Questions of height involving Mickens and Louisiana State's Tory James underline a fundamental difference found across the National Football League concerning the preferred height for a cornerback.
At one end of the spectrum is Mickens, who stands 5 feet 7 1/2 inches. The last time a corner that short was drafted relatively high was 1986, when the obscure Erroll Tucker went in the fifth round to Pittsburgh. Only 14 corners 5-9 or shorter have ranked among the top 10 at the position in the last decade.
At the other end is James, who is 6-1 1/2. Just four prospects 6-1 or taller, most notably 6-3 Bobby Taylor last year, have been among the top 10 corners each year since '86.
Ultimately, the 6-inch disparity should be resolved conveniently with each player projected somewhere in the second round. But the team that drafts James probably wouldn't give a passing thought to taking Mickens.
"If you're a club that will play with a little guy, you'll take Mickens early," said Mike Allman, Seattle's personnel director. "Some teams won't. They just won't play with little people because of what's happening with the offenses trying to go with bigger receivers."
Ron Wolf, the Green Bay Packers' general manager, has vowed never to take a tiny cornerback again after Terrell Buckley, his first draft choice in Green Bay, was a flop. But actually, the sub 5-9 cornerbacks taken since Buckley -- Willie Williams of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets, Thomas Randolph of the New York Giants and Tyrone Poole of the Carolina Panthers -- all have turned into good players.
Still, the stigma is very real.
Raiders scout Jon Kingdon: "Mickens is really a fine player. He's just short."
Lions personnel director Ron Hughes: "He's small. That's my problem with him. He's a good player and I like him."
Dolphins scouting director Tom Braatz: "He's a better player than Buckley. Short."
Mickens has a lot going for him. A three-year starter, he owns the highest Wonderlic intelligence test score (26) and the second-highest vertical jump (37 1/2 inches) of the top cornerbacks. Plus, he started three years for a program that in the 1990s produced not only Glenn but also cornerback Kevin Smith of Dallas.
"Without question Mickens is the best defensive back in the draft," one scout insisted. "He can cover, he plays big, he can break on the ball, he can play the run and he's a returner. Ron (Wolf) got burned and he wouldn't do it again, but there hasn't been a Mickens come along in a long time."
In the Alamo Bowl, Mickens effectively took Michigan's Amani Toomer (6-3) out of the game. Deciding if he will be able to compete against Herman Moore, Michael Irvin and Keyshawn Johnson is why general managers are paid up to $1 million or more per year.
James also started for three years and intercepted 11 passes, two more than Mickens. Yet, the fact that James had 117 tackles compared with 176 for the diminutive Mickens is telling.
Just as Mickens is eliminated by some teams on the basis of height so, too, is James on the basis of temperament.
Other teams might talk tough, but in the end hitting ability becomes next to irrelevant in the evaluation process at cornerback. The ability to cover man-to-man is the determinant in most draft rooms, which is why James won't have to wait long for his name to be called.
"If you wanted to pick a guy to line up and cover somebody, he'd be right at the top," New Orleans general manager Bill Kuharich said. "And I think he's getting a little bit of a bad rap on his physicalness. If you look at the Senior Bowl, you'll see him support and be ready to tackle."