy Nix Talks Specific Players - Buffalo Rumblings
"The receivers are getting bigger and faster, so you’ve got to get bigger corners. You can’t muscle up with those guys if you’re 5’8", so you struggle. Stephon Gilmore is a big, strong kid - 6’1", 190 - and got great speed. This guy’s a good tackler, a very good run player which is unusual for a lot of them but this guy is going to support the run. He can play man coverage and he’s strong enough and big enough to play bump and run at the line of scrimmage. I just think he’s a very good player."

NFL Videos: Bills pick Stephon Gilmore No. 10
"The Buffalo Bills select South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore with the 10th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft."

Cosell Talks: The Mock Draft : NFL Films Blog
"Gilmore has a chance to be a Charles Woodson type player down the road: athletic, physical and competitive, playing outside in the base defense and in the slot in the sub-packages." He had Gilmore going third overall and ranked ahead of Morris Claiborne.

Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com
"Several NFL scouts were enamored with the mental and physical abilities of this athletic corner and looking for a reason to push him up draft boards. Gilmore plays with an astute awareness that makes him a dangerous defender to test. He is a vocal team leader who understands everybody's role on defense and is especially effective in zone coverage where he seems to triangulate well, tracking both the quarterback and receivers."

Stephon Gilmore Draft Profile – NFL.com
Mayock's take: "This is one of my favorite players in the draft, my eighth-ranked player of my top 100. This is a kid that is going to step in Day 1. They've got to play Tom Brady and the Patriots twice a year. You can't get enough good cover guys in this division."

South Carolina Gamecocks and the NFL Draft: Stephon Gilmore - Garnet And Black Attack
"I do wonder if the top 15 is too high for him. At that level, you had better be a sure-fire star, and Gilmore simply isn't right now. The fact of the matter, though, is that there aren't many elite corners in this draft. Yet, some teams need a corner and are going to be tempted to reach for one of these guys. That sort of situation is tailor-made for a Draft-day mistake. That said, I do certainly think you could do worse than take a chance on our man Stephon."

2012 NFL Draft: Mike Mayock High On Stephon Gilmore - Buffalo Rumblings
"Trust me, six-foot corners with long arms are rare, especially when they run 4.4 with his movement skills," Mayock said at Gilmore's pro day. "I’ve got him as the No. 2 corner for a reason. I think he’s a Top 10 to Top 15 pick. Not a lot of people have him that high, but I saw it again today."

Stephon Gilmore | Draft Breakdown
They have him ninth overall and the second cornerback on their board, Draft Breakdown provides some nice videos to check out Gilmore in action.

Stephon Gilmore | South Carolina, CB : 2012 NFLDraftScout.com
Rated as second corner and No. 15 overall.

New Era Scouting - Cornerback
Rated No. 17 overall prospect and second cornerback.

Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, NFL Draft - DraftCountdown.com
18th-ranked player and second-ranked cornerback. "Is arguably as physically talented as any cover guy in this class and only needs to become more consistent... Profiles as a potential #1 cornerback at the next level. "

Stephon Gilmore Scouting Report - NFL Draft Geek
"In my opinion, Gilmore is one of the more overrated prospects in this years draft., but he seems to be highly thought of, and will likely go in the top 15."

WalterFootball.com: 2012 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Stephon Gilmore
"Gilmore has an ideal skill set with his size and speed. He will be better off in a zone-based system that gives him some help. He may not have the agility to be a bump-and-run corner in a man-based scheme." (Written in January)

Buffalo Bills select Stephon Gilmore No. 10 in the 2012 NFL Draft - Mocking The Draft
"After beefing up the defensive line in free agency, the Bills were able to draft for value here, and Gilmore presents tons of value at the tenth pick. Some have even argued that Gilmore is the best cornerback in this draft class."

2012 NFL Draft overall rankings - Mocking The Draft
Stephon Gilmore comes in at No. 27 in February.

Stephon Gilmore Scouting Report - FFToolbox
22nd overall prospect, but it was last updated in October.

Buffalo Bills NFL Draft 2012 Preview: Cornerback - Buffalo Rumblings
"Over the next few days, we're going to take one more look at the Bills' four most prominent 'need' areas - including the current personnel that resides there, and what any draft pick might be expected to do at the position should they become the newest member of the Bills."

Stephon Gilmore 2012 NFL Draft Profile - YouTube
"Another South Carolina product is added to SB Nation's 2012 NFL Draft player profile video series"