| Cornerback |
| 1) Christian Gonzalez, Oregon |
| 2) Devon Witherspoon, Illinois |
| 3) Joey Porter Jr, Penn State |
| 4) Deonte Banks, Maryland |
| 5) Cam Smith, South Carolina |
| 6) Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State |
| 7) DJ Turner, Michigan |
| 8) Julius Brents, Kansas State |
| 9) Kelee Ringo, Georgia |
| 10) Clark Phillips III, Utah |
| 11) Eli Ricks, Alabama |
| 12) Tyrique Stevenson, Miami |
| 13) Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M |
| 14) Terrell Smith, Minnesota |
| 15) Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern |
| 16) Darius Rush, South Carolina |
| 17) Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU |
| 18) Jakorian Bennett, Maryland |
| 19) Mekhi Garner, LSU |
| 20) Kyu Blue Kelly, Stanford |
| 21) Rejzohn Wright, Oregon State |
| 22) Cory Trice, Purdue |
| 23) Cameron Brown, Ohio State |
| 24) Garrett Williams, Syracuse |
| 25) Riley Moss, Iowa |
| 26) Nic Jones, Ball State |
| 27) Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville |
| 28) Myles Brooks, Louisiana Tech |
| 29) Jay Ward, LSU |
| 30) Carrington Valentine, Kentucky |
| 31) Starling Thomas IV, UAB |
| 32) Darrell Luter Jr, South Alabama |
| 33) Noah Daniels, TCU |
| 34) Steven Gilmore, Marshall |
| 35) Tiawan Mullen, Indiana |
| 36) Arquon Bush, Cincinnati |
| 37) Lance Boykin, Coastal Carolina |
| 38) Anthony Johnson, Virginia |
Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Gonzalez (6'1/197) was initially recruited as a four-star caliber safety who was committed to the alma mater of his brother-in-law, David Blough, who is married to his Olympic sprinter sister, Melissa. He earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 status with Colorado in 2021 before transferring to Oregon in 2022 where he recorded 50 tackles, 11 PBU and four interceptions to go with a 74.7 NFL passer rating when targeted. The All-Pac-12 DB then went out and proved his ridiculous athleticism at the Combine by running a 4.38s 40-yard dash (95th%), 41.5” vert (99th%) and a near-perfect 9.95 RAS. His 32” arms allow him to jam at the line and swat away passes that smaller corners cannot reach. A smooth strider who has a press man profile, Gonzalez is very difficult to stack vertically with his jets but is still flexible enough to stay in phase throughout breaks. With Oregon’s potent offense lighting up scoreboards up and down the west coast, he defended 64 passes while allowing 495 yards and three touchdowns as opponents tried to catch up to Bo Nix and the high-octane Ducks. Gonzalez’s torso is a little slight which can hinder him in run support, but he really improved this season by posting a rock solid 4.9% missed tackle rate. Overall, Gonzalez has the type of profile defensive coordinators covet and speed to stay in step with just about anyone, he’s my number one cornerback in this class.
Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Witherspoon (5'11/181) didn’t play football until his junior year but has prolific track accolades that attracted the attention of Illinois, which was the lone Power Five team to offer him a scholarship. Despite being an unheralded recruit who committed just four days before training camp opened, he still played in all 13 games as a true freshman with three starts at CB. Witherspoon was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in 2021 when he broke up nine passes with 19 stops, which ranked fifth among B10 corners. It all came together for him last year, being named a Consensus All-American and the first Thorpe Award finalist in school history. His 92.5 PFF coverage grade was the highest Power Five grade in the Power Five while playing the second most, man-to-man reps in the country with 560. His 35.5% completion rate and 14 PBU last year offset his modest five interceptions in 1,149 career pass snaps. The Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year is smart enough to diagnose routes like a C.S.I. detective and is quick to close when the ball is in the air. He plays with an edge that belies his rather lean build and does not shy away from run support, recording 92 tackles over the last two years. Witherspoon didn’t test at the Combine but his 4.45s Pro Day 40-yard dash is a commendable 83rd percentile mark, though you’re not drafting Witherspoon for his measurables. Besides his dimensions, the biggest flaw in his game is the 11 penalties he drew over his last two campaigns, but that’s a product of his aggressive nature and can hopefully be reigned in. Witherspoon has the potential to be a CB1 if he can overcome those obstacles.
Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
The son of NFL royalty, Porter Jr. (6'2/193) is cut from the modern mold of long, elastic corners who are in many cases taller than the wide receivers they are matching up against. Redshirted as a freshman but went on to start 31 games over the last three seasons while earning All-Big Ten recognition in each. His play crested last year, with Porter Jr. allowing 15 receptions on 30 targets for just 143 yards through 10 games while earning Second Team All-American accolades. His size is a major asset with elongated 34” arms that help him stifle initial movement off the line and knock passes away at their high point, as is evidenced by his 11 PBU last year. His 4.46s 40-yard dash was an 84th percentile number for his size and backs-up his press-man credentials, though he didn’t do any agility testing. That’s telling because the biggest knock on Porter Jr’s coverage skills is his sluggish change of direction ability. Even so, his 9.71 RAS profile showcases the prototypical physical traits he possesses that bode well for his NFL projection. Porter Jr. has the lineage, mentality and tools to be a longtime NFL starting cornerback.
Deonte Banks, Maryland
Banks (6'0/197) is a self-made three-star recruit who went to his home-state school of Maryland and became an immediate core contributor for the Terps secondary. He entered the starting lineup in the fourth game of his true freshman season, using his 4.35s 40 speed and ready-made frame to earn 478 snaps. The pandemic and a shoulder injury limited Banks to just seven games from 2020-2021, but his 38 tackles, 9 PBU and 43% catch rate allowed merited Honorable Mention All-Big Ten level attention last year, putting Banks on the NFL Draft radar. A menace to contain in the run game, he only missed one tackle in 29 attempts which earned him a pristine 89.2 tackling grade from PFF. Though his 2022 campaign was no-doubt impressive, Banks really started climbing the board after his sizzling Combine performance, testing in the 99th percentile in the 10-yard split (1.45s), vertical (42”) and broad jump (11'04) for a near perfect 9.99 RAS. The physically gifted corner is clean in his transitions and has a relentless will to compete and play through the catch. Teams looking for a feisty freak who has the desire to compete and ability to excel in multiple defensive packages are going to be all over Banks.
Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
Forbes (6'1/166) is defined by his long, thin and wiry frame that he utilizes to great effect when it comes to intercepting wayward passes, a feat he has accomplished 14 times in three seasons. In fact, Forbes brought six of those interceptions back for touchdowns, which is an all-time NCAA record. The thin-man wasted little time taking over a starting spot in the Mississippi State lineup, earning Freshman All-SEC accolades while leading the team with 11 PBU and five INT. He was named Second Team All-SEC in the following two years, leading the Bulldogs in PBU and INT in all three of his campaigns. A cerebral, rangy player who finished fourth in the P5 with an 87.3 PFF coverage grade, Forbes has elite wide receiver caliber hands and the twitch to trigger instantaneously on breaks. He’s very willing in run support, as is evidenced by his 149 career tackles, but could get washed out with regularity against alpha NFL wide receivers if he cannot put on at least some upper body mass. His measurables check-out, running a 4.35s 40 with a 1.49s 10-yard split, both 97th percentile times, to go with elongated 32.25” arms for a solid 9.26 RAS. With record-breaking production in college football’s elite conference, Forbes’ production is without question, but his 166-pound frame may affect his ability to stay on the field.
DJ Turner, Michigan
The IMG Academy product was an unheralded three-star prospect who spent two years working his way up the Wolverines depth chart before finally breaking into the lineup in 2021. That year he earned Honorable Mention All-American honors with a sterling 54.8 passer rating when targeted and 83.8 PFF coverage grade. Turner (5'11/178) raised his level of play last year by recording 11 PBU with a 46.5 completion rate en route to Second Team All-Big Ten status. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with savvy, technique and speed. And by speed, we’re talking a ludicrous 4.26s that was the fastest time at the 2023 Combine. Turner backed his rare speed score with a 38.5 vertical (88th%) and 10'11” broad jump (96th%) for a very projectable 9.59 RAS. A true worker bee, he can trigger in a snap and accelerates like a roadster when he’s trailing. While he’s still filling out his frame, the biggest concern NFL teams have is does Turner have enough strength to hold up physically on the outside against bigger wideouts despite his lean upper body? While he spent most of his Michigan tenure on the boundary, Turner will need to improve his play strength to win consistently in the NFL. Even if he doesn’t stay outside, he could still settle in as a versatile nickel back.
