Top NFL Draft Cornerback Prospects

SI Staff | Apr 4, 2013

Top NFL Draft Cornerback Prospects /

Top NFL Draft Cornerback Prospects

Dee Milliner

Milliner has given almost no reason not to the first cornerback selected in the NFL Draft and should go fairly high. He led the NCAA with 22 passes defended and had 54 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. After a great showing in the national championship, Milliner addressed the one perceived flaw in his game with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash. He was scheduled for surgery in March to repair a torn labrum but will recover in plenty of time for the 2013 season.

Xavier Rhodes

Rhodes put together a nice 2012 season but still wasn't able to match his four-interception, 16-passes defended freshman season in 2010. He impressed against Clemson, limiting DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins in both zone and man coverage. Rhodes helped himself out at the combine with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and strong showings in the vertical and broad jumps. He is great in press coverage but needs to improve his tackling.

D.J. Hayden

There's need for either a cornerback or a receiver for the Patriots, and Hayden's name heated up last week after he ran a 4.40 40 at the Cougars Pro Day. Hayden still has some medical hurdles to clear after a freakish injury involving internal bleeding last November, but his stock is definitely on the upswing. He has NFL size, a knack for finding the football, and physical, aggressive cover skills that translate well to the pro game.

Desmond Trufant

Four seasons one consistent performance have prepared Trufant for the NFL. He had 195 tackles, six interceptions and three forced fumbles in his four years with Washington. Trufant put on a good show at the Senior Bowl, playing physically with receivers and matching up well in man coverage. He had one of the top times in both 40-yard dash times and the 20-yard shuttle among cornerbacks at the combine. He's vulnerable to giving up the sideline in the run game.

Johnthan Banks

Banks got off to a great start last season but a potentially incredible year was stymied by a knee injury suffered midway through the season. He had four interceptions and nine passes defended in Mississippi State's first seven games but just two passes defended and no interceptions in the final six. He still won the Thorpe Award. Banks' draft stock slipped when he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

Darius Slay

Although not as highly regarded as his teammate Johnthan Banks, Slay put together a nice senior year, preventing teams from picking on him while they tried to stay away from Banks. Slay made five interceptions and defended 11 passes in 2012. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time of any cornerback at the NFL Combine, posting a 4.36-second time. Banks does not have the directional changing ability of some of the more highly touted cornerbacks.

Jamar Taylor

After a satisfactory senior year, Taylor has improved his draft stock in the offseason. He made four interceptions, defended 13 passes and forced three fumbles at Boise State and then demonstrated strong man coverage skills at the Senior Bowl. He had another great showing at the combine, running a 4.39 40-yard dash, benching 22 reps in the bench press and performing well in the field drills. He can get fooled on play-actions and must improve his press coverage.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson

Wreh-Wilson has provided solid coverage for fours years at Connecticut. He made eight interceptions and defended 35 passes in his career with the Huskies. Wreh-Wilson has long arms that he effectively uses to knocks balls away from receivers, but he's an inconsistent tackler and has difficulty recovering once his receiver gets behind him.

Jordan Poyer

Poyer had a big year in 2012 to help him rise up the draft boards. The All-American set career-bests with seven interceptions, five tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Poyer is a smart cornerback with quick feet and can turn and run with receivers well. He can also return kicks and punts, averaging 14.1 yards per punt return as a junior.

Logan Ryan

Ryan has fulfilled the role of a shutdown cornerback for the past two year. He followed up his 17-passes-defended, three-interception season in 2011 with 21 passes defended and four interceptions along with 94 tackles in 2012. Ryan is excellent in man coverage and a consistent tackler. He lacks elite speed, which forces him to break out of his back pedal early and give up short receptions.

Robert Alford

Alford racked up 10 interceptions and 20 passes defended in his career with FCS-level Southeast Louisiana. He backed up the skill behind those numbers by performing well at the Senior Bowl, playing solid man and zone coverage. Alford demonstrated his athleticism at the combine, running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and benching 17 reps on the bench press. He struggles in run defense, missing tackles and taking poor angle to the ball carrier.

Will Davis

Davis closed out his college career on a high note with a huge second half to the 2012 season. He had a string of five straight games with an interception and finished the year tied with Dee Milliner for the most passes defended in the nation with 22. Davis only played FBS football for two years after transferring from a community college. At just 186 pounds, he'll need to gain some weight to successfully transition to the NFL.

Leon McFadden

McFadden compiled his third straight productive season, recording 15 passes defended in 2012 after getting 17 in 2011 and 14 in 2010. He also got a career high three interceptions last season and made 61 tackles. McFadden is just 5 feet 10 inches, possibly limiting him to a slot corner. He plays solid zone coverage and jumps underneath routes well.

Dwayne Gratz

Gratz's huge performance at the NFL Combine has him rising quickly on draft boards. He showed a solid combination of speed and strength, running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and a 6.70-second three cone drill while grinding out 22 reps on the bench press, tied for the most by any cornerback this year. He also excelled at the Senior Bowl and defended 14 passes with three interceptions last season. Gratz can sometimes be overly aggressive and doesn't turn and run with receivers well.

Published Apr 4, 2013

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