2022 NFL Draft Cornerback Rankings
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The 2022 NFL Draft is just a week away from kicking off in Las Vegas, and with time winding down on this cycle, it feels appropriate to release my cornerback rankings for this upcoming class.
This class offers premier talent at the top with three corners ending up with top 12 grades on my big board. There's also more than enough depth to where you can find early contributors on day three of the draft, if they're placed in the correct scheme.
After watching a couple dozen cornerbacks in some capacity, and three or more games watched for the top ten on this list, here are my final cornerback rankings for the 2022 NFL Draft.
1. Andrew Booth, Clemson
Booth offers an impressive athletic profile with good speed and freaky change of direction ability to pair with his impressive playmaking skills. While playing in a zone-heavy scheme at Clemson, his reps in man coverage were arguably even more impressive.
His quick and quiet, type-writer like feet are his trademark and make for one of the best traits for any prospect in the entire class. Booth's not just a willing run defender but he's a plus asset in that regard, which is something teams will surely appreciate.
Booth has incredible reactive athleticism and will make superhuman interceptions where he floats and hangs in the air.
He's unfortunately dealt with injuries throughout the offseason which has caused him to be sidelined for the last couple months. While he needs to get more consistent in his spacing in zone coverage and become a more in control tackler in space, he's got everything you could want in a potential CB1.
2. Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
It seems like Stingley has been around forever now despite being a guy who declared early. Stingley dominated SEC competition as a freshman on an LSU team that won the National Championship, picking off six passes in the process. The prototypical size and movement skills that you're looking for in a press man coverage corner.
He's a true technician at the line of scrimmage with excellent footwork to play a mirror technique against some of the best and most physically gifted wide receivers. Thanks to his hip fluidity, he rarely finds himself out of phase but he has the top-tier recovery speed to get back into plays.
Stingley seemed like a lock to be the first corner off the board last summer but his season was cut short again due to a Lisfranc injury. He was also dealing with injuries during the 2020 season which caused his play to slip from where it was during his freshman year.
The health concerns are fair and you'd like to see him use his physicality a bit more, whether it be at the catch point or in the run game. If Stingley can remain healthy and get back to his 2019 form, he could be the steal of the NFL Draft as he has almost limitless potential at one of the games most important positions.
3. Sauce Gardner, Cincinnati
Gardner is essentially a "build-a-corner" standing a legit 6'3 with 33.5 inch arms and 4.4 speed.
He was so dominant in college that he never once allowed a touchdown in any of the 36 games that he played in. Teams actively avoided throwing the football anywhere near him during his junior season as he was targeted less than three times per game (37 in total).
Gardner loves to play in press coverage and he looks to physically dominate any opponent that lines up across from him. He loves to use those 33.5 inch arms and freakish wingspan to get his hands on receivers in order to disrupt the timing of routes. That length also posses real problems in passing lanes as Gardner can make things extremely difficult at the catch point.
Gardner could very well be selected as early as third in the NFL Draft and the hype is very much warranted as he has the potential to live up to the billing.
He's a little grabby at the break point but this was noticeably improved on his junior season tape. His footwork needs to continue to improve and his hand placement in press coverage can be a bit reckless and will need to be more consistent as he'll be facing better athletes at the next level.
A super confident corner, Gardner is a player that's gotten better every single season to date and it's certainly feasible that this could continue in the pros as well.
4. Kaiir Elam, Florida
Over the last several months, Elam feels like one of the more forgotten about names at the position for whatever reason but he's got a lot of game. Elam has plenty of press man experience but is versatile enough to play off-man coverage where he displays impressive click and close ability out of his pedal.
He understands how to use his length and manage space on the boundary. Is very patient at the line of scrimmage with clean footwork and unique hip fluidity for a taller cornerback (6'1.5"). A competitive player who really gets up for marquee matchups, displayed by his matchup with Alabama star wide receiver, Jameson Williams.
Elam answered questions surrounding his speed at the NFL combine by running a 4.39 40-yard dash. Having said that, the recovery speed is still fairly average by NFL standards which will mean he'll have less margin for error at the next level.
He was highly penalized last season, seven penalties in ten games. A good motivator and the right culture could get Elam locked in more consistently which would be welcomed after seeing the flashes in college.
Elam is loaded with tools and in the right situation, he could become a player in this class that enjoys more success in the pros than he had in college.
