Welcome to draft season! This is the fourth of 11 positional breakdowns leading up to the NFL draft (April 23-25). Here are Eddie Brown’s top 10 cornerbacks:
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1. Jeff Okudah (Jr., Ohio St., 6-foot-1, 205 pounds)
The Buckeyes continue to churn out NFL-worthy corners, but none of them were unanimous All-Americans like Okudah. Projected: Top 10
2. C.J. Henderson (Jr., Florida, 6-1, 204)
Quarterbacks avoided this three-year starter with shutdown capabilities. Henderson’s weak tackling is overblown. Projected: 1st round
3. Jeff Gladney (Sr., TCU, 5-10, 191)
Physical press corner with elite athleticism and ball skills. Projected: 1st or 2nd round
4. Jaylon Johnson (Jr., Utah, 6-0, 193)
Johnson’s skill-set is perfect for press-man and he’s versatile enough to play inside or outside. Has had three shoulder surgeries dating back to his senior year of high school. Projected: 1st or 2nd round
5. Noah Igbinoghene (Jr., Auburn, 5-10, 198)
The son of world class track athletes (his mother Faith won bronze at the 1992 Summer Olympics) is merely scratching the surface, but there is immense talent to be mined here. Igbinoghene could be an impact kick returner as well (he averaged 31.4 yards per return in college). Projected: 1st or 2nd round
6. Bryce Hall (Sr., Virginia, 6-1, 202)
Was almost an exclusive all-state (Pennsylvania) wide receiver in high school, which explains his elite ball skills. Hall was a team captain who missed half his senior season with an ankle injury that required surgery. Projected: 2nd to 4th round
7. Kristian Fulton (Sr., LSU, 6-0, 197)
Former five-star recruit who is capable of playing press-man outside on in the slot. His inconsistent technique as a tackler leads to misses. Projected: 1st or 2nd round
8. Trevon Diggs (Sr., Alabama, 6-1, 205)
Elite size, instincts and athleticism, but he needs to clean up his technique to reach full potential. Projected: 1st or 2nd round
9. A.J. Terrell (Jr., Clemson, 6-1, 195)
Struggles against LSU in the national title game dimmed his draft stock a bit, but this fierce competitor bounced back at the combine in Indy. Projected: 1st or 2nd round
10. Damon Arnette (Sr., Ohio St., 6-0, 195)
Significant growth after returning for his senior season. Arnette isn’t a burner, but he’s athletic enough to hold his own in man-to-man at the next level. Projected: 2nd or 3rd round
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BONUS. Troy Pride Jr. (Sr., Notre Dame, 5-11, 193)
Pride is a plus athlete with sprinter speed which he relies upon to cover up his undeveloped technique. Projected: 3rd or 4th round
BONUS. Cameron Dantzler (Jr., Mississippi St., 6-2, 188)
Size and lack of elite speed may force move to safety. Dantzler is a good tackler with aggressive tendencies in coverage. Projected: 3rd to 5th round
BONUS. Javelin Guidry (Jr., Utah, 5-9, 191)
Size is an issue, but Guidry is FAST (he was 100-meter champion in both Texas and California during an illustrious high school track career). He could shine in some sort of hybrid nickel role. Projected: 4th to 7th round
BONUS. Lamar Jackson (Sr., Nebraska, 6-2, 208)
Jackson’s best traits are his physicality and size. He has a strong man-to-man skills, but lacks elite speed. Projected: 5th round to UFA
BONUS. Stanford Samuels III (Jr., Florida St., 6-1, 187)
Samuels is a physical bump-and-run corner with solid ball skills (eight interceptions in 24 starts) and decent quickness. Projected: 6th round to UFA
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