1. Joey Porter Jr, Penn State

HT: 6016
WT: 192
4-star (0.8969) Super Redshirt Sophomore from North Allegheny (Wexford, PA)
Joey Porter Jr is the son of NFL standout linebacker Joey Porter, and while he doesn’t have his father’s size, he plays with his physicality and relentlessness. Porter fits best in a scheme where he’s asked to play more zone coverage than man, although he is capable in both. However, his instincts and intelligence make him a much better fit in a cover-two scheme than anywhere else.

Pros:

• Good, not great, speed. Very solid overall athlete and could post a very strong RAS. 
• Decent upper body strength and should be stronger than most of the players in the class at his position. 
• Very fluid hips. Changes direction seemingly at will and has the capability to make incredible plays with his change of direction ability. 
• Very physical defender with some power behind his tackle. Would like to see him wrap up more consistently and better. Works the sideline well as an extra defender. Has shown slight improvement in 2022 with his tackling, still not as consistent as I’d like him to be. 
• Takes good pursuit angles to the ball. 
• Plays his assignment well in zone coverage. Doesn’t interfere with other zones, trusts the players around him. 
• Typically in a position to make a play. Makes extraordinary reads at times and pulls off crazy plays with his body control. 

Cons:

• Doesn’t recover well after surrendering a good release. 
• Very handsy in coverage, concerning how many flags he drew. Typically likes to get hands-on and switches to a mirror technique. 
• Struggles in press and surrenders far too much positioning. Relies on his athleticism to make up for any mistakes that he has. 
• Not as physical in press as he is when playing other coverages. 

2. Mekhi Blackmon, USC

HT: 5116
WT: 175
3-star (0.8100) Super Redshirt Junior from Menlo-Atherton (East Palo Alto, CA)
A transfer from Colorado, Mekhi Blackmon entered USC with high hopes of helping to change the culture of the program. So far, he has been a good part of that, playing stellar coverage and continuing building a fine tape resume, expanding on his brunt of work from Colorado. Blackmon is probably the top man coverage cornerback prospect in this class.

Pros:

• Good athlete. Has very good speed and is a very reactive defender. 
• Very fluid hips. Doesn’t have much of a problem changing direction or rotating. Very reactive athlete. 
• Solid man ability. Uses the sideline well. Has the athleticism to run with fast receivers. Stays in the hip pocket well, positioned to make a play on the football. 
• Solid zone technique. Stays with his receiver in the zone, making it very difficult to get a read on his coverage. 
• Does a good job reading and diagnosing in zone coverage. 
• Typically works into a mirror/trail out of press. Does a good job with his jam technique, keeps solid positioning, and reacts to the receiver well. 

Cons:

• Doesn’t work well off of blocks on the perimeter. 
• Just overall a lanky prospect who will need to bulk up before the Combine. 
• Not a great tackler. Decent at the point of contact. 
• Not very physical, but is handsy enough not to draw flags while also disrupting the receiver’s focus. 

3. Garrett Williams, Syracuse

HT: 5111
WT: 190
3-star (0.8276) Super Redshirt Sophomore from Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, NC)
Garrett Williams has been on the radar over the last couple of years. His strengths are mostly in zone coverage, where he can sit back and play ballhawk like he did over the last few years at Syracuse. He’s capable of playing man coverage but didn’t play it much outside of the red zone. He’s an intriguing NFL prospect who can offer coverage ability but needs to work into becoming a better tackler.

Pros:

• Shows good hip flexibility to change directions well. 
• Flashes some recoverability. 
• Stays focused on the receiver. Not good at turning to locate the football. Does well typically using the sideline as a second defender. Played more man coverage in the red zone and looked good. 
• Typically not handsy, prefers to play more of a modified mirror technique. 
• Good in deep zone coverage. Played more shell coverage than anything.  He positions himself very well to make a play on the football if the ball comes his way. Becomes a ball hawk. 
• Solid use of his length and arms to press. 
• He is not the most physical, but he uses his hands and length very effectively. 

