5 Sleeper CBs Broncos Could Target in Draft

The Broncos need additional depth at corner, and this is a strong class to get that needed help.

The list of needs on the Denver Broncos roster seemingly always continues. They could use a quality starter at nearly every position on the squad, especially at cornerback. Boasting one of the league’s best players in Pat Surtain II is a fine start, but Damarri Mathis took a massive step back in his sophomore campaign, and last year’s third-round pick Riley Moss played 25 snaps on defense. 

This cornerback class features some dynamic options on day three, with a handful of perfect fits on the boundary that have some upside as potential starters. 

Kansas redshirt junior quarterback Jason Bean slows down before being hit by South Dakota freshman

Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal via

Myles Harden | South Dakota

Pros:

Harden is a very aggressive player who takes a lot of chances on the ball. He clicks and closes very well and arrives violently as a tackler, showing great competitiveness and form to get ball carriers to the ground. His hips and feet are very fluid, and he can easily change directions. Man coverage is his best fit at the next level, but there is enough fluidity in his mental makeup to succeed playing in zone coverage. He brings active hands to the catch point and was highly productive on the ball. His blend of size and athleticism in the change of direction skills make him a great candidate to be a starting nickel cornerback early in his career.

Cons:

Despite being productive, Harden lacks the desired length that could cause him some issues against bigger receivers, and his long speed appeared to be lacking on tape. He can give up ground in straight-line speed situations, and his hand aggressiveness can cause him to latch on and hold. Sometimes, he needs to be more patient and take better angles to the football, which could lead to missed tackle issues at the next level. 

My Grade: 4th Round

Erick Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 159

Sep 2, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Khyree Jackson (5) tackles Portland

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Khyree Jackson | Oregon

Pros:

Possessing a nice blend of size and athleticism, Khyree Jackson is a prototypical zone coverage cornerback with good closing aggression. He has ridiculously long arms, is very tall, and brings imposing stature to the position. As a contested catch defender, Jackson uses his body well to fight at the catch point and is very physical. He is an excellent tackler, effective as a blitzer, and has enough range to work vertically through route stems. If Jackson doesn’t work out as a cornerback, he could be a candidate to change position to play safety.

Cons:

When you have every tool in the book, it becomes easy to rely more on those tools than on technical refinement. That’s a big problem with Jackson, who is very inexperienced. His footwork and hand placement in press coverage are an abject disaster, and he works so much better when reacting to receivers rather than trying to dictate the rep to his advantage. He has some fluidity issues when changing directions and can allow quick separation too easily. 

My Grade: 5th Round

Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 175

Vanderbilt running back AJ Newberry (46) runs the ball towards Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett

Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA

Nehemiah Pritchett | Auburn

Pros:

Pritchett is long, athletic, and fun to watch when playing in zone coverage. He changes gears very well to stay in phase and has the long speed to keep up with almost anybody. There is enough fluidity in his lower half to succeed in man coverage against double moves, and he has great hand placement in press coverage to stall route progressions early in the down. His aggressiveness at the catch point when knocking the ball away is also a big plus.

Cons:

Physicality is a significant issue for Pritchett, and he is constantly turning down opportunities in run support. There are too many instances where Pritchett will latch onto blockers and not try to separate once the play is beyond him. He has great speed, but his hips get sticky from his backpedal, and he allows too much separation on in-breaking routes. He can arrive too early at the catch point, which can get him into penalty issues at the NFL level. 

My Grade: 5th Round

Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 157

Nov 3, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; Boston College Eagles defensive back Elijah Jones (1) returns

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Elijah Jones | Boston College

Jones is a high-quality press coverage cornerback with the upside to turn into a starter. His aggressive hands effectively disrupt timing and allow him to get into phase. He has good fluidity to turn and run and enough speed to work vertically on the boundary. When beaten, Jones has the blazing closing speed to get back into the picture and uses his length very well at the catch point. He is hyper-aggressive on the football and does a great job in his close to cut the route off and make plays. 

Cons:

Size concerns could turn some teams off of Jones due to his slender frame. He can use more bulk, especially in his upper half, to help fight off blockers and become a more firm tackler in run support. Stiffness in his lower half causes some transition issues for Jones, and his leggy changes of direction open up separation windows that he has to turn on the jets to get back home. His chest can get too high, which can cause him some balance issues coming out of breaks. 

My Grade: 5th Round

Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 161

Texas Longhorns defensive back Ryan Watts (6) tries to tackle TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver JP

Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

Ryan Watts | Texas

Pros:

Ryan Watts is massive for a cornerback but moves so well for a player this size. Most will project a position change to safety, but there is a chance he can play on the boundary as a cornerback. He is very athletic, physically enough to be a high-quality run supporter, and ridiculously long. He plays well in press coverage due to the strength of his jam, and he has just enough speed to hang at the NFL level. If the fit at cornerback doesn’t work, he has enough range to work as a deep-half safety and has incredible upside as a special teamer.

Cons:

Watts struggles the most with his change of direction when going against stop-and-start athletes. There are too many leggy transitions that require extra steps to snap crisp transitions, and his first-step explosiveness needs to be improved to get to top speed quickly. He can take bad angles to the football in run defense and there needs to be more awareness when working alone in space. Watts must be on time to process route combinations and rely on his size and length to disrupt routes. 

My Grade: 6th Round

Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 168

The Broncos' cornerback need comes on the boundary, so finding a player with press-man coverage ability and good length is a priority. With this group of cornerbacks, Elijah Jones is the one that makes the most sense to add to the room. While Harden has the highest grade of these players and appears to be a high-quality slot cornerback option, he lacks the desired length to be an effective boundary cornerback in contested catch situations against bigger receivers.