Closing out week two of our positional draft rankings, we talked about the wide receivers on Wednesday, so now it’s time to discuss the guys who are going to cover them in the pros. Personally, I didn’t make the distinction between inside and outside corners, but I did always mention which role and scheme each player would be able to fit (best) into – whether that’s boundary, field-side corner, nickelback or if I believe they can fill multiple spots.

These last couple of weeks have been pretty stressful for me based on the sheer volume of names I had to go through for wide receivers and corners. In this class particularly, I was a good 30 players in and still found guys with draftable grades. There may not quite be a blue-chip prospect among this group, such as Devon Witherspoon or Derek Stingley Jr./Sauce Gardner in recent years, but I think five guys should go in the first round and since I have another tie at number ten, the rest of my top 11 are all worthy of going in the second.

Let’s get into this deep crop:

 

1. Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

6’0”, 200 pounds; JR

 

A three-star recruit in 2020, Mitchell played in six games as a backup true freshman. He started all 27 contests over the following two years, intercepting five passes and setting the Rockets’ single-season record with 20 pass breakups in 2022, after putting up eight PBUs the prior year. This past season, he did have 18 PBUs but only one pick, yet was recognized as second-team All-American, along with repeating as first-team All-MAC.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Keeps his shoulders square for a large portion of man-coverage reps and doesn’t get antsy as receivers try to fool him off the line

+ Showcases advanced understanding for which routes to expect based on formation and splits, slightly altering his technique accordingly

+ Does a great job of reading the hips of the guy across from him and IDing any change in tempo, etc. with the light feet to react accordingly

+ Ran a 4.33 in the 40 and pumped out a corner-best 20 reps on the bench press at the combine, to back up his ability to hang with speedsters down the field as well as the commitment to the weight room

+ Showcases impressive closing burst if receivers do have a step on him, to still affect the catch-point (or push guys out of bounds for incompletions on out routes)

+ Because Mitchell had so much confidence in his preparation to cut off breaks, when he did gamble wrongly, he smoothly is able to utilize speed-turns over the opposite shoulder and not get lost

+ Allowed a passer rating of just 34.8 and 51.1 when targeted these past two seasons respectively, limiting quarterbacks to 54-of-132 (40.9%) for 560 yards and three touchdowns compared to six picks

+ Put together one of the cleanest Senior Bowl weeks I’ve ever seen from a corner, where he got a chance to disrupt receivers off the line and even when his technique wasn’t great, he was able to stick to the hip-pocket of receivers throughout reps, with tremendous de- and re-acceleration

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Lining up on the wide side of the field, Quinyon needed to be a smart player for the Rockets, deciphering route patterns with a lot of zone-coverage

+ Maintains discipline with his landmarks, not allowing bat routes to put him in bad positions

+ Looks very comfortable capping over routes and having his eyes inside to fall off and make plays on nearby targets

+ Finds a great balance between keying the quarterback’s drop and the receiver decelerating, to click-and-close on routes

+ Decodes stacks and bunches extremely well and is able to rapidly close the gap to the target he’s ultimately responsible for matching

+ Excels at wrapping around and swiping at the ball, even when it’s placed to the opposite side of where he’s closing from, where his length is certainly helpful

+ Understands really well when he’s in control of routes and then displays premiere ball-skills as he attacks the ball in the air

+ Put up the best overall PFF grade (92.5) and coverage grade (92.7) among FBS cornerbacks in 2022 – then finished behind only UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu and Texas D-tackle T’Vondre Sweat with his 91.5 overall PFF grade last season

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Packs a pretty good punch to greet blocking receivers with and can bench-press them off in order to stay ready to come off as the ball approaches

+ Does not ever seem to give up his contain responsibilities

+ Erases that space to furthest outside blocker in condensed formations on run plays

+ Displays great range to help push ball-carriers out of bounds at the opposite sideline on explosive plays away from him

+ Very patient with coming to balance and staying ready to set tackles on longer-developing plays or where he’s playing deep and works upfield – Only missed three of 48 attempts last season (6.3%)

+ Wasn’t used that way a whole lot, but when Toledo did blitz him off the corner, his ability to curve his path and the speed to chase down plays from behind is a plus

 

Weaknesses:

– While you like the patience in off-man or match coverage, Mitchell tends to be late to flip and sees receivers get a step on him a few times, while rounding off at the break-point rather than being abrupt with his change of direction

– Only spent 20 snaps in press-coverages last season and his strike timing can be a little off due to that limited experience

– Could do a better job of attaching to targets as the pattern has developed and there’s no imminent threat coming his zone, rather than thinking he still has help inside

– Doesn’t attack downhill with a whole lot of attitude in the run/screen game

 

In a corner class with a lot of names from big schools known for their talents at the position, this kid out of Toledo reigns supreme. Due to playing a lot of off-zone coverage as the field-side corner for his team, Mitchell primarily got to show out his high football IQ to decipher patterns and make plays on the ball, but when he was asked to cover some of the top receivers in the country at the Senior Bowl, his man-to-man skills could really shine. In the pros, he won’t be able to almost line up between the number two and three in trips sets and sit on routes as much, because he’ll face quarterbacks who will punish him for that, and his future DB coach will have to actually teach him different techniques to challenge receivers in press-coverage, but nothing he’s shown us to this point would make me believe he won’t be able to take on that coaching or excel in more isolated situations. In fact, he’s got plus size, put up explosive testing numbers as part of a meteoric rise during this nearly flawless pre-draft process and he’s highly competitive. At this point, I believe you can still mold him for pretty much any scheme and he has perennial Pro Bowl potential.

 

 

 

2. Nate Wiggins, Clemson

6’1”, 175 pounds; JR

 

A top-100 overall recruit in 2021, Wiggins recorded three tackles and pass break-ups each across 130 snaps as a true freshman. In year two, he started 11 of 13 games (767 total snaps), recording a team-high 12 PBUs, an interception and a blocked field goal, being named an honorable mention All-ACC selection. This past season he ascended to first-team all-conference, thanks to a couple of picks (including one taken back to the house), six PBUs and a two forced fumbles.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Such a loose athlete, being able to open up out of the initial pedal without issues and then the raw speed to hang with guys down the field, as they hit top-gear

+ If asked to press, Wiggins’ ability to extend his arms and throw off receivers without surrendering a solid base stands out, playing above his weight class when he locks up some big wideouts

+ Consistently impedes the progress of receivers trying to release inside of him in man-/match-coverages

+ The way he can stop his momentum on the spot and contest passes on curl routes really stands out

+ Regularly was deployed in off-coverage and his ability to plant-and-redirect forward could really shine – makes him a threat to take speed outs back to the house, which nearly got a pick-six like that in the N.C. State, but just misjudged the ball

+ Combines that with elite recovery burst when he bites on double-moves

+ Was tremendous in Clemson’s matchup against Florida State’s monster WR duo of Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, not allowing a single catch on five targets and breaking up one of those; And while did allow one deep catch to UNC’s Tez Walker early on, he otherwise completely shut that guy down when those two met, with several highly impressive one-on-one reps, including a game-sealing picks, as he read and undercut a hitch on the outside

+ Only allowed 18 completions across 41 targets last season worth 176 yards and one touchdowns compared to two interceptions

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Displays good feel for spacing in zone-coverage and giving just enough space, where he can still eliminate that distance to the designated target

+ His ability to be in that side or three-quarter turn in deep zone responsibility, yet be right there as a receiver pushes at him before breaking out to the sideline is very impressive

+ There are snaps where he’s playing a good ten yards off, yet arrives there to light up receivers just as they catch a quick in-breaker in front of him

+ Not somebody you can typically out-leverage with routes into the flats, as you spot somebody up inside, cutting them down low

+ Has the eyes and range to fall off and make plays on balls thrown in his vicinity as a flat defender

+ Showcases high IQ for the position for what to expect with receivers tilting or leaning before committing to the break, not losing phase as guys run post-corners against cover-three/-four for example

+ Can really climb the ladder and make it a fight for the ball up there in 50-50 situations

+ Is able to sustain contact and position himself beneficially as the ball is in the air, because he shows the refs that he’s tracking it himself

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Because he’s not afraid of receivers blowing by him, you’ll frequently see Wiggins be over the top of guys with a hand onto them and then drive up for completions underneath him

+ On runs and screens out to the perimeter his way, Wiggins can leave receivers looking around for him with how rapidly he shoots past them for early stops

+ His 4.28 speed to run down plays at the opposite sideline and push guys out of bounds popped up on a few occasions

+ Had an insane hustle play in the North Carolina game, where RB Omarion Hampton was off to the races, yet as he was about to break the plane, Wiggins knocked the ball out and it went out of bounds in the end-zone to turn a touchdown into a touchback

+ Along with his two pick-sixes, he added a blocked field goal in the 2022/23 ACC Championship game vs. UNC

+ Cut down his penalties from five in 2022 to just one last year

 

Weaknesses:

– Still has plenty of room upwards when it comes to approaching the ball in the air, taking advantage of locating and making plays on it rather than being content with face-guarding receivers

– Can get a little uber-aggressive with undercutting routes, relying on his make-up burst to not get burnt by double-moves, but more so even if he slightly midjudges the ball and now has no contact with the receiver to initiate the tackle

– Needs to add some weight/bulk to his frame and play stronger altogether – missed ten of 65 attempted tackles in two years as a starter (15.4% miss rate)

– Not overly interested in redirecting downhill against runs out in his direction, after running a couple of steps with the receiver, as well as waiting behind traffic on screens

 

Wiggins has been one of the more divisive names in this corner class. Typically when you have these slender guys with track speed, they get pushed up the board unjustifiably high in my opinion. However, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a guy line up on the outside and more so glide backwards than always being in a clean back-pedal and either drive up to contest the catch-point or flip and run with guys coming full speed at him in such effortless manner. With his explosiveness to click-and-close on routes in front of him, Wiggins is a perfect fit for a quarters-based system or as part of a defense that heats up quarterbacks and leaves their guys in cover-zero, trusting them to beat receivers to the spot on the initial break, such as what defensive play-callers like Brian Flores have popularized in recent years. Wiggins absolutely has to add 5-10 pounds of muscle and build up a more consistent appetite for the run game, along with continuing to work on finding the ball in the air (which he already showed improvement at last season). If he can do that, he has an All-Pro level ceiling.

 

 

 

3. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

6’1”, 195 pounds; JR

 

The number one cornerback recruit in the nation in 2021, McKinstry saw some limited time his freshman season, but took over as a fixture in the lineup from year two on and immediately excelled, with one interception and 16 pass break-ups, making him a first-team All-SEC selection. His ball-production dropped off significantly this past season (no INTs, seven PBUs), but he was still recognized as first-team all-conference and All-American.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Born to play the cornerback position, with how natural he is at anticipating routes and the comfort in sticking to receivers

+ Incredibly patient in soft-press alignment, to force the guy across from him to commit to the release and has his arms ready to establish contact as soon as they do, with pretty loose hips at that height to open without a delay

+ Utilizes one-handed stabs to throw off receivers at the line routinely when playing closer up

+ And then he expertly places the outside hand onto the shoulder-pad of guys as they try to take off down the sideline, in order to minimize space and feel a potential break coming

+ Is able to impede receivers as they try to release inside and stick with them like glue as they break towards the middle of the field

+ You see McKinstry play stack-technique and track the ball the whole way when offenses test him with goal-line fades by the tight-end in isolated situations

+ Highly active with his hands to counter receivers at the break-point and not allow them to swipe him by

+ Had a 81.2 PFF coverage grade and a 57.9 passer rating allowed as just a true sophomore in 2022, before earning the fourth-highest overall grade (88.8) among all corners in the 2024 draft last season, when he was tested just half as many times (39 instead of 80 targets)

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Understands how to use leverage to his advantage in quarters and having his eyes on the quarterback through the eligibles to his side

+ Does a nice job of playing top-shoulder and not allow guys to detach down the post, even if the safety to his side has to step down for some crosser in front of him

+ Showcases full confidence in being opened to the middle of the field in zone, then flipping and running with go routes by the wideout he’s lined up against

+ McKinstry’s ability to be in a three-quarter turn, then stick the front-foot in the ground and fluidly flip back down against deep curls is highly impressive for his pretty high-hipped build

+ Has a great feel for the timing of concepts and when routes are off the table, staying ready to shut down completions in front of quickly on levels-based concepts, such as “flood”

+ Displays some highly impressive awareness for being opened inside as a zone-defender with a receiver stemming that way and fall off to make plays on the ball as the offense tries to sneak somebody up the sideline (RB wheel)

+ Rapidly races up into the flats and lays the wood on guys after catching the ball

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Far from just a pure cover-corner – this guy will come up and hit people

+ In the screen game, he’ll rapidly shoot through the crease between receivers and flip the intended target behind the line of scrimmage at times

+ Pro-active condensed the space towards the furthest outside blocker and you see him, just ignore the outside receiver in favor of lowering a shoulder into a bigger body trying to clear space out to the corner

+ Arrives low and lifts up through contact to even out size advantages against running backs and tight-ends as a tackler

+ When he does allow a completion, he regularly slings his guy to the turf for no additional yardage

+ Only missed nine of 102 tackles attempted in his career (8.8% miss rate)

 

Weaknesses:

– Gets unnecessarily grabby during the stem of intermediate routes at this point

– His height can become an issue against receivers attacking his chest and creating separation by pushing off against him

– Both Texas receivers (A.D. Mitchell and Xavier Worthy) gave Kool-Aid trouble with their speed and how well he can hang with guys like that down the field remains a question without an official 40 time

– When offenses are in condensed formations, Kool-Aid had a tendency of getting lured inside and surrender contain

– Muffed an insane five punts on just 35 such return attempts (even if he led the SEC in punt return yardage in 2022)

 

If you’re looking to show someone how to play press-man coverage, Kool-Aid has a lot of teach-tape to turn on. He is so fundamentally sound with staying balanced, reading the hips of receivers, not lunging when he puts his hands on people and being clean in his transitions, especially when you consider his height. His positioning, spatial awareness and ability to read pattern also shows up positively in zone duty and he’s not shy of coming downhill and trying to get bigger ball-carriers on the ground. There are corners in this class who are twitchier, are more physical and have better top-end speed, but I feel like I sort of learned my lesson from another Alabama corner, who I didn’t quite have inside my top-ten a couple of years ago in Broncos All-Pro Patrick Surtain II. Now, Kool-Aid presents a little more of a slender build and doesn’t dictate terms to receivers the way we saw with Surtain, but even though we unfortunately won’t get any testing numbers on the former, just being able to stick to dudes is a skill I value over raw athleticism.

 

 

 

4. Terrion Arnold, Alabama

6’0”, 180 pounds; RS SO

 

One of those five-star recruits for Alabama who ended up redshirting for Alabama in 2021 because of all the talent in the secondary, Arnold took advantage of his actual debut season, as he started seven of 11 games, intercepting one pass and breaking up another eight, along with recovering a fumble. Last year he posted career-highs in tackles (63), TFLs (6.5), interceptions (five) and PBUs (12). He was recognized a first-team All-American for his efforts.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Played a lot of soft press-man at Bama, where he stayed low and balanced whilst having his eyes locked on the receiver’s hips

+ Yet when he does have deep help, he’ll go for aggressive two-handed jams that can completely throw off opponents out of their stance

+ Springy off the line of scrimmage, to not get lost against speed releases, as well as the break-point

+ Brings the long speed to carry guys pushing vertically, even off motion or out of stacks, where they have a certain advantage – the 4.51 he ran at the combine doesn’t really show up on tape

+ Had an unbelievable rep in man-coverage vs. Texas speedster Xavier Worthy, who was running past seemingly everybody in the 2022 matchup, sticking to him stride-for-stride and high-pointing the ball for a near-interception on a “cross-country route”

