Rankings and what to watch for out of all the cornerback prospects invited to the 2020 NFL Combine.
2020 NFL Combine: Cornerbacks
Date: Sunday, March 1: Cornerbacks
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Network: NFL Network
From the college perspective. here are rankings and quick looks at all of the cornerbacks invited to the 2020 NFL Combine.
Before getting into the top five breakdown, here’s a ranking of the best of the rest and what to look for.
2020 Pre-NFL Combine Cornerback Best of the Rest Rankings
Number in parentheses is the projected round drafted before the NFL Combine.
35. Stantley Thomas-Oliver, FIU 6-2, 184 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: Very tall with a great frame and a whole lot of good college production, there has to be a speed element – he has to give coordinators a reason to be developed. He’ll look the part, though.
34. Reggie Robinson, Tulsa 6-1, 197 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: While he’ll look the part and should come up with a decent workout, is he a free agent safety or a corner? He’s a good football player, but there has to be one standout NFL tool in the box.
33. Josiah Scott, Michigan State 5-10, 171 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: Great college player, doesn’t quite have it for the NFL – he has to prove otherwise. He’ll hit and he’ll attack the ball, but he’s undersized and might not have a set next-level role.
32. James Pierre, Florida Atlantic 6-2, 185 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: A very, very nice all-around college player with good size … does he have a role? Does he have the speed? He’s one good 40 away from being a top priority free agent.
31. Thakarius Keyes, Tulane 6-1, 200 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: Also known as BoPete, he’s a very big corner who looks the part, but can he run? A fantastic 40 gets him drafted, and he could at least be a star special teamer.
30. Javelin Guidry, Utah 5-9, 193 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: Speed, speed, speed. He can fly, and that has to be enough to overcome his lack of bulk and the work he needs to do to refine himself as an NFL corner. He has to be more than a special teamer.
29. Nevelle Clarke, UCF 6-1, 187 ((7)
NFL Combine What Matters: With great length and a productive resumé, he’s got the range, but he needs to rock the quickness drills.
28. John Reid, Penn State 5-10, 181 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: Is everything cool with a knee that cost him his 2017 season? He had a strong final two years after that, but does he have the raw quickness to go along with his playmaking ability?
27. Myles Bryant, Washington 5-9, 185 (6)
NFL Combine What Matters: A good, tough, productive tackler, he needs to find a spot and look the part of a corner rather than a smallish tweener.
26. Essang Bassey, Wake Forest 5-9, 190 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: A better player than an NFL athlete, he has to show enough to get past his lack of bulk. His fight is better than his bulk.
25. Trajan Bandy, Miami 5-9, 186 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: He needs a whole lot of work and he’s not a hitter, so can he be so athletic that he’ll be worth the effort?
24. Javaris Davis, Auburn 5-10, 180 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: A good-sized tackler who isn’t afraid to get physical, something has to standout from the pack to look like a top 100 pick.
23. Lavert Hill, Michigan 5-11, 192 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: One of the more interesting corners, he’s got the toughness and the pop, but can he move well enough? He could be a fringe top 100 pick with a great workout, or he could fall through the floor, but someone will love his style.
22. Harrison Hand, Temple 6-0, 192 (6)
NFL Combine What Matters: Can he look, run and move like an NFL corner? He’s a good football player and he has decent size, but at least one great time would do wonders.
21. Michael Ojemudia, Iowa 6-0, 200 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: The NFL tools have to blow things up. He’s an okay player who wasn’t bad at coming up with picks. but someone will have to find a role for him.
20. Grayland Arnold, Baylor 5-10, 190 (6)
NFL Combine What Matters: Versatile, he can play just about anywhere in the secondary. Can he run like an NFL corner? His 40 time will matter.
19. AJ Green, Oklahoma State 6-1, 199 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: He’s got the length and the right frame, but does he have the raw skills and timing numbers? Can he move like an elite corner and look great in the quickness drills?
18. Troy Pride, Notre Dame 5-11, 194 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: Fast, fast, fast. He was okay with the Irish with decent stats, but his stock will be about his wheels. NFL teams will find something to do with him if he runs as expected.
17. Amik Robertson, Louisiana Tech 5-9, 183 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: He has to do enough to make everyone overlook his size. He’s a smallish player who made a LOT of big plays for the Bulldog D. Forget about him against the run, but can he fly and can he make everyone look back at the tape?
16. Darnay Holmes, UCLA 5-10, 192 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: Undersized but tough, he’s a battler with fantastic ball skills, but he has to be great in the short drills. At his size, he has to be in the top half of the quickest corners.
15. Lamar Jackson, Nebraska 6-2, 206 (3)
NFL Combine What Matters: Someone will find a place for him, but where? Is he a corner or a safety? He’s really big, but he needs to run like an NFL cornerback.
14. Dane Jackson, Pitt 6-0, 180 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: An elite playmaker on the ball with 12 broken up passes last year, he’s a smart, tough playmaker. How smooth is he? Is he fluid?
13. Jaylon Johnson, Utah 6-0, 195 (3)
NFL Combine What Matters: He has to be the guy who makes everyone buzz. He can beat up receivers, and he’ll have a few great numbers in the workouts, but he has to run well to go along with what should be a top vertical.
12. Stanford Samuels, Florida State 6-2, 185 (3)
NFL Combine What Matters: Get ready for him to be one of the more polarizing prospects. He’s tall with a great frame and he can play, but he just doesn’t quite look the part. He could go anywhere from the late third to the early sixth depending on his workout.
11. Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern 5-10, 185 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: The tools aren’t going to be there. He’s too small, not a blazer, and he isn’t going to do much against an NFL running game, but he’s always around the ball. Something about his workouts have to standout, though.
10. Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn 5-11, 200 (3)
NFL Combine What Matters: There’s a whole lot to like as a tough corner or a potentially great safety – one great combine makes him a must-have. It might take a little work, but the upside is massive.
9. Damon Arnette, Ohio State 6-0, 195 (2)
NFL Combine What Matters: What are his times in the short drills? He’s a good football player and can hit, but just how quick-twitch is he?
8. Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State 6-2, 185 (2)
NFL Combine What Matters: This is his shot to move up into a top 50 prospect and possibly a first rounder. He has the size and he’s about to show off as one of the best athletes in Indy.
7. AJ Terrell, Clemson 6-1, 190 (2)
NFL Combine What Matters: Opinions on him are going to be all over the place. He’s an interesting baller of a corner who doesn’t necessarily look quite right – he looks like a wideout – but he’s got the skills to be a Day One starter. His 40 will be everything, at least in Indy.
6. Jeff Gladney, TCU 6-0, 183 (2)
NFL Combine What Matters: As tough as any corner in Indy, he’ll battle, scrap and come up with a whole lot of tackles. Will the scouts be okay with his smallish body type? A good 40 is a must.
NEXT: Top 5 Cornerback Prospects Before the 2020 NFL Combine
5. Kristian Fulton, LSU 6-0, 200 (1)
Why He’s Here On The List: A physical as any corner in the draft, he’ll tackle, and he’ll beat up receivers at the line. He’ll also come up with a whole lot of plays, breaking up 14 passes and 23 over the last two seasons. No, he isn’t his former teammate Derek Stingley Jr., but he’s going to be someone’s baller as a strong No. 2 corner.
What The NFL Types Want To See: He’ll at least be asked about the NCAA penalty early on involving a drug test. The suspension was overturned, and it’s ancient history now after going on to have a fantastic college career. More than that, the scouts need to see a good 40 to think of him as a first round corner and not a top 50 overall pick type of tweener.
Bottom Line: A broken up pass machine, he’s a playmaker who could fit in a variety of roles – he’ll find a job somewhere in a secondary. On size, he’s what everyone is going to want as a tough corner who’ll battle for the ball. However, he has to show off the deep wheels.
NEXT: No. 4 Pre-NFL Combine Cornerback
4. CJ Henderson, Florida 6-1, 202 (1)
Why He’s Here On The List: The combination of size and speed is as good as any in the draft. He might not be a thumper of any sort, but he’s a good tackler for his body-type, and he can really, really move. There’s not a bust concern – he’s able to play any corner style.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Everything is okay with his ankle, right? He missed a few games early on last year – did that have anything to do with the lack of any interceptions? He was great at attacking the ball, and he returned just fine with a good second half of the season, but the medical evaluation will be a bit of a big deal.
Bottom Line: Watch out for opinions on him to be all over the board. Some will have him as the No. 2 corner in a year without a clear-cut second guy, and some will see him as a good-value mid-second rounder. A great workout could end all of that – he’ll look and and run like an elite prospect.
NEXT: No. 3 Pre-NFL Combine Cornerback
3. Bryce Hall, Virginia 6-1, 200 (1)
Why He’s Here On The List: Once he’s back from his ankle injury an 100%, he might just be the second-best corner in the draft. He’s a tough guy who isn’t afraid to come up with the big hit, but it’s his combination of size and ball skills – at least when it comes to busing up passes – that will make him a big call in the latter half of the first round or early in the second.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Interviews and the medical evaluation will be all he gets to show – he’s still rehabbing his injured leg and isn’t expected to run. Just how long will it take before he’s back to being his old self on the leg?
Bottom Line: Is he a very good NFL starting corner, or a potentially elite safety with the range, smarts and toughness to be the leader of someone’s defense? He’s going to be a bit of a flier in the first round depending on his medical exams, but he’ll be worth it.
NEXT: No. 2 Pre-NFL Combine Cornerback
2. Trevon Diggs, Alabama 6-2, 207 (1)
Why He’s Here On The List: A fantastic combination of size and skills, he has the bulk of a big safety and the speed to be a kick returner. He’s got the ability to body up on the bigger receivers and push around the smaller ones. The NFL tools are all there, and everything else can be worked on.
What The NFL Types Want To See: How good are his feet in the change-of-direction drills? He needs a good 40, but his all-around numbers will be fantastic, but at his size, does he have the elite mobility to be a top 20 all-around pick as a corner?
Bottom Line: He’s a corner for the first few years of his career, and he’ll be a safety in the second act. But can he handle the blasting receivers with the big-time deep speed? His size and talent are worth a first round pick, but killer numbers moves him into must-have top 25 territory.
NEXT: No. 1 Pre-NFL Combine Cornerback
1. Jeff Okudah, Ohio State 6-1, 200 (Top 10 overall)
Why He’s Here On The List: Everything is there. He’s got the size, the fight, and the tools to go along with a cleverness to his game. He has the right combination of talent along with seemingly thinking differently about the game – he’s always doing something to make something happen.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Just how smooth is he? No one will question his football skills, but the difference between being a top ten overall pick and going in the top five comes down to the measurables. It won’t matter that much, but if he looks fluid, that’s it – he’s a top five pick.
Bottom Line: Shhhhhhhhh, but he might actually be the best defensive player in the draft. Okay, so it’s Chase Young, but Okudah is as good for a secondary as the Heisman finalist is for the line. Everything is there to be a special difference-maker who changes around a defense.