5. Trent McDuffie, Washington
A three-year starter for the Huskies defense, McDuffie is one of the smartest players in the entire class regardless of position. I spoke with him in depth at the NFL Combine about his film study which was thorough to say the least. He has a high football IQ, and is hyper aware as a zone corner of route concepts, particularly those developing behind him.
Despite being on the smaller side, just short of 5"11, McDuffie is a player that plays bigger than his size as cliche as it sounds. Has enough juice to stay on top of receivers trying to test him vertically. Twitched up athlete with good change of direction skills and displays good burst to close on the football when targeted.
McDuffie played in a very zone heavy scheme in college where they played a lot of cover 3 looks. Because of this, he operated almost exclusively in a half-turn, bail technique, limiting the amount of true press reps on tape. Unfortunately, he came in with under 30 inch arms which means that he won't fit some NFL teams thresholds for length and is a cause for concern seeing as there are very few boundary corners ever to have success with those measurements.
McDuffie's a little more of a projection than the guys listed ahead of him on this list as he may be forced to move into the slot without slot reps on his college tape. However, he has the physicality and coverage ability to be a strong asset for a defensive coordinator.
6. Kyler Gordon, Washington
Back to back Huskies on the list and while they played in the same defense, they are stylistically different players.
Gordon has a unique blend of physicality and athleticism. An elite athlete who followed up a tame combine testing performance for his standards, lit the turf on fire at his Pro Day with a 3.96 short shuttle and a 6.67 3-cone time.
Gordon is a fluid mover with plus change of direction ability and the necessary recovery speed for a starting boundary corner. Gordon brings impressive ball skills for the position and that was evident on his tape last season after breaking up seven passes on just 40 targets. Having played nearly 200 snaps in the slot over the past two seasons, he comes with added versatility.
On his film, there were times that Gordon was a tick late to flip his hips to run with receivers down the sideline. Despite being an elite athlete, there are times where his instincts slow him down as he seems a bit unsure of himself and what his eyes are telling him in off coverage.
It will be important for him to become a more reliable tackler after the catch in order to limit big plays.
Gordon should be a starter at the next level relatively soon, possibly as early as year one. There's a promising, reasonable CB2 level ceiling if he continues to improve some of the more technical aspects of his game.
7. Jalyn Armour-Davis, Alabama
Armour-Davis is one of the most intriguing prospects in this entire draft class regardless of position, due to his remarkable upside. After dealing with some injuries and sitting behind other talented players at Alabama, he burst onto the scene last fall and had a strong campaign for the Crimson Tide.
He's been gifted with prototypical size to pair with his stunning athleticism. Armour-Davis is a fluid mover that can get where he needs to go in a hurry. A former track star, his straight line speed is superb and his recovery speed is even more impressive, meaning he's never truly out of the play. There are examples of suddenness on his tape, his click and close ability is tremendous.
While there aren't many noteworthy concerns about his physical ability, Armour-Davis has plenty of things to improve upon. He's extremely raw in his technique in both man and zone coverage. He falls victim to false steps and can be tardy to open and flip his hips when exiting the mirror phase in press coverage. He also had a bad habit of not turning and locating the football when targeted on vertical throws down the sideline despite usually being in good position.
A true press man capable corner where you're betting on traits and development over experience.
8. Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska
Taylor-Britt is one of the most physical and aggressive cornerbacks in the entire class. A team captain for the Cornhuskers defense, Taylor-Britt brings an intriguing athletic profile to the table as he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and an impressive 1.52 10 yard split.
Taylor-Britt comes equipped with 31.5 inch arms and he uses those long arms to his advantage in both phases of the game. He routinely will engage with wide receivers on the boundary and shove them to the side to come up in run support. When he arrives to the ball carrier, he packs a pop and can knock back even the most physically imposing tailbacks.
A boundary corner the past two seasons but he played all over the place in the secondary as a true freshman, including spending time at safety and nickel in the slot. He comes with plenty of zone experience, maintains good spacing and has a high football I.Q., which leads him to being a step ahead enabling him the ability to break on throws in the air.
While there are some flashes of encouraging reps as a man-to-man cover corner, those are few and far in between given the lack of reps. His footwork still needs work especially as it pertains to his backpedal which can also explain some of his struggles as it relates to his transitions.
