One Cornerback Target for Broncos in Each Round of the Draft

The Denver Broncos don’t need a cornerback, at least that's how it appears. However, with two of Denver's top three corners playing on expiring contracts, a backup with two years left on his deal, and the 2025 first-round pick who played about 350 snaps as a rookie, it will be a need in the coming years.

When Broncos GM George Paton and head Sean Payton both mentioned looking at the draft through a three-year window, cornerback is one of those positions. Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian are entering a contract year, and Denver can’t keep both of them; it isn’t financially feasible, especially with the Patrick Surtain II contract, as he could be looking for a raise in a year or two.

With Jahdae Barron in the wings, there is a chance that one of the two, Moss or McMillian, gets traded before the season even starts, if not during the draft. The Broncos can’t justify wasting two years of a first-round rookie contract on Barron since it has become such an expensive position.

That means, the Broncos could be looking at the draft to reset the cost and contract to keep their depth intact, and this is a good class to do it.

So, let’s look at one cornerback in each round who could do that for the Broncos using the Consensus Big Board. We'll include the first and third round, even though the Broncos don't have either pick, in the interest of covering all the bases.

Round 1 Option: Colton Hood | Tennessee

Hood is a physical corner who plays with an edge when working press and as a run defender. The physicality is something coaches love to see, and teams that run a press-heavy scheme will love his press technique. He is better working in man coverage than zone, but the issues in zone can be improved with added exposure.

There is a tightness in Hood's hips that leads to some change-of-direction issues and staying sticky in pattern matching; it can also lead to issues with quicker, shiftier receivers. He can also be overaggressive with his physicality, which can lead to him getting caught and beaten, but he has shown good recovery athleticism for when that happens.

Round 2 Option: Chris Johnson | San Diego State

Johnson has been a riser throughout the process and is one of the few completely scheme-diverse corners in this class. He can also play at a high level both inside and outside, thanks to his technique and skill set. While there are some areas for improvement, he has some of the best techniques in this class.

The issues with Johnson are more in the athletic and size areas, not that they are bad by any means. When beaten, he can be a tad slow to recover, creating a smaller margin of error. With his technique, he will need to find a way to better combat the catch point on jump balls.

Round 3 Option: Julian Neal | Arkansas

Neal has great size and length, and he is a physical player in press and in run support. He has shown the tenacity to fight through blocks on the outside, in run support, and against screens. He may not have the scheme versatility to suit everyone, but for teams that run heavy cover-3, he is the prototype you look for.

Neal is very tight in the lower half, struggles with his change of direction, and has trouble hanging in man coverage through the route as a result. The press technique is great, and he does well in the bail technique as well, but many technical areas need refinement before he can be a starter at the NFL level.

Round 4 Option: Daylen Everette | Georgia

Everette is a good athlete with good size and is very willing in run support. There is enough versatility to play multiple schemes and multiple spots in the secondary, but his best spot may be as a bigger nickel, especially with how well he plays the run.

The tackling will need to be improved, and there are a lot of easy completions he allows due to being out of position at times. His lack of recovery athleticism is the biggest detriment to his ability to play on the boundary. You can hide the recovery issues a little more inside than on the boundary.

Round 5 Option: Charles Demmings | Stephen F. Austin

Demmings is making a big jump, but has shown he can handle tougher competition throughout the draft process. He has good scheme versatility, but his press technique is so good that you want to set him up for success by having him start in press.

There are issues of overcommitting early, and receivers can take advantage of that by getting Demmings to bite on a fake and get him out of position. When working in off coverage, his footwork is clunky for planting and driving, but he has the recovery athleticism to make up for it. His run support is questionable, but he works well vertically, with excellent ball-tracking ability.

Round 6 Option: Domani Jackson | Alabama

Jackson is a clean athlete with track speed to take any receiver vertically. His evaluation is purely trait-based, as the tape or production doesn’t match, which is concerning given the time he has had. There are also concerns over his scheme versatility, as he doesn’t work in man and only a few zone coverages really match his traits.

There are technical issues all over, and Jackson has never shown consistency with his play. He is also a finesse player, and it shows in his tackling and when coming in as a run supporter. The questions about his physicality carry over to his projection on special teams, which would have to be as a returner because he doesn’t bring it physically to work as a gunner.

Round 7 Option: Andre Fuller | Toledo

Fuller is a scheme-specific player who can work inside or outside and offer up gunner value on special teams. He has good length and solid athleticism to hang, but as a traits-based position, he doesn’t have that great or elite athleticism to bet on.

Fuller's tackling technique can be problematic, and it starts with his mentality as a tackler. He plays the receiver more than the quarterback's eyes or the ball, which limits his chances of intercepting passes. Can he carry receivers vertically? The vertical speed hasn’t been seen on tape.

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