Top Defensive Backs

Similar to the offensive line ranking, we will not be doing a strict top five for this position group. I am going to rank the best safeties and cornerbacks in the draft, selecting two from each position. The fifth player will be the best available at either position. Let’s lock down.

Cornerbacks: Finding a good cornerback in the draft is ridiculously hard. It is the most physically challenging position in the entire league (argue with a wall.) But a good cornerback can drastically change your team. Drastically. Let’s start with Will Johnson from Michigan. Some had him over Travis Hunter, which is not unrealistic. Johnson is got a mixture of size and speed that is perfect for a corner. He has a high football IQ and can diagnose plays quickly. He is technical in his craft and is effective in either man or zone. He is occasionally grabby, (what CB isn’t?), and tends to gamble with his eyes, but Johnson is a tried-and-true corner. Loosen him up to the NFL and he will be alright. Then there’s Travis Hunter, who I have a little bit higher than Johnson. Hunter is a master at ball-tracking. His body control is off the charts and his hands are spectacular for a defender, (I wonder why?) He’s fluid but has a wonderful twitch and change of direction. We call that a break on the ball. He can break on the ball like no one else. He’s fast, can recover, and has a great IQ as a defensive back. Hunter is a little smaller and tends to get eaten up 1 on 1 against bigger receivers, but I believe he will be a viable starting CB by week 5. Just keep refining your technique.

Safeties: The safety, while a little different than cornerback, is equally as important to your defensive backs unit. Let’s start with combine freak Nick Emmanwori. He’s not just a physical specimen, but a hard-hitting safety who is beyond effective in the run and pass game. He can cover, but man can he lay the boom-stick. He has great ball skills and his ability to recognize packages at the line of scrimmage is what it needs to be. He can get a tad overzealous, and is a little bit stiffer in the hips, but this guy is a bomb of energy. And a hard-hitting bomb at that. Next, there is Malaki Starks, who like many Alabama players, have made a name for himself through his play over the years. Starks brings a love and almost specialty to run defense. As a safety, he seeks it out. He can shed blocks as good as a defensive lineman and that is just the greatest. On top of that, he is incredible in coverage and plays with a precise IQ. I believe he is the best safety in the draft.

Final: To wrap up this list, we will bring in none other than Jahdae Barron. Here’s another corner who exemplifies great route diagnosis and has incredible plant-and-drive ability. He can play man press, to man coverage, to any form of zone. Like Hunter, he is also very good at tracking a ball, especially the deep ones. Where Barron has issues is him his frame, but mostly in his over-the-top speed. He tends to get beaten over the top by faster receivers and needs to make sure nothing can get behind him.