The top cornerbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft class have the potential to be stars, but the next two tiers show the promise of players receiving multiple contracts at the next level. This is a class that could become special when we look back in a few years.
Normally you’ll see a list of the 10 best players in the position, but there are so many CBSs who have multiple votes that I put numbers 11-20 in the list (but not blurry). This is a deep cornerback class where you can see around 13-15 plays in your first year.
20. Tomihill, Nebraska
19. No Williams, California
18. Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon
17. ZyAlexander, LSU
16. Bihar Korn in western Michigan
15. Zah Frazier, UTSA
14. Coby Bryant, Kansas
13. Quincy Riley, Louisville
12. Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech
11. Jacob Parish, Kansas
10. Denzel Burke, Ohio
Burke merged with national championship defense. He is a senior in four years and despite playing starter-level snaps in each season, he has never actually taken his game to the next level. Over the past year, Burke has allowed 63% of his target to complete at nine yards per target. Each of these numbers is lower.
Burke has an easy first step and is in a relatively good position for most of his targets, but I tend to avoid cornerbacks who struggle to play the ball in the air. It’s Burke.
9. Darien Porter, Iowa
Porter is a wild card in this cornerback class.
Why didn’t Porter play more?
Why are players who were in school for six seasons still making basic mistakes?
Why does one of the best athletes in the draft get off the field after intercepting, regardless of position?
There are more questions than answers to one of the most engaging outlooks in the class. So he’s the ninth.
It feels strange that a sixth year player says they need coaching. Porter is plausible who he is at this point. Again, Porter was an Iowa wide receiver before 2022. Most people are unable to do the athletic feats that Porters can do. It’s no surprise that he was above the 89th percentile in four different categories of the NFL combine.
The class has “safer” players with far less predictable predictions. However, it’s easy to see why teams roll dice of players that are oozing out with something like Porter.
8. Azureye’h Thomas, Florida
Thomas was as high as sixth and was low to ten in our rankings. He slots to the right on average. Thomas, who checks in at number 8 on the list, is a testament to the depths of this cornerback class.
Let’s get to why he deserves a top or two lower layers. Thomas has been working like a former Florida DB since the late ’80s. Thomas is the first to charge into the ball carrier, as his belly flops into the pool. There is also one or two games where Thomas shorts and decides to defend the wrong wide receiver. That’s strange.
If there was a 6’1-1/2 inch cornerback with a bigger hand than the 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and a 6’1-1/2 inch cornerback that would change direction like a Porsche maneuver through rush hour traffic, I’m off to that.
With the goal line against Miami last season declined, Thomas was put in a position to get both hands on the ball. There was a play against Duke, who pushed Thomas into the Blue Devils receiver out of range for a few yards.
Thomas didn’t run on Florida Pro Day. He’s generally like a gambling prospect late in the first round. Failure to check his athletic ability could prevent Thomas from being selected in the top 50.
There is no example of an opposing wide receiver that will pull you away from Thomas when they take a step on him. Questions about his athletic ability can be answered within seconds of watching Thomas play. If you can teach him how to tackle, you’re dealing with luxury sports cars.
7. Trey Amos, Mississippi
One of our voters has Amos in the top four, but he barely made the top ten a different voter. Most of his votes were seven years old.
Ole Miss puts Amos in a position to fail all season, and he responded to times and times of challenges multiple times. There’s not much I dislike about Amos’ games.
He was mostly press coverage, so you can see everything from the recovery speed of playing the ball in the air. It can be said that Amos wants to be challenged. He wasn’t embarrassed to talk about trash after playing and letting you know after he did it.
Amos is this class of “stable editor.” You know what you’re getting, he has a clear role he’s good and if the NFL team uses him like the Rebels did, Amos makes this CB7 ranking look stupid.
6. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
Morrison was in the top 20 of several mock drafts before suffering a hip injury. He will work on pro scouts in Arizona a week before the draft.
Morrison was as much of a cornerback lockdown as you could, so it would be interesting to see how he tests. His role was similar to Amos. Because Notre Dame left Morrison and dodged it for himself.
