13 best cornerbacks in 2024 NFL Draft, ranked

April 24, 2024

The 2024 NFL Draft will feature a number of exciting cornerback prospects. There is plenty of talent throughout all seven rounds, from high-end first-rounders to late-round gems.

SB Nation polled several draft analysts to determine the consensus top cornerbacks. There was a lot of variation, such as one player’s vote spread going from 8 to 18 and another player’s vote spread going from 3 to 9.

Because of the variation, we identified the top 13 cornerbacks by including all prospects who received the top 10 votes.

13. Max Melton, Rutgers

Melton received one eighth-place vote. The Scarlet Knights standout was one of the best performing players at the NFL Combine. At 11-foot-4, Melton had the best broad jump of all cornerbacks and was third in vertical jump with 40.5 inches, running a 4.39.40. Melton has impressive athletic ability, and becoming a more technically advanced player could help Melton reach that goal. the limits of his performance.

12. Come Hart, Notre Dame

Hart has impressive size for the position at 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds. The Baltimore native was one of the most competitive cornerbacks to participate in the Senior Bowl. His athleticism is clearly on display after Hart measures 39.5 inches long and 10 feet 10 wide. Hart has the versatility to thrive in personnel- and zone-heavy systems, but he’s at his best when he’s allowed to cover ground in the zone and work downhill. Masu.

11. Chris Abrams-Drain, Missouri

Abrams-Drain is also a versatile cornerback who will likely score a nickel medal by kicking inside. Abrams-Drain had a standout performance at this year’s Senior Bowl, showing his competitive edge through a number of one-on-one drills. The Mobile, Alabama, native ran a 4.42 at the NFL Combine. Rare ball skills are at the forefront of Abrams-Drain’s skill set. He was a standout at the University of Missouri with 40 passes defensed and seven interceptions. Abrams-Drain returned kicks and punts 32 times in college and has special teams versatility.

10.Mike Sainristil, Michigan

Throughout Sainristil’s scouting report, the only question mark that can be considered a negative is size. Unfortunately, Sainristil lacks the size needed to play perimeter cornerback at 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, making him likely to be a role-specific player for NFL defenses. Still, I managed to get one 8th place vote. He was a key cog in Michigan’s historically impressive defense, leading the program to a national championship. Sainristil is one of the smartest defenders in the draft, with a natural ability to diagnose route concepts.

9. Kylie Jackson, Oregon

He is underrated by many, and Jackson received one vote for seventh place in our poll. First off, Jackson has outstanding size for the position at 6-foot-3 and 194 pounds. His lower body explosion allowed Jackson to record an 11-foot-1 broad jump at the NFL Combine, which was the third-best result among all cornerbacks in attendance. Jackson, a former Alabama transfer, had 10 pass breakups and three interceptions at Oregon last season.

8. Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

Size concerns exist as Lassiter is less than 6 feet tall and weighs only 186 pounds. However, Lassiter plays pretty loud on tape. The Bulldogs defenders are very competitive and physical in the contact window. Lassiter is versatile enough to play both nickel and boundary corner. The flexibility of this position will endear him to NFL defensive coordinators throughout this process.

7. TJ Tampa, Iowa

One of our voters had Tampa as high as #3 on his CB committee, but no one else had him in the top six. Tampa’s wingspan gives him nearly 79 inches, which historically puts him in the 89th percentile. Tampa will use his length to defend 22 career passes and compete for the catch point.The instincts that have enabled Tampa to thrive. iowa‘s zone-heavy scheme is at the forefront of his appeal.

6. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri

Rakestraw Jr. didn’t test particularly well, but he is one of the great football players. Rakestraw His junior shows lightning quickness in coverage and makes fluid switches on and off breaks to mirror his receiving role. Rakestraw, a junior, has good length for the position and loves disrupting receivers’ timing at the line of scrimmage.

5. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

McKinstry’s pre-draft process was complicated by injuries.widely spread report Alabama’s talented cover man has indicated he will undergo surgery on a Jones fracture in his right foot. McKinstry, a naturally gifted player, was able to score a 4.47 at his pro day while dealing with an injury. McKinstry’s combination of athleticism, size, quickness and press coverage could give teams a draft weekend discount.

4. Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Dejan received one second-place vote, but finished lower in all other votes. It’s a shame that DeJean wasn’t healthy enough to perform at the NFL Combine. The whispers around the league were that he was capable of posting a 4.3 grade. On tape, Dejan has the instincts needed to pull off a zone-heavy scheme.

3. Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Wiggins got one of our first place votes, but no one else got him more than three. There’s good reason why Wiggins can be divisive. The Clemson standout ran a position-best 4.28 at the NFL Combine, which was bettered only by Xavier Worthy’s record-setting 4.21. However, since Wiggins weighed 173 pounds, the strength of his play is a concern. mock draft availablelocated in Indianapolis.

2. Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Arnold received two first-place votes, but his other votes were further down the list. Arnold is an athletic cornerback with all the tools needed to develop into a high-end starting corner.From Tallahassee reportedly At Alabama’s pro day last week, he ran a 6.65 on the 3-cone, which would have been the second-fastest time at the NFL Combine. Arnold is my personal favorite as the first cornerback drafted in April.

College Football: January 31 Reese's Senior Bowl

1. Kunyon Mitchell, Toledo

Mitchell totaled 52 pass breakups and six interceptions at Toledo and entered the pre-draft process as an interesting player, but NFL scouts were wondering how he would perform against better competition. I wanted to know what to do. Mitchell answered those questions with perhaps the best overall performance of this year’s Senior Bowl. Mitchell continued to impress decision makers, running a 4.33 at Indianapolis. Mitchell has solidified his status as a first-round pick.