+ Capable of stopping on a dime and sticking in the hip-pocket of guys on routes breaking away from his leverage (in-breakers from condensed splits in particular), in part due to how well he recognizes any deceleration during the stem

+ Has the oily hips to flip around after tilting with the initial stem and not losing time as the route breaks the opposite way

+ Even if receivers are able to create separation at the break-point by threatening vertically initially, he’ll close ground in a hurry and still contest the catch a lot of times

+ Spent 205 snaps in the slot last season, following guys there for matchups such as LSU’s Malik Nabers

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Does a nice job of capping over routes and gaining ground as receivers push at him, but keeping his weight on the ball of his feet

+ Maintains outside leverage in deep zone responsibility whilst closing space inside as the furthest-most receiver stems that way or releases inside out of stacks

+ His ability to plant-and drive on routes in the flats and arrive there before the target can turn upfield really pops

+ Shows the wheels to carry speedsters to the post safety in cover-three

+ On deep curls and digs, where the quarterback’s trying to stop receivers against quarters, you see Arnold climb over the back of the intended target and wrestles balls out in aggressive e fashion

+ Has experience jumping in at the STAR spot for Bama, where he lined up in the slot a bunch

+ Even when he has to open with vertical stems, Arnold regularly peaks back at the quarterback and rapidly explodes downhill to shut down underneath completions in a hurry

+ Was right there with his Bama running back Kool-Aid McKinstry in the top-five in terms overall PFF grade among corners in this draft (88.4), holding opposing quarterbacks to a 51.9% completion rate on 5.6 yards per target and two touchdowns vs. five picks

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Shows great lateral agility and uses his hands to sort of swipe blockers coming at him from a distance

+ You regularly see him completely avoid tight-ends coming across the formation or pulling out to the corner on longer-developing plays (sweeps, reverses, etc.)

+ Will run through the reach of blockers in the screen game if they’re not firm with establishing contact and shut those plays down in a hurry

+ Squares up bigger ball-carriers and hits with his chest

+ Not afraid to stick his face in the fan and replace the safety, when that guy is being crack-blocked

+ Effective blitzer off the edge (particularly from the boundary), being able to reduce the inside shoulder if needed and create negative plays with how quickly he covers ground

+ Earned an highest run defense grade from PFF of any corner in this draft last season (90.6)

 

Weaknesses:

– Gets a little sloppy in his backpedal and tends to open his hips prematurely at times in off-man coverage

– You see him get turned around BADLY by some advanced route-runners who can bluff at the release or add a little English at the break-point to throw him off

– Susceptible to biting on double moves and doesn’t quite have that extra gear he can access to make up for it

– Tends to get a little antsy when he’s playing with his back to the quarterback and the receiver has a step on him

Comparing Arnold with former Alabama running mate Kool-Aid McKinsty is quite interesting, because the slightly younger and less experienced Arnold can be more disruptive off the line, he has better short-area explosiveness and even though he was clocked at a 4.51, I don’t think you get any concerns about long speed when you watch some of the reps hanging stride-for-stride with speedsters down the field. However, in terms of route anticipation, clean footwork and comfort playing with his back to the quarterback, there’s clearly some room for improvement – which is understandable since he only turns 21 years old the day this list is released. So while there are times when you’d like to see more patience, you also really like the urgency he displays in other areas, in particular when it comes to shutting down perimeter runs and completions in front of him. Arnold can probably fit in any system, although a more man-centric approach would allow a smoother transition to the pros, while if he can harness that aggressiveness eventually, he can excels playing off and pattern-match as well.

 

 

 

5. Cooper DeJean, Iowa

6’1”, 205 pounds; JR

 

One of the top-500 overall recruits in 2021, DeJean saw very limited usage in seven games as a true freshman (four tackles and no passes defensed), before jumping onto the scene in year two, with 75(!) tackles, three for loss, five interceptions – three(!) of which he returned for touchdowns – and eight more passes broken up. Yet, he still “only” earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades. As a junior, his numbers dropped off a little bit (41 tackles, two sacks, two INTs and five PBUs, yet he received first-team All-American notice. He also averaged 13.1 yards on punt return for his career and took one back to the house last year, earning first-team All-Big Ten in that capacity on top of it.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Calm in his back-pedal in off-man coverage, not getting too far onto his heels and staying ready to redirect forward

+ For a guy his size, how oily his hips are to not get lost having to flip around against double-releases is pretty rare

+ Doesn’t stop fighting the hands and trying to arm-bar receivers on fade routes

+ Comfortable utilizing speed-turns, such as flipping back around against post routes after getting his body tilted towards the sideline

+ Has the make-up speed to recover when caught a little bit out of phase

+ Showcases highly impressive long speed to stay in phase against those cross-country and post routes all the way outside the opposite hash

+ You see him shut down drag routes for no YAC, even when lined up outside of stacks and having extra ground to cover

+ Held opponents to 57-of-118 (48.3%) for 614 yards and two touchdowns compared to his seven interceptions over the past two seasons

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Great all-around feel in zone coverage, in terms of eye-discipline and quick trigger

+ His understanding for landmarks, funneling routes towards the deep safety and positioning himself according to the pattern is apparent

+ Packs a lot of force in his hands to where when he pushes receivers towards his teammates, they end up on the turf a few times

+ Does a nice job of mid-pointing routes while tilting towards the bigger threat

+ Shows the mental capacity and play-making instincts to come off routes in cover-three/-four and get his hands on the ball or dislodge it from the intended target with force

+ Comes downhill with a like a bolt of lightning and applies the same kind of impact, as he drives forward on out routes as a flat-/quad-defender

+ Consistently sticks his hand right in-between the palms of the intended target after closing on as a zone-defender, yet also tracks the ball well and is able to come down with it himself when it’s thrown over his head

+ Finds a nice balance between peaking back at the quarterback and not losing track of the receiver he’s engaged with is on extended plays in the red-zone

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ If you label DeJean as a cornerback, he’s the best one in the class at defending the run, not ever allowing himself to get pulled inside and surrender the edge

+ He’s typically the one looking to engage contact, bury his hands inside the chest of receivers and ride them backwards with arms fully extended against when the ball is coming his way

+ Actively looking to take erase the space towards the next-closest offensive player as the contain player with no wideout to his side, as well as attack lead-blockers low at the line of scrimmage

+ Was blitzed off the edge a few times when the only eligible over there was a tight-end and that short-area explosion allowed him to create quick run stuffs

+ Becomes a strong safety when teams try to throw a screen or run out to the perimeter to his side

+ Hits with his chest and drives his legs through the tackle in order to move the opponent backwards – only missed 6.8% of his career attempts

+ Was the only corner in the country for 2022 with 85+ grades both in coverage and run-defense, for an overall grade of 88.5

 

Weaknesses:

– Not the quickest feet or twitchiest play-style to redirect in isolated coverage reps

– Only 15% of his snaps over these last two seasons were spent in true man-coverage (125 of 833 coverage snaps), according to PFF, while not travelling with the opposing team’s top target

– Well-versed route runners are able to attack his blind-spots and have him lose some control on those reps, creating separation on curls, comebacks, etc.

– Allows himself to get pulled too far inside as a sideline defender in two-high shells if the wideout releases inside, such as against post-wheel combinations

 

I feel kind of bad about “only” having DeJean as CB5. There’s so much to like about his game, looking at route anticipation, spatial awareness, ball-skills and physicality both initiating contact at the catch-point and the way he approaches the run game. Unfortunately, I don’t think his feet are quite up to par with the rest of that top tier, which he belongs in because he makes up for it in several other areas. With that being said, while I believe he absolutely has the athletic ability to be a quality starter on the outside, I’d want that to be in a zone-heavy defense, since I don’t think he’s going to excel nor are you maximizing him as a player isolated vs. legit number one receivers with advanced route-running acumen. Instead, I believe with his body type and affinity for contact, you can turn him into one of the better nickels in the league, where he’s an answer many of the “power slot” guys offenses are currently deploying. He can be a plus punt returner and as his career progresses, making the move to safety – which so many people have suggested largely just based on being white.

