2025 NFL Draft: Ranking the Top 10 Cornerbacks

With the NFL Draft a little over a week away, the hype is beginning to intensify as teams complete their final "Top 30" and local visits ahead of the April 24 selection process in Green Bay.

The Los Angeles Rams are one of those teams, narrowing down their draft board in preparation for their No. 26 slot in the first round. After that, they won't have a selection again until the tail end of the third round, leading to speculation of a potential trade back in or out of the first round altogether.

Cornerback is among the list of needs for the Rams ahead of the draft. When healthy, it's a great crop of defensive backs but one must be vigilant of some of the injuries suffered before the offseason that have affected some of the respective corners in this group. With that in mind, let's dive into the 10 best cornerback prospects in this year's draft.

No. 1: Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes

Grade valuation: Top 10

The Heisman Trophy winner is unsurprisingly at the top spot here. This was the best cornerback in college football along with being one of the top pure playmakers in the nation. Hunter's skill set on defense provides him the highest ceiling of either position he could play at in the NFL.

Hunter has rare zone instincts that do not come around often with outstanding spaital awareness, twitch, short-area quickness, uber-explosiveness, and the best ball skills of any prospect at any position in the draft. His man cover and press skills are quite good with superior fluidity, long speed, and hip sinkage to blanket perimeter players.

If he becomes a full-time corner, Hunter could be one of the five best players at his position very quickly.

No. 2: Will Johnson, Michigan Wolverines

Grade valuation: Top 10

Much has been discussed about Johnson's inconsistencies in 2024 whether it was in coverage, run support, or the nagging injuries that kept him out for almost half of the season. These concerns are overblown as his skill set remains one of the best in the entire draft class.

Some forget how great of a player Johnson was in 2023. This is a blue-chip prospect that is deserving of a Top 10 draft selection due to outstanding coverage technique in whatever he is assigned. He is a willing and effective run supporter who can make quality wrap-up tackles on the perimeter.

Johnson's play style compares best to Patrick Surtain II. This is a top prospect with high-end ball skills, coverage ability, and football intelligence that could give an NFL secondary an immediate boost in his rookie campaign.

No. 3: Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina Pirates

Grade valuation: 1st round

Before he tore his ACL three games into the season, Revel was projected as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2025 draft class. The injury has affected much of his ability to compete and participate in much of the on-field activities during the pre-draft process. Still, he remains one of the most talented players on the board, even if he does fall out of the first round.

Revel offers a physical brand of football at the line of scrimmage, using his length and power to create disruption and timing issues in press and in off-man at the top of route stems. This is an ultra-competitive player with terrific ball skills and flashes of ample zone spacing ability who still has some room to grow. However, when healthy, Revel is among one of the best defenders in the class.

No. 4: Jahdae Barron, Texas Longhorns

Grade valuation: 1st round

Teams looking for a versatile defensive back to select in the first round can look no further than Barron. This is a player who has been asked to play safety, outside cornerback, and nickel for a significant amount of snaps and he best projects as a nickelback for a few reasons.

The 2024 Jim Thorpe recipient has quality ball skills, great short-area twitch and explosiveness, and is a terrific underneath defender who thrives in reduced alignments to shutdown inside threats while fitting the run or setting a hard edge against an opposing team's ground game. Draft Barron and instantly make your secondary better.

No. 5: Trey Amos, Ole Miss Rebels

Grade valuation: Late 1st-Early 2nd round

Looking for a clean and physical press defender with size, fluidity, and aggression in zone shells? Amos brings it all in that regard. He was a terrific defensive playmaker for the Rebels in his lone season in Oxford, Mississippi, who snagged three interceptions and deflected 13 passes.

Amos will need refinement in some areas, such as his control in zone and inconsistencies as a tackler in run support. He doesn't have elite speed which may effect him in reaction and recovery efforts in certain coverages. However, his press skills make him a potential starting cornerback early in his career.

No. 6: Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Grade valuation: 2nd round

Morrison was on his way to being a Top 15 selection before a hip injury derailed his season and ability to participate in the pre-draft process. When healthy, he has some of the best ball skills at cornerback with great size, technique, and instincts in zone coverage.

The former freshman All-American does not have an elite athletic profile and exhibits a high-hipped frame that may cause issues in transitions and recovery efforts. However, his ball production and coverage skill set make him an intriguing Top 50 selection in this year's draft.

No. 7: Jacob Parrish, Kansas State Wildcats

Grade valuation: 2nd round

Nickelback No. 2 comes in as a potential early-round selection heading into next week's draft. His size and stature may cause him to tumble down the draft order but there is more than meets the eye.

Parrish is a jump, hyper-active, quick football player who is a true jitterbug. His twitch, short-area explosiveness can generate plenty of pop and physicality as a press-man defender, especially if he is reduced inside where he can best thrive at the next level. If your defense is looking for a potential quality nickel defender, Parrish is your man.

No. 8: Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State Seminoles

Grade valuation: 2nd round

Thomas is arguably the best press-defender in the draft. A bright spot on a lowly Seminoles team, he offers great size, length and physicality at the line of scrimmage that generates problems for the receiver and quarterback in timing and rhythm. This alone, plus his flashes in ball production make him a fun project for an NFL defense that loves press utilization and Cover 3 shell alignments.

No. 9: Darien Porter, Iowa State Cyclones

Grade valuation: 2nd round

This could be a fun project for teams looking for size and ball production. Porter is an older prospect who will be 25 years old during his rookie season and is still fairly new to playing cornerback as a former wide receiver. Yet, his physical and athletic profile, special teams value, and flashes in press coverage make him a joy to watch on film.

No. 10: Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky Wildcats

Grade valuation: Late 2nd-Early 3rd round

Hairston is a corner who plays like his hair is on fire, playing with aggression and competitive prowess that could make any team giddy. Despite his below-average stature and issues of playing controled and disciplined, he shows some physicality at the line of scrimmage that pairs well with his demanor at the catch point. Think of DJ Reed as a potential system-diverse starter.

Honorable Mentions: Nohl Williams, California Golden Bears; Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech Hokies; Caleb Ransaw, Tulane Green Wave

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