Cons:

• Good speed, though not great.
• I’m worried about his upper body strength. Doesn’t have the strength to control tackles or do too much else.  
• Not a great tackler. Flashes some ability but struggles to position and tends to lay out to make stops. Not a defender that I would want matched up in a 1v1 in space. 
• Pursuit angles leave a lot to be desired. Oftentimes very much underpursues the play. Doesn’t have the speed to chase down running backs. Doesn’t work off of blocks well. 

4. Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (FL)

HT: 5115
WT: 214
4-star (0.9831) Super Junior from Miami Southridge (Homestead, FL)
A transfer from Georgia. Stevenson left Georgia for the greener pastures of the ACC where he could play more snaps and start more games. Stevenson is a trail technique man corner, which is interesting because compared to many receivers and even cornerbacks in this class, he’s not fast. Stevenson might end up being more of a zone corner who flexes between the boundary and the slot.

Pros:

• Accelerates well. Fairly explosive athlete.
• He prefers to play trail technique, so naturally, he has good recovery. 
• Excellent tackling ability. Wraps up well and attacks the proper spot. 
• Looks like a strong man-coverage cornerback. Understands positioning well. Tends to play trail technique and is effectively in doing so. 
• Very physical in Man coverage. 
• Offers some zone coverage ability. Typically gets the proper depth. Does a good job keeping in position and preventing the throw from coming his direction. 
• Fairly quick to recognize concepts while in zone coverage. 

Cons:

• Speed is average for the position. 
• Struggles to work off of blocks. Doesn’t appear to have much effective upper body strength. 
• Lack of top-end speed could prevent him from making as much of an impact on the boundary.

5. Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

HT: 5116
WT: 180
Not recruited Super Junior from Pine Forest (Pensacola, FL)
Devon Witherspoon was not heavily recruited coming out of high school and was mostly overlooked by Power 5 schools. Illinois was the only Power 5 school to offer him. He earned a role as a true freshman and has taken long strides to get better every single year. Witherspoon’s physicality is his biggest defining trait and the one thing that NFL teams will rely on him for.

Pros:

• Good speed. Solid overall athlete. Accelerates very well. 
• Good upper body strength, especially for the position group. 
• Hips have gotten smoother every year at Illinois. 
• Attacks downhill with serious force. Powerful at the point of contact. 
• Reacts very well to breaks by the receiver. 
• Very physical cornerback. Very hands-on, disruptive.
• Plays his tech well. Ballhawk in zone coverage. 
• Promising press coverage ability. Physically demanding in press. Relentless. 

Cons:

• Won’t test as a stellar athlete, but will be suitable.
• Wrap-up tackling leaves some room to be desired.
• Could draw a lot of flags at the NFL level. 
• I’d like to see him play with better discipline. 

6. Cam Brown, Ohio State

HT: 6002
WT: 190
4-star (0.8971) Super Redshirt Junior from Christian Brothers College (St. Louis, MO)
Cam Brown was recruited to Ohio State as a wide receiver but made the switch to cornerback during his time in Columbus. The Buckeyes liked to play Brown in more of a deep set, playing deep coverage over the top more often than not. He’s a lot of good things but doesn’t seem to have a defining great trait. 

Pros:

• Good speed. Good overall ability, not particularly great at anything. 
• Shows good lateral quickness. Good acceleration. 
• Has some hitting power and can deliver a good, physical hit at the point of contact.
• Quick to react and diagnose the play. 
• Good press ability. Doesn’t let head fakes or fancy releases throw him off. 
• Physical enough to contain receivers through timing routes. 

Cons:

• Decent upper body strength for the position.  I’d like to see him shed blocks better. 
• I don’t see the fluid hips that I want to see from him. He struggles to change direction at times. 
• Just doesn’t have traits or tools that make him reliable in space. 
• He struggles to get good angles around the box. 
• Tends to play a little bit too aggressively and doesn’t get the depth that he needs. Can get sucked away by big play threats and stars.

