The trend towards a greater focus than ever before on vertical passing attacks in the NFL has put that much more of a focus on finding quality talent at the cornerback position. There is no doubt that there is a lack of elite NFL cornerbacks and teams continue to push hard to find the next great player at the position. Here is a look at the top cornerback prospects in college football right now.
Desmond King
Iowa Hawkeyes
King is the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner as the best cornerback in college football and he will have every opportunity to solidify himself as the top player at his position in the game in 2016. King has played in all 40 games since he arrived at Iowa where he has racked up 205 tackles, 26 pass breakups and 11 interceptions. King does an excellent job of reading quarterbacks eyes in zone coverage and his combination of speed, agility and quickness allow him to break on the football and make plays. The 5’11’’, 203-pound senior is an elite playmaker and he could emerge as a top-10 pick with another strong season for the Hawkeyes. Truth be told, he probably would have been in that range had he declared for the NFL Draft last year, and that’s a decision that many people have criticized him about. At any rate, as long as he stays healthy, he’ll be in the first round in 2017.
The Hawkeyes had few problems in their opening game of the season as they easily cruised.
Jordan Thomas
Oklahoma Sooners
Thomas is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he registered five interceptions including one that he returned for a touchdown. At 6’4’’ and 192 pounds, Thomas has the prototypical size to be a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL and with it he brings the speed, agility, athletic ability and instincts to thrive at the position. Thomas will need to prove that he can stay out of trouble off the field this season after two suspensions in 2015 in addition to an arrest. There is no doubt that he is oozing with talent but he needs to stay focused in order to prove that he deserves to be an NFL first round pick. Thomas and the Sooners didn’t look particularly strong in their opener against the No. 15 Houston Cougars when they suffered an upset loss. They’ll need to play better as there are a lot of good offenses in the Big 12.
Jalen Tabor
Florida Gators
Tabor has shown a knack for finding the football at Florida with 22 pass breakups and five interceptions over the last two years. Vernon Hargreaves III graduated to the NFL as a first round pick so it will be on Tabor to prove his worth against opposing No. 1 receivers this season. Tabor is listed at 6’0’’ and 201 pounds but he is a scrappy cornerback that knows how to stick with his man in coverage and he should thrive as a junior in the Gators’ defense this season. The Gators had a relatively easy start to the season where the defense again shined for them. They allowed just seven points and will have to play like that throughout conference play if they want to make a run at the SEC Championship.
Cordrea Tankersley
Clemson Tigers
Tankersley made a name for himself as a special teams ace over the course of his first two seasons at Clemson before finally getting his chance to start at the cornerback position in 2015. Tankersley thrived in the starting role where his confidence and his elite skill set were on full display. The 6’1’’, 200-pound Tankersley fits best in a press-heavy scheme where he can use his size and strength to his advantage and he will have the chance to thrive in the spotlight this season with the Tigers looking to take care of unfinished business after finishing at the national championship runner-up last season. The Tigers had an excellent start to the 2016 campaign with a big win over the Auburn Tigers. It proved to be a closer-than-expected result as the Clemson offense couldn’t really get going but the Tigers defense did their job – including on the last play of the game when the secondary knocked down a potential game-winning touchdown pass.