 

 

 

6. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri

6’0”, 175 pounds; SR

One of 1000 top names of the 2020 recruiting class, Rakestraw immediately started all ten games as a true freshman and led the team with six passes broken up. His encore campaign was limited to just four games due to injury, but he would start all but one of 22 contests the following two seasons, recording 35 tackles exactly in each, six of those total for loss, one interception and 12 pass break-ups in 2022, compared to only four total PBUs (and no INTs) this past season.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Does an outstanding job of recognizing different pacing, route stems and tells of the guy across from him

+ Wasn’t asked to line up in press a whole lot, but when he did, Rakestraw showed a super-quick initial jam with one hand and the twitchy feet to stick with receivers through the release

+ Has those superb reps where receivers just try to go through him and he never gets into catch-up mode, really bothering those guys and rounding off their route extensively, thanks to 32-inch arms

+ Shows to stop his momentum on an island and close the gap to his man

+ Recognizes when he’s in control of the route and he can toggle his eyes back to the quarterback whilst staying attached to the target

+ Plays the pocket of receivers as well as any college corner you’re going to find

+ Regularly was moved inside for certain WR matchups and showed great confidence at defending against two-way go’s

+ Highly competitive with a short memory if he did lose a rep and stays glued to his target trying to get open on the scramble drill

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Does such a good job in quarters of maintaining outside-stack position yet decelerating and blanketing any type of hitch/curl routes

+ Identifies any deceleration or raising of the shoulders by receivers pushing at him playing top-down in match-coverage and slows his feet in order to quicken up when he does drive down on the actual break

+ Always alert to fall off for vertical pushers up the hashes and is ready to fall off towards them in cover-three

+ You see him fly up and absolutely drill receivers just after they get their hands on the ball

+ Spent just over 100 snaps in the slot last season (465 total) and was tasked with different zone-coverage assignments

+ From there you saw him fly out into a deep half at times for an inverted version of cover-two and do a good job of positioning himself between vertical routes

+ Only was charged with five total first downs and one touchdown (which came on a screen) in 2023 – 18-of-28 on 197 yards and one touchdown (on 277 coverage snaps)

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Not afraid to step down and stick his nose in the fan when runs are coming his way – Earned an 89.0 PFF run defense grade in 2023

+ Has those strong triceps to press of receivers near the point of attack and create angles towards the ball for himself

+ Charges into blockers at the end of the line in condensed formations and bumps receivers trying to shield him backwards towards the action

+ Diagnoses screens and uses his hands to attack blockers or rip through their reach, without getting too reckless usually

+ You love the physicality as a tackler, to square up and hit through the target, regularly putting guys on their backside – improved his miss rate every year, down to 8.3% this past season

+ When he follows receivers motioning in tight, there are plays where he auto-checks into blitzes and punches off bigger bodies to clamp at the legs of ball-carriers

 

Weaknesses:

– Average athlete for the position short of six feet and lacking the speed (4.51) to make up for false steps

– Will surrender extensive cushion in off-man and match coverages, making it tough to really challenge routes breaking in front of him

– Can get a little overzealous working back down the stem and overshoot the target if he doesn’t time the arrival of the ball perfectly

– Was penalized 13 times throughout his career and there could’ve been a few more from what I see – at least by NFL standards – pulling cloth slightly before the ball arrives at the target or just never looking back for the ball

– Not particularly interested in getting involved on tackles if the ball isn’t really in his vicinity, as you see him jog over from the opposite side

 

If Rakestraw was just over six feet tall and ran a 4.4 or better, he probably ends up as a top-three corner in this class. He’s super competitive, anticipates/triggers on routes about as well as any defender in the draft, is# extremely sound in his technique and embraces the physical aspect of the game. Unfortunately, he doesn’t feature that kind of athletic profile, we didn’t see him play a ton of press-man and he only has one career interception. So he’s probably going to be a second-round pick now (I’d take him very early in the second), but I think he can be a quality number two corner – depending on system, on the far side of the field – from the day he is drafted pretty much. Because I don’t believe he has the recovery speed to make up for taking a false step or turning his body the opposite way initially, I wouldn’t consistently put him on the opposing team’s top receiver, but against a Z/flanker with a more limited route-tree, the opposing team probably won’t be finding a whole lot of success.

 

 

 

7. Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

6’0”, 185 pounds; JR

 

A four-star recruit in 2021, Lassiter appeared in all 15 games as a true freshman (158 total snaps), recording 11 tackles, one interception and three pass break-ups. The following season he started all 15 contests, recording five TFLs and four PBUs. 2023 was when he started to receive recognition nationally, putting up nearly identical numbers outside of doubling his PBUs, which earned him second-team All-SEC accolades.

 

Man-coverage:

+ This guy has been a true lockdown boundary corner over the past two years, only allowing 12(!) catches for 128 yards and one touchdown on 34 targets (35.3% completion rate) and 310 snaps in man-coverage

+ Has well-coordinated, quiet feet at the line and easy gas to run with guys vertically, not look like he’s straining

+ Keeps his eyes locked on the hips of his man and anticipates routes from trail-position in impressive fashion for a young corner

+ Has some highly appealing reps on tape vs. fade routes, where he stays on top and then battles for the ball with the target in high-point situations

+ Generally rolls off his ankle and at his hips in impressive fashion for a lankier build, in order to not get lost on speed-cuts

+ Uses his length very well to sustain contact with receivers and stay in phase even against double-releases

+ Even as receivers release inside of him and put Lassiter to their back-hip, the corner often still has a hand on the pad to slow those guys down and stick to them once they break towards the middle

+ Packs the closing burst to re-enter the picture after separation is created by scheme, as receivers cross-release against man-coverage and he has to work around his teammate

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Surprisingly quick to redirect in off-coverage and drive forward in quarters, which was backed up by a 93^rd-percentile three-cone drill at the combine (6.62)

+ You see him in that three-quarter turn in cover-three peak back at the quarterback and slow his feet momentarily in case the receiver stops or the ball driven to the back-shoulder, without making himself vulnerable of getting run by

+ Really works back down the stem in order to wrap around for PBUs on curl/hitch routes

+ Doesn’t panic or prematurely commit his hips or shoulder when he has to wait for receivers to release out of stacks

+ Displays the sudden acceleration to not allow receivers to detach on secondary routes

+ While he could have been penalized a couple more times, because Lassiter consistently turns and looks for the ball late, refs typically left the yellow cloth at their belt even as he ran into and got tangled up with the receiver

+ Times his jumps and plays the ball at its apex very well when playing with his eyes on it

+ Finished in the top-ten among corners in this class for PFF coverage last season (87.2), holding opposing QBs to 15-of-39 throwing his way for 136 yards and no TDs (no INTs either)

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Shows a willingness to get his hands dirty and get involved in the run game, even as he back cuts it up between the tackles

+ You see some big-time collisions between him and running backs near the sideline

+ Even as receivers are already wrapped up, Lassiter joins the party and makes sure that guy goes backwards a lot of times

+ Quickly IDs screens and tosses aside blocking receivers – Has plays on tape, where he barrels down on tunnel screens and puts South Carolina’s 220-pound receiver Xavier Legette on his backside

+ You see him chase down running backs at full sprint from behind who have five yards on him a few times

+ Actually wraps and drives his feet as he races up against completions in front of him – only missed four tackles each of the past two seasons (8.2% career miss rate)

 

Weaknesses:

– With his lanky build, Lassiter will be vulnerable to push-offs going up against bigger-bodied outside receivers

– Only has average recovery burst when he gets into trail position and guys gain half a step on him, to still affect the catch-point

– There are some conflicting reports around what Lassiter ran in the 40 at Georgia’s pro day, but the consensus seems to be in the high 4.5s, after skipping that portion of the combine

– Hasn’t intercepted a pass since his freshman season (nearly 1000 coverage snaps since then), being more focused on ripping passes to the ground rather than into his body

– Could be more pro-active with attacking blockers out on the perimeter and establish first meaningful contact with his arms

 

Nobody has shut down wide receivers in man-coverage over the last couple of years quite like Lassiter – and he did so in the SEC. I couldn’t believe how little attention he got coming in this past season and I’ve held him in this regard ever since. I have to imagine that the lack of ball-production is what created the separation between him and that tier of the top five names generally considered to be ahead of him. However, those are the only guys who have been able to gain separation on him recently, at least based on consensus rankings. Because he’s fairly light, I could see Lassiter have some issues dealing with big alpha receivers, especially as he transitions to a league that allows the offensive player to be a lot more physical with their counterpart than the other way around, but I don’t have any problem with him going at the end of the first round since he can be a quality starting boundary corner in a press-man heavy system from day one.

