5 CB Prospects Broncos Could Pair with Patrick Surtain II

The Denver Broncos are looking for cornerback help, and this is a deep class of corners to provide that help.

Going into the 2024 season, the Denver Broncos have many needs scattered over the roster. Despite having one of the best cornerbacks in the league, Patrick Surtain II, and a quality slot option in JaQuan McMillan, cornerback is at the top of the list of significant needs for the Broncos.

While Denver has Riley Moss — who spent most of his rookie year recovering from hernia surgery — waiting in the wings as a possible option, getting a high-quality starter is paramount. The Broncos would also do well with adding depth to the room.

Here are five possible cornerbacks  the Broncos could look at in the draft.

Jarvis Brownlee Jr | Louisville

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Pros

A true press coverage cornerback, Brownlee shows great hand placement in his jam technique, a fiery demeanor, and great footwork in man-to-man coverage. His hips are incredibly fluid, and he can turn and run with anybody. 

Brownlee's physicality is always present at the catch point or when crashing against the run. He has incredible ball skills and uses his length well to knock a lot of passes away. His trail technique is impeccable, and he has great timing at the ball arrival to compete for pass breakups.

Cons

While Brownlee is a legitimate starting option in a man defense, his spatial awareness and instincts in zone coverage are severely lacking. His overaggressive nature driving to the football causes him to be too shallow in his zone drops, which opens up soft spots over the top of his head that turn into completions. 

Brownlee is a decent tackler, but sometimes he ducks his head and whiffs in the open field as he dives towards the ball carrier’s feet. There are also instances where he can get grabby downfield, leading to penalties as the route progresses.

My Grade: Round 3

Erick Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 140

Josh Newton | TCU

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Pros

Aggressive and athletic, Newton is a high-quality coverage cornerback in short areas. He has enough fluidity to play in short zones and is hyperproductive. 

Newton has a ton of experience, playing in over 4000 snaps in his collegiate career. His experience is easy to see in his ability to identify routes and put himself in a position to make plays on the receiver. 

Newton uses the sideline to his advantage well and stays tight in trail technique early in the route. He has a prototypical build to play inside or outside at the next level.

Cons

Long speed is the biggest issue with Newton, as speedsters gain ground on him as the route progresses downfield. He can get lost in space if he doesn't get his hands on faster players early in the rep. 

Newton plays too high in his back pedal in man coverage, which can cause transition issues when he needs to click and close on the route moving back toward the football. He may be best suited as a cover-2 defender who can jump short area throws and funnel receivers to safety help over the top.

My Grade: Round 4

Trickel's Big Board Position: No. 119

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Kris Abrams-Draine | Missouri

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Pros

A tall and slender cornerback, Abrams-Draine is super fluid and incredibly versatile. He can play inside or outside and in multiple different coverage systems. He has good athleticism and ball skills with enough intelligence to read, recognize, and react to drive to the ball. 

Abrams-Draine brings good physicality for his size as a run defender and delivers accurate blows to a good target area as a tackler. He's a highly productive cover corner with good ball skills and ball-tracking ability.

Cons

Abrams Draine's slender frame will be an issue against bigger opponents, and despite being highly productive, he needs to bring more aggression in contested catch situations. He can keep his eyes in the backfield too long, forcing him to rely on his recovery athleticism rather than his technique and footwork.

My Grade: Round 4

Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 138

Caelen Carson | Wake Forest

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Pros

A highly productive player with 36 starts in college, Carson is an inside and outside versatile coverage defender with a wicked close to the football. He's hyperaggressive, triggering downhill, and brings the thunder as a tackler. 

Carson's transitions well and identifies route combinations well in zone, but his best fit will be as a press coverage cornerback with great physicality close to the line of scrimmage. He has active and violent hands in his press and around the football at the catch point, and his production is impressive, with over 30 passes defended in college.

Cons

Carson has some significant injury concerns from a few years ago that caused him to miss a lot of time early in his collegiate career. He can get caught face-guarding as routes progress downfield, drawing flags and missed opportunities on the football. 

Carson can get left behind when playing in space away from the receiver due to average athleticism and burst out of his breaks. While he brings great physicality to the position, there are instances where Carson can take bad angles to ball carriers and miss tackles with poor technique.

My Grade: Round 5

Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 134

Kalen King | Penn State

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Pros

If Kalen King can get his hands on you at the start of the route, he is challenging to break away from. His press technique is very good, and he has a solid punch to re-route receivers off the line of scrimmage, which allows him to stay in phase. 

King had a highly productive season in 2022, with 15 pass breakups and three interceptions. He has good instincts when the ball is coming his way and uses his length to swat the ball away when he is in position.

Cons

King struggles in multiple facets of playing the cornerback position, and a move to safety is highly likely at the NFL level, particularly in a system that features a double-high safety look. He lacks burst and hip fluidity in short areas, can get burned quickly with speed down the field, and lacks physicality at the catch point and as a run defender. 

King has poor technique and angles of attack as a tackler, struggles with lateral agility in coverage, and allows too many routes to open massive amounts of separation. His lack of foot speed will also bring into question whether he has enough range to play safety.

My Grade: Round 6

Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 155

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Depending on what the Broncos will do with their defensive scheme for the 2024 season, a couple of these players make a ton of sense to add to the room. Namely, Kris Abrams-Draine and Jarvis Brownlee, Jr. Draine’s ability as a scheme and position versatile player makes him a dream candidate, especially if Vance Joseph continues to call as much zone coverage as he did last season.

If Joseph goes back to his press-man coverage scheme that he is accustomed to, Brownlee Jr is the ideal candidate to step in and start right away for the Broncos defense. His fit would be natural in that defense.

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