Seahawks Draft: Ranking CB Prospects - Option for Seattle in 1st Round?

Even with Tariq Woolen, Mike Jackson, and Tre Brown set to return, the Seattle Seahawks may remain in the hunt for an upgrade at cornerback in the 2023 NFL Draft. Reporter Corbin Smith ranks his top corner prospects, including plenty of top prospects with regional flavor.

With less than two weeks remaining until the 2023 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks will soon be on the clock with the fifth overall pick and hold 10 total selections, presenting a prime opportunity to bolster their roster with young talent.

Buoyed by the home run pick selecting Pro Bowler Tariq Woolen in the fifth round a year ago, cornerback stands out as a position of strength for Seattle moving forward. Along with Woolen, fellow starter Mike Jackson and Tre Brown will be back in 2023, but as coach Pete Carroll has emphasized, that doesn't mean the team won't be looking to further improve the group in the draft.

As part of my annual prospect rankings, here's where each of the top cornerback prospects from the 2023 class falls on my top 300 with quick scouting reports and reported visits with the Seahawks if applicable.

*Players are listed in order by position with overall ranking in parenthesis.

Tier 1 - First-Round Talent

1 (6). Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

Reported Visit: Top-30 Official

Though he's a bit undersized at 6-0, 181 pounds with sub-32 inch arms, Witherspoon plays physical, aggressive football in coverage and as a run defender, delightfully blowing up ball carriers on run plays and screens. He also has plus route recognition and ball skills from man or zone schemes, which led to three picks and double digit pass breakups while yielding a dismal 35.5 percent completion rate against him. He's a shutdown cover defender with rare physicality for the position, making him a top-five talent in this class.

2 (8). Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

Traits-wise, Gonzalez offers the complete package coming into the NFL with great size (6-1, 197 pounds) and enticing athletic metrics with sub-4.4 speed and a 41.5-inch vertical jump. Using his length to his benefit, he's a capable press cover corner who can excel inside the first five yards hindering opposing releases and has the quickness to swing his hips open and stick with quicker wideouts. His physicality can be hit-and-miss and the technical parts of his game need refinement, but he's on par with Witherspoon for overall talent and turnover-creating tendencies.

© Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

3 (24). Joey Porter Jr., Penn State

The son of former Steelers star Joey Porter, Porter made a name for himself as a physical press coverage corner for the Nittany Lions, using his ridiculous 34-inch arm length and athleticism to stymie receivers at the line of scrimmage. Possessing excellent long speed, he neutralizes receivers in the vertical game and has the size to high point the football on contested coverages. He's a work in progress turning those opportunities into picks, however, and will need to develop better ball skills to reach his star potential at next level.

4 (27). Julius Brents, Kansas State

Reported Visit: Combine Formal

Spending two seasons with Iowa before transferring to Kansas State, Brents enjoyed a breakout senior campaign for the upstart Wildcats, producing a career-best four interceptions and a forced fumble for the Big 12 champions. Though he lacks elite speed and was beaten downfield occasionally in college, he checks off every other box athletically with outstanding change of direction traits and explosiveness for a 6-3, 198-pound cornerback and loves to hit in the run game, likely vaulting him into the first round due to his immense untapped upside.

Tier 2 - Second/Third-Round Talent

5 (33). Cam Smith, South Carolina

One of the SEC's best boundary corners, Smith has plus-size for the position coupled with sharpened instincts in coverage, which led to immense ball production with four interceptions and 12 pass breakups over the past two seasons. He has a radar for undercutting routes underneath, though he doesn't have elite lateral quickness and can get toasted by faster receivers if his aggression catches him out of position. He also will have to be more disciplined with hands hands, as he drew a whopping 10 penalties last season and can have chronic grabbing issues when beaten.

6 (34). Kelee Ringo, Georgia

Reported Visits: Combine Formal, Top-30 Official

Built like a safety at 6-2, 207 pounds, Ringo excels in press coverage where he can use his size to his advantage playing physical football off the snap and loves to come up in support as a tackler. While he has legitimate 4.3 speed, he still has been vulnerable at times giving up big plays downfield and battled persistent issues tracking the football. If he can clean that area of his game up and avoid the technical breakdowns that have dogged him at times, he has a chance to be a very solid starting corner in the league.