 

 

 

8. T.J. Tampa, Iowa State

6’1”, 195 pounds; SR

 

A three-star recruit in 2020, Tampa sparingly appeared on special teams and as a reserve DB as a true freshman, before starting five of 13 the following season. In 2022, he became a full-time starter and first-team All-Big 12 selection, which he repeated the year after. Across those two seasons, he recorded 84 tackles (eight for loss), three interceptions and 16 pass break-ups.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Long-limbed and explosive athlete, who is very comfortable playing bump-and-run coverage

+ Packs a ton of force in his hands, to put some receivers on the ground every once in a while, plus then he’ll bait opponents by faking the jam

+ His acceleration when he has to flip and run with guys, to not allow them to detach vertically, really stands out

+ Yet, when he doesn’t put hands on receivers, he displays calm feet as he almost shuffles with the outside release before crossing over with the inside foot to get up to full gear as they put their head down on fades

+ Had a couple of awesome reps sticking with Oklahoma speedster Marvin Mims during their 2022 matchup

+ Does well to sort out releases out of bunch sets and stay patient with his man to emerge, to be square as they ultimately make their break

+ Showcases impressive coordination, to not trip himself up or waste a whole lot of team when receivers seemingly catch him off guard on double-releases or breaking across his face after flipping the other way originally

+ Does not allow receivers to separate on secondary routes typically, particularly as they try to take off down the field

 

Zone-coverage:

+ While ISU played a lot of man, particularly with their boundary corner, when they did rotate into cover-three for example, Tampa still showed man with square shoulders and then quickly gained ground getting into a quarter-turn

+ Continues to maintain his outside leverage in deep zone assignments as he counters stems towards the middle of the field

+ Understands where the sticks are and is ready to stop completions in front of him short of converting

+ With the force in his hands, Tampa effectively funnels receivers to his safeties without really having to void his landmarks

+ Looks totally comfortable playing look-and-lean when receivers try to take off on him or just tracking the ball extensively as it’s is in the air on post routes

+ With his length and ball-skills, you love what he shows attacking the ball at its apex

+ Had a massive 20.7% forced incompletion rate in 2023, holding opposing passers to 25-of-49 for 240 yards and one touchdown vs. two interceptions

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Consistently stays ready to come off blocks and secure tackles when the ball is coming his way

+ You just don’t ever see guys be able to get all the way to the sideline against him, before getting chopped down

+ Will actively reduce the space against tight-ends when there’s nobody outside of them, and close down the C-/D-gap

+ Has the suddenness to get around blockers and trip up ball-carriers when there’s bigger bodies working out to the corner

+ The Cyclones blitzed him off the short side quite a bit, where he didn’t tip it off at all but instantly was able access that burst to get near the ball

+ While the technique can be questioned, if Tampa is able to get a wrap on ball-carriers from the side, he’s usually able to twist them to the ground

 

Weaknesses:

– Tends to give excess cushion in off-man or when he’s basically isolated on the backside in cover-four

– Pretty high and rather choppy in his back-pedal, while his height makes it challenging against twitchy route-runners (pivot for TD by Texas’ Xavier Worthy in 2022)

– In press, when he misses the jam or the receiver or defeats his hands he’ll sort of gamble on an early break and allow guys to detach down the field

– There’s room to improve his management of space as a flat-defender and discourage quarterbacks from throwing passes over his head (corner routes/honey-hole shots) or curling up inside of him

– Very much an ankle-biter or diver as a tackler, whose miss numbers will rise against more powerful, balanced NFL player – already failed on ten of 59 attempts last season (16.9%)

 

If you’re looking for a physical press-man corner in this class, Tampa’s ability to dictate terms to receivers early in the route and out-battle them with the ball in the air is about as good anybody in this class. So if you’re running a more single-high centric defense, where you give him those opportunities along with using press-bail technique in cover-three, I think you may value this guy as someone worthy of going late in the first round. However, I don’t really want him to spend any excessive time playing off, since he doesn’t nearly manage that space between him and receivers as well. So for other teams, they may look at him being more of a mid-day two prospect simply because he’s not a great scheme fit and/or they value tackle at a high level. Either way, he’ll need to clean up that area of his game, which I don’t believe there’s any lack of affinity for contact. Personally, I value him as an early second-round pick, with very similar grades to the guy just ahead and after him each.

 

 

 

9. Max Melton, Rutgers

5’11”, 190 pounds; JR

 

A top-1000 overall recruit in 2020 and the brother of Seahawks wide receiver Bo Melton, Max played in all nine and started six games as a true freshman. He’s been a fixture in the lineup since then, logging 22 starts, five passes intercepted, 15 broken up and a fumble forced in each year.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Twitchy but patient at the line with the 32-inch arms to widen the stem of the guy across from him

+ You see Melton being able to stay square and not get his hips flipped prematurely as receivers try to set him up with early manipulation elements of the route

+ Very feisty player, who can swallow bigger bodies attacking his chest early in the route

+ Worked on his ability to disrupt receivers significantly off the snap in press-alignment and was moved into the slot for certain matchups in 2023, such as against Michigan’s Roman Wilson (no catches on around 15 coverage reps vs. him)

+ Displays great football IQ to realize any tells of receivers when drifting during the stem

+ Is able to apply pressure to the top-shoulder and make it tough for receivers to gain separation as they’re trying to get across the field and his hand stays on there

+ Has the explosiveness to quick to shoot the gap and rarely allows receivers to gain a step on him on drag routes

+ Those traits were backed by the combine testing, where he logged a 40.5-inch vert (fourth-best among corners), 11’4” broad jump (tops for the position) and a 4.39 in the 40, to go with an excellent positional workout

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Disciplined with staying at his landmarks in zone coverage

+ Adjusts his positioning in accordance to the pattern (on his side) and the route distribution

+ Showcases alert eyes for routes coming across the field towards him and when he needs to squeeze in to disrupt the catch-point

+ Melton’s click-and-close from off-coverage is eye-popping and you see him dislodge the ball on quick in-breaking routes in impressive fashion a few times

+ Quick to race up against completions in the flats and put guys on the ground

+ His awareness for where the sticks are is a definite plus, to deny first downs even if the pass is completed

+ Excels at reading the receiver’s eyes and hands after having to turn and run with them, to be able to rake through the catch-point for incompletions

+ Put up a career-best 73.7 PFF coverage grade last season, holding opposing QBs to 24-of-44 for 252 yards and three TDs vs. three INTs

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Works upfield vs. the run under good control and is quick to redirect in case the quarterback pulls the ball for a leak route or another alert towards him

+ Pro-actively uses his hands by punching off and slide past receivers trying to wall him off

+ Doesn’t mind getting into those condensed spaces when the point of attack in the run game is near him and bigger bodies are approaching

+ Realizes fairly quickly when receivers just try to run him off away from the action and swipes them aside, to pursue the ball

+ Comes downhill without any fear of contact when screens are thrown to his side

+ Provides tremendous speed to run down plays at the opposite numbers occasionally – did so for a tackle inside their own 10-yard line on what looked like a breakaway run from Ohio State’s explosive RB TreyVeon Henderson last year

 

Weaknesses:

– Has to be firm at the point of contact when he doesn’t put his hands on receivers out of their stance, too easily allowing them to access the middle of the field, in particular on goal-line slants

