2019 NFL Draft Position Rankings: Defensive Backs

For this year's crop of cornerbacks and safeties, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the race to be first off the board is wide-open.

MORE POSITION RANKINGS: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | OFFENSIVE LINE | DEFENSIVE LINE/EDGE | LINEBACKERS

1. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU (Overall Rank: 27)
Height: 6' 17⁄8" | Weight: 185 pounds
A long, fluid and fast cover corner, Williams has the physical traits and ball skills to be a dominant “Seattle-style” press corner. Though opponents are going to test his willingness to tackle early on though.

2. Byron Murphy, CB, Washington (Overall Rank: 29)
Height: 5' 103⁄4" | Weight: 190 pounds
An undersized ball hawk who thrives in off coverage, Murphy played a lot of boundary corner despite his lack of size at Washington. His instincts and twitch transitioning out of his backpedal allow him to get his hands on a lot of passes (a la former UW corner Marcus Peters). He’s also aggressive and physical as a tackler despite being undersized. The biggest issue is a middling length/speed combination—he could be limited to the slot in the NFL, where his safety help is built in.

3. Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple (Overall Rank: 33)
Height: 5' 113⁄4" | Weight: 192 pounds
A transfer from Presbyterian, Ya-Sin starred in his lone season at the FBS level. He’s at his best in off-coverage, where he shows good quickness and instincts, and he has enough speed and the long arms (32-inch arms) to play press coverage as well. He needs to some refinement, but has early starting potential and scheme versatility.

4. Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware (Overall Rank: 36)
Height: 5' 113⁄4" | Weight: 206 pounds
The cousin of Hall of Fame defensive back Herb Adderley, Nasir Adderley played cornerback and safety at Delaware. He is fluid, rangy ball hawk in centerfield, and capable of matching up in man coverage with most slot receivers. He also has a physical edge despite being on the small side for a safety. His instincts are good, though he got away with the occasional misstep against FCS offenses—NFL teams might worry about having him as the last line of defense early in his career.

5. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia (Overall Rank: 37)
Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 193 pounds
He’s a press corner who plays bigger than his listed height thanks to competitiveness and especially long arms (32 inches); Baker can stay with anyone underneath. But his average speed could make him a liability covering downfield.

6. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida (Overall Rank: 40)
Height: 5' 107⁄8" | Weight: 210 pounds
He was a swiss-army knife in Florida’s secondary, playing centerfield, in the box and over the slot. As his instincts improve with more reps he could be a suitable centerfielder down the line. He’s a bit light to play close to the line of scrimmage, but his ability to match up with slot receivers should earn him early playing time in the NFL.

7. Taylor Rapp, S, Washington (Overall Rank: 41)
Height: 5' 113⁄4" | Weight: 208 pounds
He’s not the rangiest free safety, but Rapp is instinctive and as sure an open-field tackler as you’ll find among this year’s DB prospects, playing bigger than his size. He might not be ideal as a single-high safety or an in-the-box thumper, but with his well-rounded skillset and football character he should be an early starter in a defense that is looking for interchangeable safeties.

8. Joejuan Williams, CB/S, Vanderbilt (Overall Rank: 42)
Height: 6' 35⁄8" | Weight: 211 pounds
He’s raw, and he has some of the problems typical of tall corners (chance-of-direction issues) and middling long speed (his 4.64 forty at the combine is indicative of that). But Williams is a fluid athlete with the long arms and play strength to dominate as a press corner. There is talent to mold, and a future at safety is in the cards.

9. Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama (Overall Rank: 44)
Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 195 pounds
He became the leader of Alabama’s secondary in his only full season as a starter, and Thompson’s length and range as a centerfielder translates to the pros (even after the Tide’s shaky finish to last season). He's inconsistent and might be an adventure early on, but more reps should lead to more consistency in his reads.

10. Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky (Overall Rank: 46)
Height: 6' 17⁄8" | Weight: 213 pounds
A Seattle-style corner, Johnson has an excellent blend of length (325⁄8-inch arms), long speed and fluid athleticism. There are some change-of-direction limitations underneath and some inconsistency tracking the ball downfield, but he has the traits to become a quality starter in a Cover-3.

11. Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State (Overall Rank: 49)
Height: 5' 111⁄2" | Weight: 205 pounds
More of an undersized linebacker, Abram will make an immediate impact playing the run as a box safety and as an open-field tackler. The question is whether or not he’ll hold up in coverage—he might be relegated to more of a sub-package linebacker role on third downs.

12. Darnell Savage, S, Maryland (Overall Rank: 51)
Height: 5' 103⁄4" | Weight: 198 pounds
An undersized but versatile and athletic safety, Savage is at his best matching up with slot receivers and tight ends in man coverage. He has good range, with the speed and instincts to make plays on the ball in zone coverage as well. The lack of size shows up as a tackler.

13. Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame (Overall Rank: 52)
Height: 5' 103⁄4" | Weight: 195 pounds
Undersized but quick-footed and competitive, Love was one of the best cover corners in college football last year. He got run by a couple times in college and might not have the long speed to play outside at his size, but he could become one of the league’s better slot corners in coverage and is much better in run support than his size suggests.

14. Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson (Overall Rank: 53)
Height: 6' 11⁄2" | Weight: 199 pounds
Mullen is long and physical at the line of scrimmage. He can be a little stiff when flipping his hips and had good-not-great long speed, putting him at risk of getting beat deep. It’s also fair to wonder how much he was aided playing behind college football’s best front four last season. Still, he has a good blend of length and athleticism, and teams that emphasize length in their corners will see him as a fairly high-ceiling prospect.

15. Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State (Overall Rank: 54)
Height: 6' 13⁄4" | Weight: 192 pounds
A converted wide receiver still learning the position, Layne has ideal length (33-inch arms) and the fluid athleticism to mirror more effectively than most big corners. As he becomes more instinctive and begins making more plays on the ball, he could emerge as a quality starter with a chance to top out as a star.

16. Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn State (Overall Rank: 61)
Height: 6' 15⁄8" | Weight: 205 pounds
He was All-Big Ten as a junior as Penn State’s third corner, and Oruwariye continued to improve last season. He’s not an elite athlete or a burner, but he’s physical and has a good blend of size and movement skills, profiling as a likely quality starter with a relatively high floor.

17. Juan Thornhill, S/CB, Virginia (Overall Rank: 83)
Height: 6' 01⁄4" | Weight: 205 pounds
He played cornerback and safety at UVa, and Thornhill has the fluid athleticism, instincts and length to be developed a number of ways at the next level. He’s a bit underpowered as a hitter, and a bit stiff in his movements as a matchup corner, but his overall cover skills and ball-hawking nature will earn him a sub-package role early with the chance to become a starter down the line.

18. Amani Hooker, S, Iowa (Overall Rank: 85)
Height: 5' 113⁄8" | Weight: 210 pounds
Instinctive in coverage and physical filling against the run, Hooker has a balanced skillset and will appeal to teams looking for interchangeable safeties. He has some limits in coverage and won’t match up well with receivers and athletic tight ends, but is one of the higher-floor safeties in this draft class.

19. Saivion Smith, CB, Alabama (Overall Rank: 96)
Height: 6' 07⁄8" | Weight: 199 pounds
A five-star recruit for LSU who ended up leaving and spending a year in JUCO before one season under Nick Saban, Smith is still very much a work-in-progress. But his overall athleticism and outstanding length (331⁄4-inch arms) are intriguing traits. He had impressive highs along with some troubling lows last season. He probably won’t be trusted as a rookie, but the pieces are there for him to become a quality starter as a press corner.

20. Marvell Tell III, S, USC (Overall Rank: 107)
Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 198 pounds
He’s a projection, but Tell is long, fluid and fast. But he lacks the kind of physical edge teams want in a safety and he doesn’t have ideal instincts in centerfield. He might get a look as a cornerback from some teams.