Morrison allowed a completion rate of 39% with a target of 26 in 2024, and a target of 41 in 2023, allowing a completion rate of 34% with a target of 41 in 2023, with three intercepts. It’ll get better.
As a true freshman, Morrison gave up a 31% completion rate with 45 targets, but had six intercepts. Over his career, Morrison broke up 30 passes compared to allowing four touchdowns. I understand injuries, but if you’ve been watching college football for many years, I know that Morrison is just as consistent as the players playing his position. It’s unlikely to change in the NFL.
5. Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Hairston is small, but is irrationally tested and when you look at him he works as expected. He trusts his speed and is not based on the route below. 4.28 40 will be displayed in double moves. Hairston is more than playing a Speedster cornerback, but you wonder how he will compete better against the competition, or when he aligns with a 6’2″ wideout at 215 pounds that can overtake a muscled Hairston.
I have a little lower hairston than most people, but I understand why the NFL team can captivate him and his coverage skills. Hairston secured a third-place vote in our rankings, but came in eighth in one vote.
4. Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina
If Revel is not separated from an ACL injury, this is the player team chosen in the first round Every year.
His height is all elite. Check all three boxes. Against Appalachia, Revel Jr. had a pick 6, the best highlight for 99% of players. There’s a play where he doesn’t let the wide receiver move away from the line of scrimmage.
At his best, Revel Jr. faces wide receivers. Regardless of who the receiver is, I make my chances of not only finding a way to win, but also finding a pass.
He wasn’t that comfortable playing off-coverage so he should come with more reps if necessary. Again, Revel Jr. looks like the top 15 when he’s reporting on the press. Pro Tip: Have him press and get rewarded with stars.
3. Jadae Baron, Texas
Baron won the most third place vote with Sabo Break, but he drove his colleagues with more fourth place votes.
The Barons are 5’10-3/4 inch and 194 pounds, both below the 40th percentile. Baron’s 29-8 inch arm is the third percentile and can scare your team. However, he ran a 40-yard dash with 4.39. This makes him forget all that he can measurably do.
Baron has played the starter snap in the past three years. In this past season, he has limited wideouts that opposed four intercepts, seven pass breakups and 38 passersby ratings.
Baron was a slot cornerback in 2023 and played 500 of 739 snaps last season. If you’re going to take cornerback this early, he’s better off not only has blue chip athleticism, but he’s also better off having high-end movies. Baron does.
Though he throws cliches like “instincts” during draft season, Baron lives around the ball. He is much more physical than you would expect and can feed the quarterback to mistakes. The fifth grade senior will become plug and play starters.
2. Johnson Will, Michigan
Johnson was the unanimous selection as the second-best cornerback in the draft.
Johnson has no prospects for this class. He won’t lose in the press. And when he does, the chances of you completing that 30 yard pass again outside the number is slim. The team tried and failed. For three years, Johnson proved that throwing him was stupid.
During his career, Johnson gave up one touchdown on 100 college targets. The team got cute after failing everything else and tried to get him to run a double move. There is no sustainable way to defeat Johnson. I had never seen him and thought, “His speed would hurt him at the next level.”
Johnson is one of the best prospects in his class, regardless of his position.
1. Travis Hunter, Colorado
Hunter was an unanimous choice for the top cornerback in the draft. He is the most unique player in the draft. Hunter has the best floor and ceiling of any player in every position in the draft, making him the best player in the draft.
Hunter weighed only 188 pounds, but his play strength is heavily similar to someone between 10 and 15 pounds. But if you become a top dog, you’d be better off having transcendental traits.
If you’re talking about wide receivers, I think Hunter had Hall of Fame ball skills. We know we’re not supposed to compare players to Hall of Fame, but the way the hunters track, track high points and catch the ball reminds us of Larry Fitzgerald. Yes, there’s no pressure.
Now imagine that defensive version. The Hunter found a way to participate in the play. He is a gambler, but that generally leads to positive outcomes of defense. With a target of 80, the hunter allowed a completion rate of 46%. He received four intercepts in 2024, but was able to double it by how often the Hunter found a way to get the ball.
He’s a superstar.