– Looks kind of lost when receivers are able to work across his body deeper down the field and get him turned around

– Tends to get caught by and get grabby on double-moves in isolated situations – was penalized five times last season

– Not always super disciplined with contain responsibilities, trying to shoot inside of blockers or get his eyes lost in their frame, as they’re tangled up with each other

– Throws his body at bigger ball-carriers and tries to drag them down as a tackler, rather than actually wrapping and driving really ever – missed a massive 12 of 45 tackling attempts last season (26.7%)

 

Rutgers has become sort of an “off-brand” factory for defensive backs, where you can often acquire quality players in the later rounds of the draft – Logan Ryan, Duron and even last year in UDFA-turned-starter for the Bucs in Christian Izien. Thankfully, Melton was able to put up the ball-production to receive the attention he deserves earlier and then he literally exploded at the combine, when you look at the way he leaped off the ground. His two main issues are lapses of discipline with contain assignments and biting on double-moves, along with the massive tackles numbers last season. With that being said, while he absolutely has to work on staying on his feet in that regard, he had one fewer missed tackle in the prior three years combined (11 on 95 attempts). So I’m willing to give him some leeway here, considering the exceptional coverage skills he displays to excel in a variety of schemes, where he has to play up or back on receivers, rapidly erasing any initial separation they feel like they can create against him. He should be a lock for the top-50.

 

 

 

T.-10. Khyree Jackson, Oregon

6’4”, 195 pounds; RS SR

 

A four-star JUCO recruit for Alabama in 2021, Jackson played in 21 games over the course of his two years under Nick Saban, but only started one of those (14 combined tackles and two pass break-ups). Therefore he decided to transfer to Oregon for his final year of eligibility and it paid off big-time, ending up as a first-team All-Pac-12 selection, thanks to 34 tackles, five of those for loss, two sacks, three passes intercepted and seven more broken up.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Patient in man-coverage, playing different versions of press with the nearly 33-inch arms to give him room for error even if the hand-placement is a little off

+ Clearly a high-IQ cover-guy, who anticipates routes based on splits, position on the field and down-and-distance, along with forcing receivers to commit early to the release by bluffing one-handed stabs

+ Excels at sliding in front of and impeding the progress of the guy in front of him during the release with heavy hands

+ Really engages in hand-fighting early on and when he has help over the top (two-man), you see him beat his guy up at the line with aggressive two-handed jams

+ Frequently rides wideouts out to the sideline as they’re trying to release outside against him and does an excellent job of pinning the inside arm of receivers on go routes and maintaining position to look and lean for the ball

+ Makes sure to sustain contact with the top-shoulder of receivers and forcing them to further round off crossers

+ You see great discipline for a young player, to not let trigger steps and conscious change-ups in step frequency during the development of the route fool him, yet understand when the route is actually about to break

+ Doesn’t typically panic when someone gets a step on him down the field, but rather hangs in there and tries to punch or rake through the hands late

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Understands really well how to adjust his landmarks as a zone defender and funnel targets towards the safety

+ You’re not typically getting to keep a straight stem trying to get past Jackson in cover-two, widening their path in significant fashion when he puts his hands on guys

+ Disciplined with not biting on screen fakes and running with rail routes, etc.

+ Shows great awareness to redirect to the flats after opening with a slant or sinking with a vertical stem, to quickly shut down underneath completions

+ His long arms extend his range as a high-low defender and squeezing down on vertical pushers down the seams, as well as presenting a make-up tool with the ball in the air

+ Showcases plus hand-eye coordinate to locate and bat away passes or extend both hands for those for potential interceptions

+ Allowed only half of the targets his way (19 of 38) to be completed last season for 200 yards and one touchdown compared to his three interceptions (41.6 passer rating)

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Jackson’s hands-on approach with receiver also pays dividends in the run game, taking charge of and pulling off blockers in order to pursue the ball

+ Effectively utilizes swim moves to get past receivers as they’re too close to him in order to stack-and-shed, such as bailing in a side-turn as he’s reading the action

+ Recognizes perimeter runs and screen passes, with the length and physical to shed receivers early and corral the ball

+ Doesn’t shy away from engaging with linemen pulling out to the edge for him

+ Occasionally blitzed off the short corner on early and passing downs to great effect – produced a pressure on seven of his eight rush snaps

+ Only missed two of 35 attempted tackles in 2023

 

Weaknesses:

– Can get pretty high in soft press and physical receivers are able to attack his chest to get him off balance, which will show up more often if asked to play off at a higher frequency

– When receivers are able to swipe away the hands and establish stack-position down the sideline, that acceleration to get to top speed is lacking a little bit and you see guys be able to detach from him

– While you like the fact he doesn’t panic if beat, Jackson doesn’t have that make-up gear to re-gain phase – someone to target for big plays on slot fade routes if you create switches/condensed looks

– Bursty receivers can sell the take-off and get him stuck a little bit trying to redirect as they snap off hitches or curls when he’s playing quarters

– Lacks consistency in temperament to come off his alignment and involve himself in the run fit

 

Similarly to what I described about Iowa State’s T.J. Tampa, the team grades on Jackson could vary quite a bit based on their defensive system. While I don’t think he actually played as big as the Cyclone standout in terms of actual playing weight, his arms are actually nearly a full inch longer, he uses his hands in even more impactful fashion during the stem of the route and his IQ for the position may actually be slightly higher at this point. The difference here is that while Jackson’s height has major benefits at staying attached to targets and extending his range with the ball in the air, it also creates some challenges when he’ll have to deal with physical receivers who get into his chest and it causes some delay trying to click-and-close when asked to play off. With that being said, if you put him on a defense that allows him to play a lot of press-man or quasi-man on the backside of the formation, with a safety shaded deep to his side or he can knock receivers off as a flat defender in cover-two, since he has the reliable tackling skills required in that type of structure, despite just one season as a starter, he can immediately step in to make an impact. I’d take him in the second round.

 

 

 

T.-10. Renardo Green, Florida State

6’0”, 185 pounds; RS SR

 

One of the top-500 national recruits in 2019, Green saw action as a backup in all 13 games as a true freshman and then started the first five contests in his second season, before getting hurt (three pass break-ups and a forced fumble combined). In 2021, he got demoted to only starting two of nine games, before starting all but one of 25 total over these past two seasons. Over that stretch, he totaled 96 tackles, five for loss, 18 PBUs and one pick.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Is like a pest for receivers, trying to shake him off

+ Uses a wide base and well-timed two-handed strikes to widen their release in press-man and routinely impedes the progress of receivers wanting to slide inside of him

+ Has the oily hips to flip and run with vertical threats, not losing any time and allowing them to gain a step on him during that transition, along with riding guys towards further into the sideline by glueing a hand onto the shoulder-pad

+ Is light on his feet, with the easy ability to stop and re-accelerate as he mirrors the guy in front of him

+ Rarely allows receivers to push him too far up the field and for his momentum to carry him that way, as he actively leans his weight into them off vertical releases

+ Showcases the flexible ankles to bend as receivers make those square breaks, such as on dig and other deep in-breakers,

+ Even when receivers are able to get his body opened up one way and then break across his face, Green has those greased up hips for a tall corner to barely allow any separation (when others would get lost)

+ On 32 targets (and 174 snaps) in man-coverage last season, Green held opposing passers to just 15 completions for just 136 yards and one touchdown (0.78 yards per man-coverage snap) – and I’d tell you he was isolated on the backside of the formation at a much higher rate actually, even if the rest of the defense theoretically played zone

 

Zone-coverage:

+ While extensively deployed close up against receivers, when he was asked to cap over routes in quarters, he didn’t get antsy as guys were pushing vertically against him, slightly tilting before actually flipping with them as they were about a step off

+ Gains ground in that three-quarter turn in cover-three without having to strain or run himself excessively up the field, while not being worried about losing track of targets outside of his direct field of vision on the sideline (behind him)

+ Doesn’t get pulled too far off his landmarks with wideouts stemming inside of him when responsible for the deep third and positions himself accordingly between eligibles

