Having good players in the secondary has never been more important in the NFL, and this year's NFL Draft cornerback class boasts some very good prospects. Here are the five best.
5. Jeff Gladney, TCU
Gladney didn't have a great Combine, as his 4.48s 40-yard dash was good, but disappointing, and his 5'10” 191lbs frame is very slight for the NFL. But his college tape is still very good, and he just makes plays. It's why he's an interesting NFL Draft prospect.
The fifth-year senior had three interceptions and 26 pass breakups over the past two seasons, and although he was targeted a ton (thrown at 187 times since 2017), some of that was intentional; Gladney trusts his speed so much that he tends to sag off receivers slightly in order to bait a throw, and then makes a play on the ball. He won't be able to get away with that at the next level, and will need to stay close as much as possible.
Gladney may never become a top-flight corner, and could be relegated to the slot because of his smaller stature, but he's a feisty player who trusts himself to make plays. If he's able to add more muscle to his frame while keeping his athleticism, Gladney could develop into an excellent CB2.
4. Jaylon Johnson, Utah
Johnson has started since his true freshman season. He was targeted 65, 70, and 55 times, respectively, and each season his allowed passer rating was 57.6 or below. On those 190 targets, he allowed only 93 catches for 1,009 yards and three touchdowns, while picking off four passes. He allowed zero TDs in 2019 while breaking up 11 passes. Johnson has top-tier instincts that come from a tireless work ethic in the film room. He is extremely physical and aggressive, perhaps to a fault. His 6'0″ 193lbs frame needs to be filled out more, and while Johnson is fine athlete, he is not exceptional in any particular area either.
Johnson is projected to be a late first-round pick in the NFL Draft, but given how instinctive he is, he should be at worst a solid NFL player, and that may mean he goes higher than expected due to the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season due to COVID-19.
3. Kristian Fulton, LSU
LSU has a strong claim for the title of DB U, and Fulton, along with teammate Grant Delpit, are the next in line. Fulton isn't an overly physical player, and isn't the most explosive or twitchy athlete, but his long speed is more than fine (4.46s 40-yard dash) and his technique is excellent. He may never be an elite player, but his smarts and technique should make him effective early on. Press man is his strength, and he did a ton of it in college.
Fulton allowed just 48 of his 117 targets to be caught, which is an impressive number considering all the talented wideouts he had to cover in the SEC. LSU faced Devin Duvernay (Texas), Van Jefferson (Florida), Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, Henry Ruggs III, and DeVonta Smith (all from Alabama), CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma), and Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins (Clemson) in 2019 alone, and Fulton and true freshman Derek Stingley Jr., a future high pick, did a fine job on the Tigers' way to a National Championship.
Fulton was suspended for the entire 2017 season after cheating on a drug test, which could scare some teams away from him. But his new team will be getting a very solid man coverage player with good ball skills.
2. C.J. Henderson, Florida
If you're looking for a CB with a high ceiling, Henderson is your guy. He's well-built at 6'1″ 204lbs and performed extremely well at the Combine in March. His 4.39 40 time headlined his outing, and his 20 bench press reps were more than he was expected to put up. He is as fluid as they come and his 2018 campaign was special, as he allowed just 18 catches on 36 targets for 249 yards and no TDs. His 2019 season was solid, but not nearly as good, which is worrying. However, many chalk that up to an ankle injury and Henderson making some “business decisions” to protect himself, like LSU's Greedy Williams did in 2018 (that didn't work out for Williams, as he fell from potential top-10 pick all the way to the middle of the second round, but the effort issues completely disappeared during his rookie season).
Henderson is projected to be a top-25 selection, but could end up going much higher, especially with recent reports that the Atlanta Falcons are attempting to trade up from pick #16 for him. If Henderson is locked in and healthy, he can be a very good NFL player right away.
1. Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State
Okudah is about as complete a CB NFL Draft prospect as there is. He has the size (6'1″ 205lbs), length (32 5/8″ arms), explosiveness (41″ vertical, 135″ broad), and long speed (4.48s 40-yard dash). Combine that with excellent fluidity, technique, discipline (He committed zero interference or holding penalties in 2019), instincts, and ball skills, and you have a truly elite prospect. The biggest knock on him may be his lack of ball production; 17 pass breakups and three picks over the last two seasons, and his three INTs all came in 2019. But it's hard to make plays on the ball when you don't get thrown at much. In 2018 and 2019, Okudah was targeted a total of 106 times, and allowed just 45 catches for 530 yards and two TDs. That's over 25 games, and Okudah didn't allow more than 50 yards in any of them. Okudah had to deal with Tarik Black and Donovan Peoples-Jones of Michigan, as well as Clemson's duo of Ross and Higgins.
Speaking of Clemson, during the College Football playoff, Okudah made a game-changing play when he forced a fumble after a catch by Ross, which teammate Jordan Fuller returned for a touchdown that gave the Buckeyes the lead. The play was ultimately overturned, and Clemson emerged victorious.
This was originally called a catch and fumble return TD, but was overturned as an incomplete pass. #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/3RxiGYTvCv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 29, 2019
Ohio State also has a claim to the title of DB U, and even though guys like Denzel Ward and Marshon Lattimore have been high draft picks and turned out to be Pro Bowl players, Okudah may very well be the best of the bunch. He is the odds-on favorite to be taken third overall by the Detroit Lions, and something extraordinary would have to happen for him to not be the pick.
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