Welcome to draft season! This is the 10th of 11 positional breakdowns leading up to the NFL draft (April 27-29). Here are my top 10 cornerbacks:
— 1. Devon Witherspoon (Sr., Illinois, 5-foot-11, 181 pounds)
Witherspoon was a no-star recruit who didn't really focus on football until his junior year in high school and he still ended up in a Power 5 program, becoming the only true freshman to start a game for the Fighting Illini in 2019. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished top-five in the nation in completion percentage allowed, forced incompletions, passer rating allowed when targeted and yards allowed per coverage snap. The ball skills and impressive route recognition is obvious — three interceptions and 17 passes defensed (tied for 8th in FBS). He has the man coverage skills and competitive nature to play on an island in the pros. Witherspoon is a little lean in stature and overly aggressive at times (11 penalties the last two seasons), but he's also still improving. There's a scary thought for receivers in the NFL. Projected: Top 15
— 2. Christian Gonzalez (Jr., Oregon, 6-1, 197)
Gonzalez has the size and physical traits that make most scouts salivate, and the Colorado transfer answered most questions regarding his ball production (four interceptions and 11 passes defensed) in his only season in Eugene. I figured he'd receive a bump in his draft stock post-combine, and it appears he has. Projected: Top 15
— 3. Emmanuel Forbes (Jr., Mississippi State, 6-0, 166)
Forbes is a three-year starter in the SEC and has improved every season for the Bulldogs. He will need to bulk up if he can — scouts would be over the moon if he could get to 180 — but his preternatural instincts has produced historically-good ball production. Forbes had a phenomenal 35 passes defensed and 14 interceptions in his collegiate career — including a FBS-record six returned for a touchdown. He had eight interceptions (two returned for TDs) his senior year in high school. Projected: Rounds 1-2
— 4. Joey Porter Jr. (Jr., Penn State, 6-2, 193)
The son of former All-Pro linebacker Joey Porter checks the size and physicality boxes. Plus, Junior's athleticism and talent pops when you watch him, but he'll need to refine his technique and develop more consistency to pay off his potential — his aggressive nature is a gift and a curse (nine pass interference and two defensive holding penalties in the last two seasons). Projected: Round 1
— 5. Clark Phillips III (Jr., Utah, 5-9, 184)
Phillips features a smaller frame, but his ability to mirror and match routes — he's a student of the game — plus his ball skills (nine career interceptions with four pick-sixes) more than make up for it. He and Oregon's Gonzalez were the only Pac-12 defenders with 11-plus passes defended and four-plus interceptions in 2022. Phillips was a team captain and unanimous All-American last season. Projected: Round 2
— 6. Deonte Banks (Jr., Maryland, 6-0, 197)
Banks' impressive athleticism was on full-display in Indy with a 4.35 40-yard dash, a 42-inch vertical and 11-foot-4 broad jump. There's a lot to like when you factor in his solid blend of size, strength and versatility. He's also a physical tone-setter for the position, which is a rare commodity combined with his elite speed, but his aggressiveness gets the best of him sometimes. Banks had five pass interference and three defensive holding penalties in 2022. Projected: Rounds 1-2
— 7. Kelee Ringo (Jr., Georgia, 6-1, 207)
Ringo was the top cornerback in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 1 recruit in Arizona, one spot ahead of Texas running back Bijan Robinson. His size/speed combination is still developing, but the former five-star recruit oozes upside and he usually gets his hands on the ball if it's in his vicinity. A technique in its infancy and a lack of spatial awareness can cause him to get burned. Projected: Rounds 1-2
— 8. Cam Smith (Jr., South Carolina, 6-0, 180)
Smith was Jaycee Horn's successor and maintained Horn's excellence for the Gamecocks. So much so that quarterbacks essentially avoided him last season, which is why there was a steep drop-off in his ball production from his standout 2021 campaign. He can be overaggressive, which leads to a lot of laundry on the field. Projected: Rounds 2-3
— 9. Tyrique Stevenson (Sr., Miami, 6-0, 198)
Stevenson aced Senior Bowl week and the combine. He's a big, strong corner capable of bullying smaller receivers and matching up with the big guys due to his elite athleticism. He'll need to improve his consistency against the run, but he has all the attributes to do so in the pros. Stevenson was the No. 3 cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class (behind Derek Stingley and Andrew Booth), and spent two seasons with Georgia before returning home, transferring to the Hurricanes. Projected: Rounds 2-3
— 10. Darius Rush (Sr., South Carolina, 6-1, 198)
Rush likely made himself a lot of money in Mobile. He was impressive in all three practices, often running better routes than the wide receivers, disrupting them all week long. He features an impressive size/speed combo, while the on-field radar clocked him at 21.65 miles per hour — the only corners who were faster in the last five years were Tariq Woolen and Joshua Williams. He backed all of that up with a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine. Rush was one of my biggest "sleepers" headed into this draft season, but no one is sleeping on him now. Projected: Rounds 2-4
— BONUS: DJ Turner (Jr., Michigan, 5-11, 178)
Turner's movement skills are second-to-none in this draft class. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.26) and 20-yard split (2.32) at the combine. He features outside/inside versatility and he's feisty for his size, but he can get bodied by bigger receivers. Projected: Round 2