7 (42). Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State

A ball hawk in every sense of the term, Forbes made picking off quarterbacks look like stealing candy from a baby, intercepting an impressive 14 passes and returning six of them for touchdowns over three college seasons. He's adept in man and zone coverage and has the length and athleticism to match up with all types of receivers. What pushes him down a peg, however, is his subpar run defense at 166 pounds, as he lacks the pop behind his pads to consistently make tackles against the run.

8 (45). Deonte Banks, Maryland

Rebounding from a lost junior season due to a shoulder injury, Banks enjoyed a stellar senior campaign with 38 tackles, an interception, and seven pass breakups. Offering solid size at 6-0, 197 pounds with off-the-charts athleticism, the Maryland native has all of the tools to be molded into a top corner in the NFL, but he still has plenty of room to grow instinctually as a defender and has yet to prove himself a consistent producer getting his hands on the football, so he may not be ready to start early.

© Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

9 (57). Clark Phillips III, Utah

A playmaking machine in the Utes' secondary, Phillips put points on the board like an offensive player, scoring four touchdowns on interceptions over three seasons. Undersized at 5-9, he likely will be relegated to the nickel in the pros and his disappointing testing at the combine may cast questions about him handling top-tier slot receivers, but he plays faster due to a high football IQ and his innate ability to read quarterbacks to time up his break on throws should set him up for great success.

10 (59). DJ Turner, Michigan

Well-rounded with decent size, elite athleticism, and positional flexibility, Turner could project as a top-10 caliber corner on the boundary or in the slot at the next level. He has enough punch to play bump-and-run coverage while also being a superb mover for off-man schemes, which could suit him well for a variety of roles. Teams did find occasional success targeting him downfield with bigger receivers and he's not a stout tackler despite having the right mindset, so that will need addressed to start full-time.

11 (65). Garrett Williams, Syracuse

A technically savvy defender with prior experience playing outside as well as the slot, Williams may have been in the mix to be a top-10 pick at the position if not for an ACL tear. He's spunky at the point of attack, more than willing to mix it up near the line of scrimmage and come up to make tackles against the run. He posted quality ball production numbers, but he often struggled to get his head turned to play the ball and improvements tracking throws will be vital to earning a starting role coming off injury.

12 (67). Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford

A more scheme-dependent prospect, Kelly lacks top-flight speed or quickness, which led to some problems in the Pac-12 keeping up with shifty receivers with polished route running skills. He also hasn't been consistent as a run defender, leaving tackles on the field and not always looking interested in joining the fight. But in a system that allows him to play more press and zone coverage, he can be highly effective and rack up pass breakups in bunches with starter upside.

13 (72). Kei'Trel Clark, Louisville

Likely a slot defender at the next level due to his smaller 5-10, 181-pound build, Clark possesses a wide array of intriguing athletic traits, including 4.42 speed, to match up against most slot receivers. His lack of height and length created problems for him the ACC, however, as bigger receivers outmuscled him for receptions and slipped away from his tackle attempts. That could be a ceiling on his pro potential, though in a man-heavy system, his athleticism gives him a chance to be a starter for a long time.

14 (83). Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU

A late bloomer for the Horned Frogs, Hodges-Tomlinson came on strong with five picks over his final two seasons, exhibiting elite ball skills and route recognition traits from the slot. His ball production and aggressiveness flying downhill to meet ball carriers should appeal to teams, but his 5-8 frame may create concerns handling bigger receivers and tight ends in nickel sets and he will have to shore up technique in mirror to avoid penalties that haunted him in college.

15 (97). Jakorian Bennett, Maryland

A fringe day two candidate in large part due to his unteachable athletic traits such as 4.3 speed and a 40-inch vertical, Bennett will be a project for whatever coaching staff takes him on. His speed shows up smothering vertical routes, he does a good job getting his hands on the ball for breakups and he's a solid tackler, but he will need to shore up his entire pallet defending short and intermediate routes where technique can suffer and his burst out of breaks doesn't match up to testing.

Tier 3 - Day Three/Undrafted Talent

16 (101). Tyrique Stevenson, Miami

Built with a strong 198-pound frame and 32-plus inch arms, Stevenson projects as a quality boundary cornerback in a zone-heavy scheme where his physicality and speed can be accentuated. He's an ascending player from a ball skills standpoint, particularly adept at winning contested throws downfield. If asked to play much man, he lacks the smooth movement traits to consistently match up with quick, explosive receivers and could have trouble due to these limitations.