+ Plays the receiver’s pocket very effectively, to knock the ball out just as the intended target gets his fingertips on it

+ Defends goal-line fades with basically perfect technique, with positioning to feel the receiver, peaking back and punching through the hands with the appropriate timing

+ Finished one spot outside of the top-ten among corners in this class for PFF coverage last season (86.4), actively forcing 17 incompletions (31-of-60 overall when going his way)

+ Put together an outstanding Shrine Bowl week, immediately establishing contact and cutting receivers trying to get to the edges of his frame, recognizing deceleration prior to the break, being able to stop on a dime and fight through the catch-point to win those reps

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ You didn’t see Green play with his eyes inside and actively involve himself vs. the run a whole lot based on his role, but when he was able to read the action, he typically worked downhill and drove his legs through contact

+ Not afraid to put his hands on bigger bodies in condensed formations and joining in on gang-tackles

+ Generally tracks the ball very well and showcases appropriate urgency when it bounces out to the corner

+ Showcases good effort to fight off blocks, even receivers are able to get up into his chest

+ Has shown substantial improvements as a tackler compared to early on in his career, missing a modest ten of 109 attempted stops over the past two seasons (9.2%)

+ That’s despite a lot of his tackling situations being one-on-one near the sideline or after surrendering catches in man-coverage, where he quickly has to shut down any additional yardage – allowed just 103 yards after the catch on 31 receptions last season (3.0 YAC)

 

Weaknesses:

– Lacks some play-strength when he can’t establish contact early and with his lanky build, he can be thrown off balance to some degree by bigger wideouts or posted up for back-shoulder throws

– Because Green is so content with playing through the receiver’s pocket instead of looking for opportunities to locate the ball, his only interception of his career came last season and when guys used late hands against him, he couldn’t break up passes

– Was already penalized 11 times over the past two seasons combined and NFL referees will get him even more regularly if he doesn’t adjust his physical coverage-style a little bit

– Can get lured inside as he sees the wideout crack back on the safety and surrenders contain responsibility, giving up much bigger gains as he has to chase after the ball

– There’s definitely room for becoming more efficient at disengaging from blocks and not allow receivers to ride him off track after he trailed the take-off early on in the play

 

Even though we may not a blue-chip corner prospect in this class, there are a lot of big-ticket recruits, guys from major programs and/or have substantial ball-production to their name. That’s why players like Renardo Green can kind of get lost in the shuffle. To go with just one career pick, he has fairly average size and athletic testing numbers. However, just looking at the description of “don’t get the guy across from you get open and knock the ball down when it gets there”, there aren’t many corners who had a better 2023 season than Green. He then followed that up by absolutely blanketing a pretty talented crop of Shrine Bowl receivers. Once again, I look at him as a better fit in a defense that uses single-high safety coverage more extensively, but it’s more so based on being less proven playing off and how good he already is at sticking to guys at the line. What I loved about his film was that he didn’t just clearly study his opponents extensively and was the taking charge of reps early on, but as they did find some success against him, he made adjustments in-game that tilted the scales back in his favor.

 

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Just missed the cut / The great nickelbacks:

 

 

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

5’9”, 185 pounds; RS SR

 

A top-1000 national recruit at wide receiver initially, Sainristil only caught 37 passes for 539 yards and five touchdowns throughout his first three years with the Wolverines. In 2022 he made the transition to defensive back and filled the stat sheet pretty well already – 58 tackles, 6.5 for loss, two sacks, one interception and seven pass break-ups. However, it was this past season that he broke out on a national scale for the national champs, as a second-team All-Big Ten selection, with 44 total stops, four for loss, two forced fumbles, six passes broken up and intercepted each, of which he returned two for touchdowns – including the dagger in title game against Washington.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Versatile matchup piece, who has experience covering all three spots in trips as well as guys in-line

+ Frequently was flexed out wide for certain matchups with receivers and looked comfortable with that extra space

+ Confident click-and-close ability in off-man assignments

+ Recognizes any tilt or drift in the route stem and will put his hands on guys in order to feel the break coming and not losing phase

+ Does a great job of fighting the hands and denying stack position to receivers trying tom take him vertical, such as on wheel routes

+ You like Sainristil’s easy movement skills to shuffle along and then attach to guys on crossers off motion, especially when asked to pick them up on switch calls as they are hidden behind stacks/bunches

+ Finished one 100^th of a second below the seven-second mark in the three-cone drill and one over on the short shuttle, which are the high-end benchmarks you want corners to hit, along with running a 4.47 and having a really fluid on-field workout at the combine

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Displays great awareness depending on the stem of slot receivers, where his eyes should progress and where space within zone coverages will open up

+ Instinctive and excellent understanding for spacing as an overhang, flat or hook defender

+ Aware of how to adjust his depth or width depending on the passing concept

+ Was asked to bail out into the deep half a few times every game, where he made sure to stay over the top of routes

+ When asked to line up at outside corner, Sainristril takes away the space of receivers in cover-two and pushes them onto the white line at times

+ Slows his feet and is a highly reliable tackler in the open field

+ Rapidly shoots upfield when the ball is completed in front of him and lays down some jarring hits on guys in the flats or off crossers

+ Nearly had a pick-six at the end of the National Championship game

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Plays with extension through blocks and consistently sets the tone at contact with (slot) receivers

+ Shows great fight and flexibility to navigate around blockers and make his way to the ball

+ Legitimately can be an outside linebacker basically against heavy personnel and stick running backs in the C- or D-gap

+ Was lined up on the edge against multi-tight-end sets at times and showcased great speed to run plays down from behind when left unblocked on the backside

+ Absolute killer in the screen game, who will blow plays up in a hurry if you give him a lane to shoot through

+ Consistently finds ways to bring the guy with the ball to the ground, whether he can square up, lasso or twists them down

+ Times up his blitzes very well, without tipping off quarterbacks and then has wiggle to get around guys in his path – Recorded 11 pressures across 38 pass-rush snaps last season

 

Weaknesses:

– Too often surrenders contain and peaks inside of blocks, presenting opportunities for ball-carriers to get out to the sideline

– Can get a little greedy with wanting to drive down on routes to where it enables quarterbacks to test him with throws over his head as a zone-defender

– There are sone moments where he should match guys late in the play-clock rather than sticking with his landmarks

– Savvy route-runners can hit him with some trigger steps to get Sainristil off balance and create separation

 

In terms of true nickel, I don’t there’s anybody who fills that spot better from day one than Sainristil, other than maybe Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean. He can man up different body-types on the inside, he’s an exceptional smart player in zone, he can be a legit +1 in the box when he’s brought in based on the formation and the man lays the wood on guys who have 30 pounds or more on him. There’s some aggressiveness in his game that needs to be toned down, funneling the ball inside the run game and not biting up on routes in space, but there’s not a ton to criticize about his tape last season. At 5’9” with arms just short of 31 inches and somewhat capped long speed, I believe he’s a much better fit in the slot, thanks to his tremendous agility as well. That’ll probably make him a late second-round pick, considering Brian Branch fell to the middle of round two a year ago, but he’s a plug-and-play starter in an NFL that uses five or more DBs on over 70% of snaps and with Sainristil, you don’t need a specific “big nickel” package vs. teams that like to run heavier sets or just run the ball at a high rate.