— BONUS: Julius Brents (Sr., Kansas State, 6-2, 198)
Brents' technique is still a bit raw, because he could rely on his elite athleticism and size to dominate in the Big 12. His 6.63 3-cone and 4.05 short shuttle both ranked No. 2 among all players at the combine. If he can smooth out his edges in the pros, he's capable of disrupting every aspect of an offense. Projected: Rounds 2-3
— BONUS: Garrett Williams (Jr., Syracuse, 5-10, 192)
A torn ACL ended Williams' 2022 season in October. There's a good chance he slips during the draft because this cornerback class is loaded and he didn't participate in any pre-draft testing while he continued to rehab, but if he hadn't suffered the injury, we'd be talking about a borderline first-rounder based on his mirroring ability alone. Projected: Rounds 3-4
— BONUS: Kyu Blu Kelly (Sr., Stanford, 6-0, 191)
Kelly is more quick than fast, but he features a refined technique and is an asset against the run. He led the Pac-12 in passes defensed (13) in 2021. Kelly's father (Brian) played cornerback at USC before he was drafted in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft, playing a decade and winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Projected: Rounds 3-4
— BONUS: Riley Moss (Sr., Iowa, 6-0, 193)
Moss features a solid size/speed combination and he thrives in press coverage. The team captain ran an elite 6.60 3-cone at his pro day, which means that should continue in the pros. He has provided consistent ball production with 11 interceptions and 37 passes defensed in five seasons with the Hawkeyes and has playmaking upside with the ball in his hands (three pick-sixes since 2020). It takes an advanced route runner to compete with Moss. His natural cover instincts suggest there's a future at safety once his days on the perimeter are done. Projected: Rounds 4-5
— BONUS: Tre'vius Hodges-Tomlinson (Sr., TCU, 5-7, 178)
Hodges-Tomlinson makes up for his size deficiency with tenacity and explosive athleticism. According to Pro Football Focus, he only allowed a 34.5% completion rate when targeted in 2022 and had 41 passes defensed in four seasons with the Horned Frogs. Some NFL teams will remove him from their draft board simply due to his size, but LaDainian's nephew was the 2022 Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back) winner, and he plays bigger than his stature indicates. An imaginative defensive coaching staff will find a place for him. Projected: Rounds 4-5
— BONUS: Jakorian Bennett (Sr., Maryland, 5-10, 188)
Bennett was a three-star JUCO recruit before landing with the Terrapins. He features NFL-ready speed (4.30 40-yard dash in Indy) and ball skills. He had more passes defensed (31) than games played (28) in his Maryland career and led the Big Ten with 16 in 2021. He's a flag magnet. Bennett has committed 13 penalties over the last two seasons, including six pass interference flags in 2022. Projected: Rounds 4-6
— BONUS: Terell Smith (Sr., Minnesota, 6-0, 204)
Smith has missed multiple games because of injuries in four of his five seasons with the Gophers, but his impressive size/speed combination will likely prove to tantalizing to ignore for NFL teams. He was a prolific prep track athlete, winning the Georgia state championship in the 100 meters (10.39) as a junior and the 200 meters (21.26) as a sophomore. His personal best in the 200 meters (20.84) was the fifth-best time in the country. Smith also led Minnesota in passes defensed as a true freshman and as a senior. Projected: Rounds 4-7
— BONUS: Eli Ricks (Jr., Alabama, 6-2, 188)
Ricks was the No. 2 cornerback in the 2020 recruiting class (behind Georgia's Ringo) and the No. 2 recruit in California (behind QB Bryce Young). He was on a fast-track to first-round draft pick after his All-American freshman year at LSU, but that's starting to look like his peak. He was a part-time player after transferring to Tuscaloosa. The physical tools all remain mostly intact. A capable NFL coaching staff could take him on as a project. Projected: Rounds 4-7
— BONUS: Jaylon Jones (Jr., Texas A&M, 6-2, 200)
A five-star recruit, Jones was the top safety in the 2020 recruiting class. His average speed may necessitate a return to the position. He's physically imposing with adequate ball skills, but there's a lot of work needed with his technique in coverage. Projected: Rounds 5-7
— BONUS: Mekhi Blackmon (Sr., USC, 5-11, 178)
Blackmon was first-team All-Pac-12 and led the conference with 15 passes defensed in 2022 for the Trojans after four solid season with Colorado. He's been banged up for most of his collegiate career, playing in double-digit games only once (2022) in five FBS seasons. Projected: Rounds 5-7
— BONUS: Starling Thomas V (Sr., UAB, 5-10, 190)
Thomas was an accomplished sprinter in high school. He played the final seven games in 2019 with a torn ACL in his right knee (missed the 2020 season to recover). You can't question his toughness or ball skills (25 passes defensed in 26 games the last two seasons). Projected: Rounds 5-7
— BONUS: D'Shawn Jamison (Sr., Texas, 5-9, 184)
A four-star recruit, Jamison was the No. 15 cornerback in the 2018 recruiting class, but began his career as a wide receiver in Austin, although he had never played the position before. He moved back to corner his final four seasons with the Longhorns. He's undersized, but there's more than enough skills to develop as a potential nickelback in the NFL. Plus, he offers real value on special teams from day one. He's blocked a punt and he's dynamic with the ball in his hands. He has kick return TDs of 98 and 100 yards and a 90-yard punt return TD on his resume. He's also returned an interception 69 yards for a score. Projected: Round 7-PFA