21. David Long, CB, Michigan (Overall Rank: 110)
22. Mike Bell, S, Fresno State (Overall Rank: 113)
23. Evan Worthington, S, Colorado (Overall Rank: 125)
24. Isaiah Johnson, CB, Houston (Overall Rank: 126)
25. Mark Fields, CB, Clemson (Overall Rank: 132)
26. Mike Edwards, S, Kentucky (Overall Rank: 136)
27. Kris Boyd, CB, Texas (Overall Rank: 137)
28. Will Harris, S, Boston College (Overall Rank: 141)
29. Jamel Dean, CB, Auburn (Overall Rank: 142)
30. Sean Bunting, CB, Central Michigan (Overall Rank: 144)
31. Marquise Blair, S, Utah (Overall Rank: 147)
32. Jordan Brown, CB, South Dakota State (Overall Rank: 159)
33. Iman Lewis-Marshall, CB, USC (Overall Rank: 162)
34. Corey Ballentine, CB, Washburn (Overall Rank: 164)
35. Jimmy Moreland, CB, James Madison (Overall Rank: 167)
36. Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami-Fla. (Overall Rank: 169)
37. Jamal Peters, CB, Mississippi State (Overall Rank: 171)
38. Kendall Sheffield, CB, Ohio State (Overall Rank: 173)
39. Blace Brown, CB, Troy (Overall Rank: 199)
40. Michael Jackson, CB, Miami-Fla. (Overall Rank: 202)
41. Sheldrick Redwine, S/CB, Miami-Fla. (Overall Rank: 207)
42. Montre Hartage, CB, Northwestern (Overall Rank: 214)
43. Darius West, S, Kentucky (Overall Rank: 224)
44. Malik Gant, S, Marshall (Overall Rank: 228)
45. Lukas Denis, S, Boston College (Overall Rank: 237)
46. Austin Blessuan, CB, Rutgers (Overall Rank: 239)
47. Ugo Amadi, S, Oregon (Overall Rank: 240)
48. Delvon Randall, S, Temple (Overall Rank: 246)
49. Jamalcolm Liggins, CB, Dickinson State (Overall Rank: 251)
50. Andrew Wingard, S, Wyoming (Overall Rank: 259)
51. Mark McLaurin, S, Mississippi State (Overall Rank: 262)
52. Zedrick Woods, S, Ole Miss (Overall Rank: 266)
53. Khari Willis, S, Michigan State (Overall Rank: 273)
54. Ryan Pulley, CB, Arkansas (Overall Rank: 274)
55. John Battle, S, LSU (Overall Rank: 284)
56. Xavier Crawford, CB, Central Michigan (Overall Rank: 286)
57. Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College (Overall Rank: 287)
58. Rashad Fenton, CB, South Carolina (Overall Rank: 289)
59. D'Cota Dixon, S, Wisconsin (Overall Rank: 290)
60. Alijah Holder, CB, Stanford (Overall Rank: 307)
61. Derrick Baity, CB, Kentucky (Overall Rank: 315)
62. Saquon Hampton, S, Rutgers (Overall Rank: 321)
63. Rashad Robinson, CB, James Madison (Overall Rank: 322)
64. Keisean Nixon, CB, South Carolina (Overall Rank: 331)
65. Jonathan Crawford, S, Indiana (Overall Rank: 345)
66. Davante Davis, CB, Texas (Overall Rank: 350)
67. Brandon Jones, S, Texas (Overall Rank: 362)
68. Donnie Lewis, CB, Tulane (Overall Rank: 373)
69. Donovan Wilson, S, Texas A&M (Overall Rank: 377)
70. Jordan Miller, CB, Washington (Overall Rank: 386)
71. Ken Webster, CB, Ole Miss (Overall Rank: 391)
72. Jamon Reynolds, S, Virginia Tech (Overall Rank: 397)
73. Derrek Thomas, CB, Baylor (Overall Rank: 400)
74. Chris Westry, CB, Kentucky (Overall Rank: 403)
75. Clifton Duck, CB, Appalachian State (Overall Rank: 408)

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