7. Jarrick Bernard-Converse, LSU

HT: 6006
WT: 205
3-star (0.8493) Super Senior from Evangel Christian (Shreveport, LA)
A transfer from Oklahoma State, Jarrick Bernard-Converse is a very strong cornerback who can support in run defense. He might end up being drafted as a fit into a ROVER role. That being said, Bernard-Converse is still a fine cornerback prospect who can offer strong versatility to a secondary that shifts its players and looks routinely.

Pros:

• Excellent speed and quickness. He moves very well – a fluid athlete. Good speed and burst. 
• Acceleration is good. 
• Has some decent upper-body strength. Built more like a safety. 
• Has good hips. 
• Shows a good burst to have solid recoverability. He struggles against faster receivers to get into position, still very strong in this regard. 
• Strong wrap-up ability. Good tackler, great considering the position group. Brings the hit power. 
• Very strong defender in space. 
• When he locates the ball, which he normally does, he is excellent. Solid and physical at the catch point – contests the football and not the receiver. Stays in the hip pocket. 
• Has the ability to play in the box as needed. 

Cons:

• Has too much of a tendency to grab. 
• Tends to drift too far in zone coverage.
• Recognition is pretty good for the most part. Sometimes incorrectly tries to anticipate the route and moves slightly out of position. 
• He is what he is at this point as a prospect. Offers no upside.

8. Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M

HT: 6010
WT: 205
5-star (0.9906) Super Sophomore from Steele (Cibolo, TX)
Jaylon Jones did not miss a single start over his first two years in college football. He is a versatile cornerback prospect who looks as though he could test very well and slide up into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft – if he declares. A lot will depend on his testing to make up for his lack of tackling and upper body strength.

Pros:

• Solid speed and athletic ability. 
• Acceleration is very smooth and quick. Gets up to speed quickly. 
• Changes direction very well. Good hips, flips them around well. 
• Shows some solid recovery ability. 
• Good pursuit. Cuts off the upfield well from the receiver. 
• Tends to play mirror technique on the boundary when put in man coverage. Stays with his man very well. Very difficult to shake. Handles fakes and double moves very well. 
• Has the capability to play good zone coverage. Solid recognition ability. Passes off assignments and picks up new players entering the zone very well. 

Cons:

• Struggles to work off of blocks on the perimeter and can get locked in. Lacks control when attempting to make a tackle. Upper body strength is not ideal for the NFL.
• Doesn’t show a lot of tackling ability nor much interest in it.
• Has some physicality to his game but it’s really not his strength. 
• Wants to be physical in press but can lose his balance attempting to initiate contact. 

9. Riley Moss, Iowa

HT: 6003
WT: 194
2-star (0.7810) Super Senior from Centennial (Ankeny, IA)
Riley Moss entered national radar when he took two interceptions for touchdowns against the Indiana Hoosiers in the opening week of 2021. What everyone slowly realized was that Moss was a special cornerback prospect, mostly for his awareness and football IQ. 

Pros:

• Very fluid hips. Makes slight alterations to his path with ease. 
• Works well through traffic when pursuing. Strong run support defender. 
• Plays mostly in trail technique. Finds his assignment quickly and with ease. Attacks the catch point and will go through the receiver if he needs to. 
• Plays strong zone coverage. Finds his proper depth and does a good job taking away lanes. Reacts quickly to the ball and attacks the catch point. Special awareness to react well to the ball and collect the interception. 
• Quick reaction to plays. Diagnoses quickly and plays very fast. 
• Promising press ability. 

Cons:

• Good speed for the NFL – but not great. Won’t be among the faster cornerbacks in the league. 
• I haven’t seen good tackling form from Moss, but he’s willing to get involved in the play. 
• Lacks some of the physicality that I like to see. 
• Not as physical in press as I like to see, but uses his hands enough to be effective. 

10. DJ Turner, Michigan

HT: 5111
WT: 181
3-star (0.8888) Super Redshirt Sophomore from IMG Academy (Suwanee, GA)
DJ Turner became a starter at Michigan during the 2021 season after serving as little more than a backup. This year, he made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list, and entered the season as one of the hottest cornerback prospects eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s a great athlete, but teams will be concerned with the lack of experience as compared to other prospects in the class and the translation of the Michigan scheme to the next level.

Pros:

• Very solid athlete. Good speed, may test very well. 
• Very, very twitchy and reactive. Extremely fluid hips, changes direction with ease. 
• Solid recovery ability. 
• Plays effective zone coverage – does a good job dropping into deep coverage and is capable both over the top and underneath to make good reads.
• Flashes some solid press coverage ability. 
• Physical enough in press coverage to be effective.

Cons:

• Lacks strength and needs to better fill his frame.
• Not a strong tackler.
• I’m a little bit concerned about his space-defending ability and consistency in that role. 
• Didn’t play much man coverage in the Michigan scheme.

11. Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford

HT: 6005
WT: 185
3-star (0.8668) Super Junior from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV)
Kyu Blue Kelly was a very popular prospect entering the COVID year, but seems to have been forgotten as the PAC-12 initially canceled their season and Kelly wasn’t eligible at the time until after the 2021 season. He was named to my all-underrated team this year, as his upside presents a serviceable NFL starter.

Pros:

• Solid speed. Should test under a 4.50. 
• A strong upper body that’s evident immediately. 
• Shows some solid stop-and-go ability to change direction and adjust to the new threat. 
• Decent tackler. He doesn’t have a great wrap-up form but effectively makes the tackle. Will help effectively in run defense.
• Excellent man coverage ability, especially while working downfield. Smart, physical defender. Fights to keep positioning. He can catch the ball through contact. Plays the catch point very well.
• Strong in off-coverage as well. Reacts well. He prefers playing hips to the outside and trying to keep the receiver between him and the sideline.
• He is very physical and leans heavily on this aspect of his game. 
• Good zone ability. He positions himself well. 

Cons:

• Misses a lot of tackles by lowering his head – needs to fix that. 
• Not consistent in space. 
• Tends to under pursue slightly. Needs to shore up those pursuit angles. 
• Doesn’t do well adjusting when the route breaks inside.
• Struggled with jam technique in press coverage, but switched in 2022 to a mirror technique. Despite his physical nature, he tends to get dominated when he goes to the jam technique. 

12. Sheridan Jones, Clemson

HT: 6002
WT: 185
4-star (0.9429) Super Junior from Maury (Norfolk, VA)
Sheridan Jones has played both well and poorly in Clemson, showing sometimes as a great boundary player and other times looking mightily average. However, the Clemson defense played better when he was in a game, which should say a lot about the leadership that he brings to the secondary.

Pros:

• Adequate speed for the position as a zone coverage defender. Shows his burners off in man coverage against Zay Flowers, stayed in his hip pocket on the goes. 
• Has excellent lateral quickness. 
• Has some upper-body strength. A very physical player, especially in coverage. 
• Changes direction beautifully. Stops and goes quickly. 
• He recovers well when he loses a step to a fake. Stays in the play – will not give up. 
• Shows good, subtle hand usage throughout the rep. He has the ability to stay with receivers well.
• Very physical cornerback. Not afraid to hit people. 
• Shows good technique in zone coverage. Quick to react back to the ball. 

Cons:

• He is not a reliable tackler because of his lack of effort to wrap up. Wants to knock the ball carrier over. He does want to work downhill to make tackles on the perimeter.
• Does need to do a better job of locating the football in the air when in man coverage. He struggles with that and will draw fouls as a result. 
• Didn’t play much press coverage in the Clemson scheme.

