NFL Draft Preview: Day 2-3 Cornerback Prospects

Nick Falato takes a deep dive into some potential Day 2 and Day 3 cornerback prospects for the New York Giants.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Apr 12, 2023 1:14 PM EDT

In this story:

The New York Giants are in the market for a cornerback. There are several high-end players who may likely be available for the Giants at pick No. 25. Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, Ilinois’ Devon Witherspoon, and (maybe) Maryland’s Deonte Banks will likely be selected before the Giants go on the clock, but Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes, Kansas State’s Julius Brents, and South Carolina’s Cam Smith may be available for the Giants in Round 1.

However, the Giants have many needs, and their attention for cornerback shouldn’t solely be focused on Round 1 in the draft. If the Giants forgo cornerback in the first round, there are several later options to pursue throughout the draft.

Here are five Day 2 or early Day 3 options that may entice the Giants.

Clark Phillips III, Utah

Height: 5-foot-9 | Weight: 184 lbs. | Class: Junior

A versatile cornerback who aligned 214 snaps in the slot and 375 snaps on the outside in 2022; many project him to play slot in the NFL because of size/length concerns. Phillips recorded nine interceptions and 14 passes defended in 2022 -- six interceptions were in 2022 (three in man coverage and three in the slot)-- so the production was spread well through his versatile usage.

Phillips has excellent eyes in zone coverage. He frequently baits throws and does an excellent job undercutting routes for turnover opportunities in the middle hook. His intelligence and film study pops on tape, one of the reasons he was a Unanimous All-American in 2022. Phillips was also a team captain and one of the leaders of the Utah defense.

He has man coverage capability but may best fit as a zone defender. Love his ball skills and aggressive nature, albeit he was baited on tape. Phillips III had four interceptions returned for a touchdown in his career.

He’s not the biggest, and play strength is a concern. His tackling was a huge issue in 2022 -- he missed 28% of his tackle attempts; he’s wild into the tackle point, despite his desire and want to run through receivers. Phillips isn’t the biggest or fastest, but he is a high processor with a reportedly desire to be great with the necessary work ethic to make that happen.

An elite competitor who has sufficient man coverage ability that may be destined to play the slot. His best landing spot may be in a zone-heavy defense where he can trust his eyes to break on footballs from the nickel position.

Cory Trice, Purdue

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 206 lbs. | Class: RS-Senior

A super-sized cornerback with solid athletic traits and excellent change of direction for a player of his size.Recovered from a torn ACL that ended his 2021 season and played adequately throughout his 2022 campaign. Trice has an excellent feel in zone coverage and was a threat as a Cover-2 flat defender in high-low situations.

He has very good zone instincts and reacts well to explode from his backpedal quarter turn to close width on WRs breaks. He has solid ball skills with five career interceptions and 16 passes defended, doing a solid overall job utilizing his length at the catch point.

Trice brings a physical -- sure tackling -- aspect to the cornerback position. For a player of his size, he is solid in man coverage and good in zone. He plays a bit high and isn’t technically refined; his press technique needs some ironing out, and he opens his hips a bit too early, which puts him into a less-than-ideal situation (on display against Michigan & Northwestern on the goal line).

Trice is a solid cornerback addition late on day two who may best fit into a Cover-3 scheme with his backside to the sideline as he reads route combinations in front of him.

Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern

Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 191 lbs. | Class: RS-Junior

Solid overall athlete with adequate size with outside cornerback experience. He was pesty at Northwestern with solid eyes in zone and good overall man coverage ability, especially in tighter coverage. His breaks from off-man left some to be desired; his burst out of breaks was choppy and lacked speed/quickness. Mitchell is a tough player who has an aggressive jam at the LOS while doing a good job maintaining positive body position up the WRs route stem.

Love how he plays through the catch point -- he had only two interceptions in his career with 14 passes defended. Although he could have had several interceptions against Purdue in 2022, he let the football slip through his hands. Plays with authority in one-on-one situations in tight coverage.

Mitchell is a strong cornerback with several impressive plays near the LOS in run support. However, there were times when he was glued to blocks and struggled to disengage. I appreciate how his tackling ability and the pride he takes in defending the run.

The tendency to anticipate and bait quarterbacks got him in trouble on double moves; that, compounded with his lack of high-end explosiveness out of his breaks, led to mistakes and long offensive gains. Mitchell has solid press man upside with sufficient athletic capabilities, who can flip his hips well, but his lack of burst out of breaks hinders his ability to maintain a body presence from an off-man position.

He is a physical player up WRs stems and around the LOS. I love how he promptly plays through the catch point with authority. He could be an option for the Giants in round three or later if they forgo CB early in the draft.

Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU

Height: 5-foot-7 | Weight: 178 lbs. | Class: Senior

A feisty, scrappy cornerback who played the majority of his snaps at wide cornerback in college, but his diminutive size may relegate him to nickel duties in the NFL, similar to Giants 2020 fourth-round pick Darnay Holmes. The last name and ties to TCU are relevant since he is the nephew of Hall of Fame running back LaDanian Tomlison.

Hodges-Tomlinson is a joy to watch in coverage. He’s sticky with fluid hips and twitch. He’s not out of position often, but he is super physical, which led to 14 penalties in 2022 (he has 20 through his four seasons at TCU). However, his presence at the catch point is commanding - he had five career interceptions and 29 passes defended. Hodges-Tomlinson has great ball skills and a knack for finding his way through catch points.

The primary reason why Hodges-Tomlinson isn’t being discussed high isn’t just his uber-aggressive style but his 5-foot-7, 178-pound frame. His lack of size and length are issues that are hard to overlook. He’s not afraid of contact, but the size concerns affected his ability in run support.

If a team needs a tough nickel cornerback with man coverage traits, athletic ability, and good eyes for zone coverage, then Hodges-Tomlinson is a worthy player for an investment. However, his size issues, tendency to grab, and lack of experience playing in the slot could lead to a slower transition.

Terell Smith, Minnesota

Height: 6-foot-0 | Weight: 204 lbs. | Class: RS-Senior

A big cornerback with good straight-line speed and solid agility who played in various coverages for the Golden Gophers. Smith is at his best in off coverage, trusting his eyes to break on inside routes (slants, ins) as he did against Purdue (Q2, 0:39 2nd & 10). If he misses his contact point or is a step late flipping his hips, he can be left vulnerable against double moves or quick receivers breaking (Q2, 14:44 Northwestern).

I didn’t love Smith in transitions in a side straddle -- his balance and control seem to suffer -- he’s not the most fluid in those situations. Smith also dealt with various injuries in college that led to missed games every year except in 2022. Smith had four interceptions and 14 passes defended in college. He uses his strength and size to have an impact on run defense.

I love Smith’s play strength, size, length, and I like his athletic profile. The slight tightness in man coverage with his lateral transitions gives me some pause, albeit he is sufficient in man coverage. I appreciate his press ability (patience, length, discipline, feet) at the LOS, and he could be an option later in the draft for the Giants.