17 (104). Rezjohn Wright, Oregon State

Reported Visit: Local Pro Day

One of the most improved corners in the nation, Wright has gone a long way since starring on "Last Chance U," picking off four passes and posting 13 pass breakups the past two seasons. He has coveted size at 6-2 with 32 1/2-inch arms and uses that length effectively to make plays on the ball in the short game as well as downfield. He isn't the twitchiest athlete and his run defense has been inconsistent, which may put a cap on his ceiling, but he could still be a starter with continued development.

18 (115). Alex Austin, Oregon State

Another tall 6-1 cornerback heralding from Corvallis, Austin equaled Wright with four picks the past two years and also produced 13 pass breakups, showcasing his own talents matching routes and making plays on the football. He's a better run defender than his teammate with a tenacious mindset pursuing ball carriers, but his success at the next level will depend on becoming more effective in man coverage, where his dearth of top-tier athleticism hurt him against faster opponents in college.

19 (120). Keidron Smith, Kentucky

One of the taller corners in his class at 6-2, Smith loves to fire his hands into opponents off the line in press coverage and uses his size well working off blocks and making tackles against the run and screens alike. He had modest turnover production in five years against SEC competition, registering seven picks and forcing six fumbles, proving to be masterful stripping the ball out. With average speed and agility in coverage, his athleticism may hold him back from starting on defense early.

20 (124). Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama

Reported Visit: Virtual

Luter Jr. has near-33 inch arms and ran in the 4.4s with a 40.5-inch vertical jump at the combine, demonstrating the type of athleticism coupled with size teams drool over at cornerback. He also had four interceptions two years ago, suggesting he could have strong ball production in the league. Teams taking a flier on him will have to coach him up when his back is turned away from the quarterback, as he was exposed frequently that way in his senior season and NFL teams will aim to expose that issue.

21 (127). Darius Rush, South Carolina

Part of a fun one-two punch with Cam Smith, the 6'2 Rush picked off three passes and posted 12 pass breakups in his last two years for the Gamecocks, exhibiting expected ball skills as a converted receiver. At his best carrying vertical routes and playing tight man coverage, his footwork suffers when he's put into space and has to mirror receivers from several yards off the ball. The traits are there to be a starter in the league, but being relatively new to the position could mean that takes time.

22 (130). Cory Trice Jr., Purdue

More fast than quick or agile, Trice had his share of issues staying in stride with quicker receivers in the Big Ten and didn't tackle as well as desired despite being built like a strong safety at 6'3, 200-plus pounds. But for teams who value size and length with more press and zone schemes, he's plenty polished working in tight space to the football and returned two interceptions for touchdowns, making him a fascinating day three project in the right system.

© Joseph Cress / USA TODAY NETWORK

23 (134). Riley Moss, Iowa

Moss lacks the arm length some teams prefer and at times, his 4.45 speed didn't always translate on the field when initially beaten by receivers in coverage. With that said, he has elite ball skills compared to most of his peers that were exhibited with 11 career interceptions and a strong performance at the Senior Bowl. He's also a willing and able tackler who brings his hard hat to work each week and could fight for playing time on the outside early in the right situation.

24 (137). Mekhi Blackmon, USC

Blackmon will enter the NFL with plenty of ball production on his resume, including three picks and nine pass breakups in 2022. He's aggressive undercutting routes and has found success in contested situations, but he also lacks the twitch and fluid hips to stick with quicker, elusive receivers out of their breaks and his physical mentality has rendered him vulnerable to penalties after five yards. Solid football skills give him a chance to make it in the league, but his athleticism creates warranted concerns.

25 (142). Elias Ricks, Alabama

Formerly a five-star recruit, Ricks' career started out with a bang at LSU, as he picked off four passes and returned two of them for touchdowns as a freshman. But after transferring to join the Crimson Tide, he struggled to find playing time in a loaded secondary and that lack of experience coupled with the dearth of any top-tier athletic traits likely will deem him a multi-year project who has to cut teeth on special teams early in his NFL career.

Previous Positional Rankings

Defensive Tackle | Quarterback | EDGE/Defensive End | Center | Linebacker | Receiver

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