 

 

Andru Phillips, Kentucky

5’11”, 190 pounds; RS JR

 

One of the top-1000 national recruits in 2020, Phillips saw the field his first two years as part of a talented corner room (four total tackles), before becoming a part-time starter in his third season with the program. He started four games in 2022 and all 12 he was available for in ’23, combining for ten pass break-ups but no interceptions.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Plays with low hips and low eyes in isolated coverage, gaining ground with ease as he’s locked in on the hips of the receiver

+ Very balanced with that wide base and patiently waiting for receivers to commit to the release in soft press

+ Counters the hands of opponents well in order to deny them stack-position against him on vertical routes

+ Doesn’t look uncomfortable covering slot receivers with a three-way go, recognizing any drift during the stem, sliding in front of and attaching to the target as he tries to release the opposite direction

+ Rapidly gets his cleats into the turf and is explosive in short areas to counter the break

+ Takes excellent angles and maximizes his reach when undercutting routes in off-alignment

+ Hit the second-best mark for the vert (42 inches) and third-longest broad jump (11’2”), along with running a 4.48 at the combine

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Playing capped over the top of vertical routes, Phillips has some highly impressive moments of looking back for the ball and attacking it in the air

+ Quick to react to any deceleration of the route he’s playing over and closing that gap on deep in-cuts, yet he’s also shown on several occasions that he can run with guys to the post in quarters and break up those passes

+ Not scared of receivers blowing by him in cover-three as they release down the sideline and his eyes are inside to make plays on other routes in his vicinity

+ However, when he that space is cleared out and he needs to man up the wideout, he seems to have no issues flipping around, locating and instantly attaching to the target

+ You really like Phillips’ ability to peak back at the quarterback on those assignments and quickly close ground against easy-access throws in front of him

+ Closes down into the flats and on crossers in front of him in a hurry and eliminates free grass for pass-catchers

+ When lining up in the slot, Phillips was asked to bail into the deep half occasionally and did well to position himself between vertical routes

+ Does well to elongate the path of receivers and working around traffic to get out into the flats and eliminates options for the quarterback

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Ready to punch somebody in the chest when he keys on the run from off-alignment

+ Does well to press through the inside pec of receivers and get involved on tackles with the ball coming his way

+ Showcases that sudden explosion to shoot past receivers trying to secure (stalk-)blocks in space with the ball coming his way

+ Willing to dip underneath bigger bodies getting out in space to lead the way and funnel the ball back towards the rest of the defense

+ Quick to diagnose and trigger downhill against screen passes

+ Aggressively wrestles down receivers in space instead of allowing guys to drag him for bigger gains – only surrendered 212 yards after the catch on 55 completions against him over the past two seasons

 

Weaknesses:

– Accumulated very little ball-production without a single interception during his time at Kentucky (ten PBUs on 1105 career snaps)

– Certainly quicker than fast and may be considered a slot only by some teams, with just under 100 snaps in true man-coverage to evaluate him based off (according to PFF)

– Will allow easy-access throws in cover-three on hitches, due to having his eyes inside and continuing to gain depth without vision on the wideout

– Surrendered career-highs in completion percentage (67.2%) and touchdowns responsible for (four) in 2023

– Simply doesn’t erase enough space to the ball-carrier and gets too far over his skis as a tackler, which is why he missed 19 of 92 attempts over the past two seasons (20.7% miss rate)

 

Phillips is a player I put my stamp on early on during this draft process. This is a guy who played inside and out at a very high level in the SEC, shows great patience checking receivers at the line of scrimmage, but also possesses great click-and-close ability for a match-zone based system, plus then he’s an absolute dog in the run/screen game. I’d say he has average long speed and without any picks to his resume, he may drop all the way to day three – although he did haul in a pass vs. Missouri last season, where he was right there in the receiver’s hip-pocket on a fade. I personally have him firmly inside my top-100 overall prospects and think he can start on the outside in the right system, although I thought his best tape came in the slot. In part that’s because I want him closer to the action vs. the run, but I also want to take advantage of his short-area burst to match him up with quick-footed receivers trying to find openings for what otherwise would be easy completions. He absolutely needs to clean up his tackling, but not in the slightest do I look at it as any lack of strength or toughness.

 

 

Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri

5’11”, 180 pounds; RS JR

 

A top-500 overall recruit in 2020, in his first year after switching from wide receiver to cornerback, Abrams-Draine was a play-maker for the Tigers defense, lining up all over the place, picking off three passes and breaking up nine more, while splitting his time between the slot and outside. Over those three seasons, where he started to settle in at the nickel, he combined for 136 total tackles, seven interceptions and 34 pass break-ups. As a senior he earned first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American accolades.

 

Man-coverage:

+ Playing a lot of soft press, Abrams-Draine throws off receivers during the stem and forces them commit prematurely regularly

+ Does a nice job of staying attached to receivers releasing stemming inside and has the length to disrupt the catch point

+ From reduced splits, the way he attaches to guys pushing vertically and then gets his head around as they break towards the sideline, to undercut corner routes, stood out to me on a couple of occasions

+ In particular defending slot fade routes, his ability to negate space to the sideline, lean and look back for the ball, to knock it down, is highly impressive

+ Yet his patience and confidence to read the hips of receivers and not flip his hips prematurely in off-alignment is excellent as well

+ When he does, he’s very confident in turning through the opposite shoulder as receivers slide the opposite way of how they initially stemmed their route on vertical patterns

+ Effectively navigates around traffic on mesh concepts and pick-plays, to get back to his man

 

Zone-coverage:

+ Does a great job of playing top-down and with outside leverage in quarters coverage

+ Adjusts his width accordingly to the receiver’s stem in match and close the gap towards seam threats in deep-third responsibility

+ Oily hips to be have his hips opened one way and then flip the other effortlessly, such as fades where the receiver threatens with the inside release initially (bailing out into cover-three)

+ Understands when he’s adequately carried receivers to a certain depth and can get his eyes back around

+ Has some highly really impressive reps stacking over vertical routes, turning early to track the flight of the ball all the way and attacking it at its highest point

+ Yet when he is put in trail position, he also expertly punches through the pocket for PBUs

+ Had a nice leaping interception on a jump ball on the outside against South Carolina in 2021 and should have had another sick one, when he was in man-coverage on the tight-end, who stayed in protection, so he could drift underneath a slant route off an RPO/play-action look, snatching the ball at full extension, only for a defensive hold by one of his teammates to negate the play

+ Only allowed 24 of 51 passes his way to be completed (47.1%) for 324 yards and three touchdowns compared to his four interceptions (472 coverage snaps) – PFF coverage grade of 89.9

 

Run defense & tackling:

+ Well-proportioned for a big nickel role

+ Reliable contain player, who locks out and keeps his outside arm free against blockers

+ When offenses condense the formation and pull linemen out to the corner, Abrams-Draine doesn’t shy away from dipping underneath those and funneling the ball back inside

+ Mizzou blitzed him a few times off the short corner when there was no wideout to his side and he took the appropriate angles in accordance to the quarterback’s drop

+ Attacks low as a tackler and frequently flips over bigger ball-carriers

+ Only missed 7.5% of his attempted tackles in his career (12 of 161)

 

Weaknesses:

– Skilled receiver can give him some trouble at the line with fancy footwork, which gets him a little off-balance

– You also see guys be able to separate when the slow-play the route early and then hit the gas, not stacking the twitch of instant explosiveness to stick with them

– There’s room for improvement in his technique at defending back-shoulder fades, as he ends up too far up the field at times

– Could do a better job of disengaging from blocks and getting his hands on the ball-carrier, particularly in the screen game

 

Abrams-Draine spent well over 80% of his snaps out wide each of the past two seasons after playing nickel on two thirds of snaps in 2021. So I don’t want to label him a “slot only” by any means. However, I think that’s still where he fits best because while he has the adequate speed, if bursty receivers slow-play the release before taking off or sell the vertical push and then snap off routes violently, the DB doesn’t need to commit to either one extensively in order to avoid giving up big plays. I also believe you want him closer to the action vs. the run because he’s a reliable contain-player and tackler. So if a team drafts him with the idea of putting him outside, I’d like it to be in a coverage structure that is built off split-safety principles, where he can anticipate and drive on routes, while I don’t believe there are any limitations of what you can ask of him at the nickel spot in terms of schematic fit. With his pedigree, he should be a mid-day two selection.

 

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The next names up:

Cam Hart (Notre Dame), Decamerion Richardson (Mississippi State), Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (Louisville), D.J. James (Auburn), Elijah Jones (Boston College), Daequan Hardy (Penn State), Myles Harden (South Dakota), Jarrian Jones (Florida State), Josh Newton (TCU), Caelen Carson (Wake Forest) & Chau Smith-Wade (Washington State)