Without doing even the slightest bit of research to back of the claim, my guess is there’s more defensive backs entering the draft every year than any other position. How do I justify it? I just look at NFL rosters. Most keep 10 and a good six of those are cornerbacks. If you break that down to the college level, that means a normal college team probably has 30 percent more defensive backs than other positions on its roster in any given season. In which case, when those guys run out of eligibility or decide to test the market, they enter the NFL Draft.
Before we hit the safeties and finish up the draft rankings, we’re going to look at corners. Here are three guys that almost made the cut.
10. M.J. Stewart, North Carolina, 9. Greg Stroman, Virginia Tech, 8. Holton Hill, Texas…
TOP SEVEN CORNERBACKS
https://youtu.be/E02Mpg_b_Ek
7. Donte Jackson, LSU
2017: 45 tackles, one sack, one interception, nine passes defended (5-11, 175 pounds)
You like the exercise displays put on the NFL combine? If so, you always need to tune in when the DBs run their 40s because that’s where the rubber gets burned. Jackson laid down a 4.32 40 and can show that speed on film. There is no NFL wide receiver that can run by him. He’s a future NFL starter, but will likely need more coaching to bring out his natural abilities. He was a top corner in the SEC, but this wasn’t the greatest season for pass throwers in the nation’s premier conference. Still, Jackson is an early Day Two pick on potential and film alone.
Ideal situation: Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Carlton Davis, Auburn
2017: 34 tackles, one interception, 10 passes defended, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery (6-1, 203 pounds)
Davis doesn’t have the sprinter speed that Jackson displays, but he’s plenty fast enough to run with 90 percent of the NFL’s receivers. What he does bring is a physical corner play and the body to press and hang with the league’s bigger pass-catching targets, including tight ends. You see a lot of guys called “The Next Richard Sherman,” Davis looks like he just might fit the bill.
Ideal situation: Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots
5. Levi Wallace, Alabama
2017: 48 tackles, three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, 15 passes defended (6-0, 183 pounds)
Here is where the NFL’s over-inflated love of exercising is going to pay off huge for some team. Wallace was a walk-on at Alabama, of all places, and ended up on scholarship and holding down a starting corner spot his senior season. The knock on him? He ran a 4.63 40. His lack of breakneck speed didn’t keep him from dominating SEC receivers at Alabama and keeping four and five-star recruits out of the starting line up. He knows how to play the position with his brain.
Ideal situation: Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs
https://youtu.be/fN7U8BkwrK4
4. Isaiah Oliver, Colorado
2017: 26 tackles, two interceptions, 12 passes defended (6-0, 201 pounds)
Oliver is just the latest NFL caliber cornerback to come out of the Colorado program in recent seasons. They’ve really done their work there bringing in the elite defensive backs. Oliver has NFL speed and put up big numbers in spite of missing significant time last year with a leg injury. He’s got a set of Mr. Fantastic arms that can seemingly come out of nowhere to swat or snag a ball.
Ideal situation: Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills
3. Jaire Alexander, Louisville
2017: 19 tackles, one for a loss, one interception, four passes defended. (5-11, 192 pounds)
Alexander played in only six games as a senior thanks to multiple injuries, including a broken hand. In 2016, he had 39 tackles, one for a loss, five picks and nine passes defended to go with a 10.3-yard punt return average and a touchdown. Whatever injuries nagged him this season, they’re gone now. He laid down a 4.38 40 at the combine and should get snatched up in the first round.
Ideal situation: Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbjsj1UkV_0
2. Denzel Ward, Ohio State
2017: 37 tackles, two for a loss, two interceptions, 15 passes defended (5-10, 191 pounds)
Ward is a pure cover corner and should slide right into a starting spot for whatever team that drafts him just like Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley did last season. Those two NFL starters were the only thing that pushed him down the depth chart at Ohio State as a sophomore. If you’re a scout and need a little exercise vindication, how about a 4.32 40?
Ideal situation: Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears
https://youtu.be/wop5Bm17oJg
1. Joshua Jackson, Iowa
2017: 48 tackles, 0.5 for a loss, eight interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, 18 passes defended (6-1, 192 pounds)
Maybe you have a quibble with picking Ward over Alexander at No. 2, but there should be no question at all who the top corner in the country is this season. Again, if scouts want to look at the two 4.3 guys and pick them over a dude with nearly double-digit picks and almost 20 passes defended, be my guest. Some team picking in the low 20s will gladly line up Jackson as a shut down corner for the next five-to-eight seasons. When throwing against Jackson, opposing quarterbacks had a THREE percent completion rate. That’s right, THREE. The man did not allow a touchdown from Week Five on through the Pinstripe Bowl. And, of course, Jackson got a pick in that bowl. What else was he going to do?
Ideal situation: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos
