2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Cornerbacks

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Season-long insights. Get 25% off PFF+ with code DRAFT. All NFL Fantasy College NFL Draft - current DFS Betting 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Cornerbacks By Trevor Sikkema
Posted Apr 21, 2025 4:50 am EDT The 2025 NFL Draft class is starting to take shape, and that means we’re getting a clearer picture of some of the top prospects and the position groups with the most depth.

The running back, tight end and offensive tackle positions seem to be the deepest and strongest on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, the edge defender group is as deep as we’ve seen in several years, dominating the projected top 50. There are also more impact defensive backs this year than a year ago, with plenty of options on all three days of the draft, specifically on Days 2 and 3.

Here are PFF's top cornerback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, along with some initial scouting notes courtesy of lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema.

For the full ranking of draft prospects, along with their three-year player grades and position rankings, click here.

1. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado PFF Big Board Rank: 1 Hunter is one of the most talented players I have ever scouted. As a cornerback, he brings good mirror-matching movements and truly elite ball skills. He can be a bit out of control and lacks some density, which gets exposed the most in press-man coverage. As a primary zone defender with press-man flexibility, he can be an immediate starting cornerback with an All-Pro ceiling.

2. CB Jahdae Barron, Texas PFF Big Board Rank: 11 The word “versatile” gets thrown around too much with defensive back prospects, but Barron is exactly that. As a natural zone defender with excellent instincts and anticipation, he is a starting-caliber pro at safety, wide cornerback or nickel defender — sometimes as all three in the same game — for Cover 3- or quarters-heavy schemes.

3. CB Will Johnson, Michigan PFF Big Board Rank: 14 Johnson is a long, lean cornerback with elite foot quickness and change-of-direction fluidity. His limited long speed will create questions about his man coverage reliability in the NFL, but having him play off coverage with his eyes on the ball as a zone-scheme wide cornerback could allow him to make impactful plays more often.

4. CB Trey Amos, Mississippi PFF Big Board Rank: 28 Amos brings an ideal blend of size, movement skills and coverage scheme versatility to the cornerback position. While his explosiveness and speed aren't anything special, his 2024 film shows he has a CB2 floor in the NFL with the potential to be a CB1.

5. CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame PFF Big Board Rank: 32 Morrison is a smart, smooth-moving man coverage cornerback with good instincts for making plays on the ball. Getting back to form after hip surgery and getting a bit stronger are the keys to a future starting outside cornerback role in a man coverage system — but really any system.

6. CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky PFF Big Board Rank: 43 Hairston is a feisty competitor who likes to get his hands on receivers in bump-and-run coverage from off-coverage techniques. As a zone-heavy cornerback, he has the chance to develop into a CB2 type of player in the NFL.

7. CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina PFF Big Board Rank: 44 Revel is the ideal Day 2 athletic alien to draft and develop, despite inconsistent anticipation and technique in his current form. His physical gifts (including height and length) point to press-man coverage being his home in the NFL, but it will be quite the adjustment for him to go from one year of staring experience in the AAC to the NFL — especially off a torn ACL.

8. CB Darien Porter, Iowa State PFF Big Board Rank: 64 Porter is a rare prospect. He is a wide receiver-turned-cornerback with ideal ball skills, ranks above the 95th percentile in height and length and has an elite track background that translates to the field. He is still raw as just a one-year starter despite being a sixth-year player, but his special teams impact and sky-high potential are worth drafting in the middle rounds.

9. CB Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State PFF Big Board Rank: 70 Thomas is a long, quick-footed press-man cornerback who showcases good natural movement skills and playmaker instincts. He lacks some strength in a few areas, but he plays the position with high intelligence to be a scheme-versatile CB2 projection for the NFL.

10. CB Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech PFF Big Board Rank: 103 Strong, ironically, lacks some strength in press-man coverage and run-defense situations near the line of scrimmage, but he is a smart, competitive zone-scheme cornerback with a natural ability to get his hands on passes and cause constant disruption at the catch point.

11. CB Jacob Parrish, Kansas State PFF Big Board Rank: 107 Parrish has the agility, fluidity and recovery speed to thrive as a nickel defender in the NFL. As long as he remains a reliable tackler, he has the potential to be a starting nickel and an important role player in man coverage.

12. CB Nohl Williams, California PFF Big Board Rank: 114 Williams is a strong press-man cornerback whom an NFL team can feel comfortable putting on the line of scrimmage due to his physical coverage style and run-defense skills. His long speed and agility appear to be average, but his strength stands out in this class. He has a mid-round projection and could be a starter in a man-heavy coverage scheme.

13. CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas PFF Big Board Rank: 118 Cobee Bryant, like his namesake, has a top-tier mentality to win at the position. His length helps him overcome a very slender build, but his lower mass and average movement skills likely limit him to off-zone coverage schemes. It's hard to not want this kind of competitor on your team, even in a depth role.

14. CB Mello Dotson, Kansas PFF Big Board Rank: 126 Dotson is a steady, experienced cornerback with an adequate build for the position. His lack of true stickiness in coverage may limit him to more of a rotational or spot-starting role, but he has a place in the league, especially for teams that play more press and man coverage.

15. CB Justin Walley, Minnesota PFF Big Board Rank: 136 Walley is a smart, experienced cornerback whose movement skills and anticipation are pro-ready. He does his best work when protected from physical matchups, as his lack of strength can show up at the catch point and in one-on-one tackling situations.

16. CB Robert Longerbeam, Rutgers PFF Big Board Rank: 156 Longerbeam played outside corner throughout his five-year career at Rutgers, but it was his work in the slot during Shrine Bowl practices that truly stood out. His start-stop quickness and explosiveness allow him to break on routes effectively in off coverage. To stick as a slot defender in the NFL, though, he'll need to improve his strength and reliability as a tackler.

17. CB Zy Alexander, LSU PFF Big Board Rank: 160 Alexander is a fundamentally sound cover cornerback whose limited athleticism will likely make him either a zone-specific cornerback or a potential safety convert due to how reliable he is when tackling and in run defense.

18. CB Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan PFF Big Board Rank: 168 Kone is a long cornerback with good anticipation, but his inconsistent footwork limits his ability to make plays on the ball. He has rotational potential if he can refine his backpedal technique.

19. CB Alijah Huzzie, North Carolina PFF Big Board Rank: 176 Huzzie doesn't have the long speed to hold up as a wide corner in the NFL — where he spent most of his time in 2024 — but his instincts and short-area quickness stand out. He looked more comfortable in 2023 playing inside, and he could develop into a rotational or spot starter at slot corner for a zone-heavy defense.

20. CB Quincy Riley, Louisville PFF Big Board Rank: 178 Riley brings an elite track background and twitched-up movements to the position, but his lack of size and major strength concerns make him a tough projection for anything more than a rotational cornerback with special teams in his future.

21. CB O'Donnell Fortune, South Carolina PFF Big Board Rank: 195 Fortune has intriguing length but lacks the top-tier explosiveness for press-man responsibilities. He possesses good lateral movements and aggressive hands for a rotational and spot-starter projection as a Cover-3 cornerback.

22. CB Korie Black, Oklahoma State PFF Big Board Rank: 199 Black has the size, foot quickness and explosiveness to compete for a starting role, but he plays too often in recovery mode rather than with anticipation. If he can process more proactively, he has the tools to contribute on defense and should at least stick as a special teams gunner.

23. CB Zah Frazier, UTSA PFF Big Board Rank: 207 Frazier's build and athleticism give him an intriguing ceiling as a day three bet to make. Though his game lacks refinement and anticipation, in his lone year as a full-time starter he did earn an 82.5 coverage grade thanks to a 19.5% forced incompletion rate.

24. CB Jason Marshall Jr., Florida PFF Big Board Rank: 210 Marshall is a well-built, former five-star recruit who has posted consistently decent coverage grades (82.1 coverage grade in single coverage in 2024, 99th percentile) across four seasons at Florida. Mental mistakes and a lack of ball production – two career interceptions – limit his production. He is also recovering from a torn labrum suffered in October.

25. CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State PFF Big Board Rank: 216 Burke is a natural mover with good eyes and a feel for bump-and-run coverage in off-zone coverage alignments. His long speed/recovery speed are limiting factors to man/press coverage versatility, but his experience as a four-year starter should get him a roster spot as a depth cornerback.

26. CB Nikko Reed, Oregon PFF Big Board Rank: 224 Reed has a high football IQ with strong recognition and anticipation skills, and his 89.9 run-defense grade in 2024 shows he's not afraid to stick his nose in as a tackler despite a smaller frame. However, his limited athleticism caps his ceiling, making him best suited as a preferred depth option in the secondary.

27. CB Jaylin Smith, USC PFF Big Board Rank: 241 Smith is built like a nickel but posted a career-best 82.5 coverage grade while playing on the outside in 2024. He generally does well to prevent yards after catch, but his lack of elite speed and length leads to very low forced incompletion rates. Smith projects as a versatile backup/special teamer with his experience inside, outside and at safety working in his favor.

28. CB Mac McWilliams, UCF PFF Big Board Rank: 256 McWilliams' quickness and processing allow him to be a difference-maker in zone coverages (99th-percentile zone PFF coverage grade). His physicality and toughness are evident in the run game, which will further support his potential as a slot cornerback at the next level.

29. CB Fentrell Cypress II, Florida State PFF Big Board Rank: 283 Cypress' two years at Florida State were never quite as dominant as his 2022 season at Virginia when he posted an 87.8 grade, but he could be a solid corner in a zone defense due to his smooth movement ability and instincts in coverage. He'll need to develop his play strength to be trusted in man coverage, though.

30. CB Tommi Hill, Nebraska PFF Big Board Rank: 304 Hill played both sides of the ball for much of his career before settling on the defensive side of the ball. He brings intriguing size at corner, matched with his physicality, but lacks fluidity and sound footwork. Despite being a former receiver, he didn't showcase ball skills (35th percentile forced incompletion rate) either, which will limit his looks.

31. CB Shamari Simmons, Arizona State PFF Big Board Rank: 306 After a good showing in his first two seasons at Austin Peay, Simmons was a mixed bag at Arizona State. He is a downhill initiator with tenacity in the run game (91.6 PFF grade). Anticipation and route recognition in coverage are issues that prompted his move from safety to full-time slot cornerback. That didn't result in a notable improvement (73.2% open-target rate), though.

32. CB Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon PFF Big Board Rank: 312 While Muhammad doesn't possess the size/length or fluidity teams look for, that hasn't hindered his consistency. He earned a 71.0-plus PFF coverage grade in each of his three seasons as a starter (for three different programs). Inconsistent footwork and route recognition can leave him playing catch-up in zone coverage, limiting his scheme outlook to primarily bump and run.

33. CB BJ Adams, UCF PFF Big Board Rank: 336 Adams is an outside cornerback at 6-foot-2 with nearly 32-inch arms. He played press coverage on 107 of his 233 coverage snaps in 2024 and forced nine incompletions.

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