Cam Smith, South Carolina
A local product who grew up in Blythewood, S.C., Smith (6'1/180) is a former four-star recruit who participated in the U.S. Army All-American game. He broke out in 2021 by holding opponents to just 15 receptions on 32 targets for 184 yards and a sparkling 36.5 passer rating when targeted, while finishing second in the SEC with 11 PBU and earning Second-Team All-SEC recognition. While Smith’s elite play from 2021 slipped a bit last year, going from a lofty 89.7 PFF coverage grade to a middling 64.4 in 2022. Smith logged 196 snaps in the slot and 356 outside last season, a stark increase in slot duties from the 32 slot reps he played in his breakout 2021 campaign. A big reason for the increased slot usage could be the 11 penalties he committed last season, as Smith has a tendency to get grabby when out of phase. Though receivers were able to get by him at times, his 4.43s 40 was a strong 87th% mark and his 10-yard split of 1.48s is a legitimately blazing 97th percentile time. Toss in a pair of excellent jumps, and Smith’s 9.68 RAS score is a major green flag for his transition to the pros. He ramps up extremely well and has that dawg in him in coverage, but Smith can get manhandled in the run games at times. His sound instincts and versatility to play inside or out makes Smith an intriguing second corner option for zone-based defenses.
Julius Brents, Kansas State
Brents (6'3/213) initially attended Iowa as a three-star safety prospect, grinding out three years of inconsistent snaps under old-school HC Kirk Ferentz’s perennially stout defense that had a settled depth chart after he returned from a season-long injury suffered in 2019. He transferred to Kansas State in 2021 and immediately earned a starting role, though there was an adjustment period as he allowed a subpar 64% completion rate and 101.9 passer rating. It all came together for Brents in 2022, posting a 46% completion rate and 57.7 passer rating, which were drastic improvements over 2021. He also grew into his body, learning to leverage his elite change of direction ability and vast wingspan (34” arms) to rack up eight PBU, four interceptions and 45 tackles. The First Team All-Big 12 corner took over the Combine by running a 4.05 shuttle (91st%), 6.63 3-Cone (98th%) and 1.5 10-yard split (96%) to go with 99th percentile jumping drills for a near-perfect 9.99 RAS. He flashes hard on breaks and can still stay with most wideouts down the sideline thanks to his advanced ramp up speed. That being said, Brents can have trouble playing catch-up downfield to fast wide receivers once he falls behind, which happened against TCU WR Quentin Johnston. He has all the dimensions you look for and could become a reliable CB2 in short order with his tantalizing athletic profile.
Kelee Ringo, Georgia
A true blue-chip recruit, Ringo was ranked as the top CB and fourth overall player in the nation from the 2020 prep cycle. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman team in 2021, leading the Bulldogs with 10 PBU along with 34 tackles and a sensational 41% catch rate. He ran it back with a Second Team All-SEC campaign and back-to-back National Championships. If only everyone’s collegiate experience could be so remarkable. His raw speed has never been in question, running a blinding 10.43s 100-yard dash in high school and a 4.36s 40 at the combine, which is a 97th percentile mark for the super-sized 6'2/207 pound defensive back. However there is legitimate concern about Ringo’s stiff hips hindering his ability to stay in phase with quick, shifty wideouts, leading to nine penalties. His agility tests did little to quell those critiques, running a pedestrian 4.36s shuttle (54th%) and 7.21s 3-Cone (26th%), while his 10 bench reps (28th%) and 33.5 vertical (35th%) also raise questions about his overall ceiling. With Ringo owning an excellent 66.1 passer rating when targeted and having succeeded at the highest level of college football, he should develop into a steady NFL contributor by year two.
Clark Phillips III, Utah
A decorated recruit out of La Habra HS in the fertile scouting ground of Los Angeles, Phillips III (5'9/184) was the fourth rated cornerback from the 2020 recruiting class according to 247Sports. He arrived at Utah polished and ready to play on Day 1, starting every game from his true freshman season until his early declaration in January. The two-time All-Pac-12 and Unanimous 2022 All-American performer led the P12 in PBU each of the last two seasons. A voracious film watcher, Phillips III also paced the conference with six interceptions last year, in addition to cashing-in four pick-sixes in his Utes career. Compact but swole, he is instinctive and brash in his play style. However, despite a penchant for mirroring receivers of all sizes, the Utah team captain didn’t test particularly well, running a 4.32 3-Cone (40%) with a sluggish 4.51s 40-yard dash at 184 pounds (66th%) in a class where the vast majority of CBs ran in the 4.4-range. His 29.125” arms impede Phillips III’s ability to probe receivers and is another demerit in his mundane 5.60 RAS. While 83% of his snaps over his first two years were on the outside, that rate dropped to 63% in 2022, which could be a harbinger for Phillips III’s NFL future as a slot-primary corner.