13. Shyheim Battle, North Carolina State

HT: 6021
WT: 183
3-star (0.8883) Super Redshirt Sophomore from Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, NC)
Shyheim Battle has to be one of the more exciting prospects in college football at this position. This season, Battle effectively shut down several outstanding receivers, including Trey Flowers at Boston College. 

Pros:

• Very solid speed, especially for the position. He could run a 4.42/4.47. 
• Solid lateral quickness and ability. 
• Recovers extremely well. Tends to play trail technique which he does well. 
• Excellent when covering the deep ball, and stays in the hip pocket. Turns and locates the football very well. Battles through the catch point to try and win the rep. 
• Not overly physical, but just enough to be a nuisance. 
• Excellent zone coverage ability. Ball hawk. Sits on routes and tries to bait the quarterback into a throw. Could be better about passing assignments off, tends to pass off too early. 
• Recognizes concepts extremely well. 

Cons:

• His frame is very slim. Struggles to control the tackle and doesn’t consistently show a lot of upper-body strength. 
• Hips do look a little bit stiff. 
• Needs to wrap up better. Lets receivers go in the open field when he needs to come up with big tackles. Struggles to tackle bigger receivers. Wants to punish ball carrier with a big hit. 
• Didn’t play much press in his role at North Carolina State.
• Missed time in 2021 and 2022 to injury.

14. Justin Ford, Montana

HT: 6012
WT: 190
Not Rated Super Redshirt Senior from Cox Mills (Concord, NC)
A transfer from Louisville. Justin Ford has been on a journey across college football but finally found a place to settle down in Montana, where he’s been an FCS All-American and emerged as an NFL Draft prospect. Ford’s strength will be in a zone-coverage scheme where he can use his athleticism to make plays on the ball and keep plays in front of him.

Pros:

• Solid speed. Moves very well, smooth athlete. 
• Capable zone coverage athlete. Looks very comfortable in his zone, positions very well. Has a natural feel for the zone. 
• I like his jam technique, but I’m not sure if he has the strength or quickness to hold up against NFL-level receivers. I think he does, but want to see it confirmed. 
• Very physical press coverage.

Cons:

• Could be a bit faster while accelerating, takes him a bit to get up to speed. 
• Decent, not great, hips. Can rotate and turn but isn’t as good as a lot the guys in this class. 
• Doesn’t show much willingness or ability as a tackler. 
• Tends to be a little handsy in man coverage – not overly impressed with his positioning. Only really played man coverage in the red zone. Wants to bait the quarterback into a throw his direction so that he can jump the route. 
• Struggles to recognize play concepts quickly. A little bit slow to react to simple concepts. 
• Tends to grab when he’s beat on a good release. 

15. Rezjohn Wright, Oregon State

HT: 6021
WT: 200
3-star (0.8682) JUCO Super Senior from Laney College (Union City, CA)
Rejzohn Wright wasn’t recruited coming out of high school, taking only some light interest from San Jose State while not receiving a single offer. Wright’s damning weakness is his lack of speed, which is noticeable in almost every facet of his game. This may limit him to being effective in a cover-two scheme, where he can play heavy zone defense and rely on his instincts and length to make big plays.

Pros:

• He has good upper-body strength for his position. Can throw people around when he needs to.
• Good hips, changes direction is small and large increments very well. 
• Willing tackler, but not very effective. Wants to engage and get involved with contact.
• Does a good job working through blocks and traffic with proper angles. Natural pursuit defender. 
• He has solid man coverage ability, typically found draped all over his assignment. 
• Looks good in zone coverage. Gets the proper depth but doesn’t drift too far back, and stays in good position to make a play. 

Cons:

• Speed isn’t ideal; he might be a step slow to hold up in man coverage. 
• He takes an extra step or two to get up to speed, but relatively quick. 
• Doesn’t like to be physical, and prefers to maintain positioning utilizing his athletic ability. 
• Decent jam technique, but typically loses a step coming off of the jam while chasing the receiver.