With his physicality and willingness in run support, some teams may value him more as a true safety but he will need to pack on a couple pounds in order to be able to live in the box full-time. Taylor-Britt's competitiveness and physical style of play will be a welcomed addition to any zone based defense.
9. Coby Bryant, Cincinnati
Bryant has been one of “my guys” for quite a while now as he first caught me eye last year during the summer scouting period. Simply put, Bryant is a playmaker (nine career interceptions) and just a flat out good football player.
When you man the corner spot opposite Sauce Gardner, you better be ready to see a lot of action and Bryant answered the bell time and time again. Bryant possesses good size for the position, standing over 6’1 and and weighing in at 193 pounds. A smooth mover that wins with plus mental processing, football I.Q. and physicality.
Bryant is a hyper-aware player in zone coverage who has a good feel for route concepts and can play the football in the air. He’s also one of the more willing and capable run defenders in the class as he’s more than willing to stick his face in the fan and do the dirty work.
Bryant comes with ton of experience having spent five years as a collegiate player. There are limitations to his game as he’s not the greatest athlete or the most sudden player. He won’t wow anyone with his athleticism.
When tasked to play man coverage, he allows a little too much separation, allowing guys to create space at the break point. Because of this, he’s a little more scheme dependent as he fits more of a zone corner profile. A team captain for one of the best defenses in college football, Bryant has the feel of a solid starter in a zone scheme.
10A. Roger McCreary, Auburn
McCreary is a battle tested gamer that’s been targeted plenty throughout his career. Earned his first start against LSU’s title team back in 2019 and held his own against Ja’Marr Chase in that matchup.
As a starter during his final two seasons at Auburn, he broke up a whopping 20 passes. Primarily a press man boundary corner in college, McCreary has clean footwork and he uses that to his advantage to mirror receivers off the line of scrimmage.
He’s physical well beyond his size profile and has shown up to the task to go pound-for-pound with bigger receivers in the conference. He understands how to use the boundary to his advantage and squeezes spooners to the sideline when trying to work vertically. Short area quickness is a strength and McCreary can flip his hips without losing much steam.
McCreary went up against tough competition on a weekly basis in the SEC and held his own. There is pause for concern regarding his sub 29 inch arm length which would put him in the historical outlier category. This is well below the typical outside corner threshold and many NFL teams will view him as a slot only cornerback.
Without much experience working out of the slot at Auburn, this makes his transition to the NFL a bit more of a projection.
He’s also a short strider without that extra gear to keep up with some of the more explosive deep threats. McCreary has beaten the odds up to this point and the tape is so intriguing that a team will likely take a chance on him on day two as a nickel back.
10B. Martin Emerson, Mississippi State
When discussing Martin Emerson, everything must start with mentioning his size and build as he's over 6'1, 200 pounds with ridiculous 33.5 inch arms. That insane wingspan leads to him being able to shrink down throwing windows and contests passes at the catch point.
Emerson's a physical specimen that plays a physical brand of football as he's a plus run defender that won't shy away from contact. Patient footwork at the line of scrimmage and relatively loose hips for a corner of his stature. Has the play strength to body smaller receivers throughout the route. Acceleration and click and close ability is especially solid for his build. Does a nice job staying on top of receivers in bail technique, which PFF charted him with just one catch of over 25 yards last season.
Emerson has the desired monstrous size that a lot of teams covet at the boundary cornerback position. However, he does lack that third gear to really get up and go vertically and the recovery speed is just average. Because of this, he will require plenty of safety help against some of the speedsters at the next level.
The lack of playmaking was a surprise. After breaking up 11 passes two seasons ago, he finished his college career with just one interception. Emerson can play in either zone or press man schemes with him primarily playing near the line of scrimmage on the bulk of his snaps in order to maximize his absurd wingspan.
Guys who just missed the cut: (not in order)
Damarri Mathis, Pittsburgh:
Explosive athlete who's a capable press man corner that's used to playing on an island.
Alontae Taylor, Tennessee:
Aggressive, physical cornerback who's best suited as a cover 3 corner with safety versatility.
Marcus Jones, Houston:
Undersized feisty competitor who's likely sliding inside to the slot at the next level.
Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State:
Physical specimen with ball skills and a unique mover for his size.
Tariq Woolen, UTSA:
Blazing fast cornerback with plenty of length who's still very new to the position.
Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston:
Unbelievable athlete that hasn't quite put it all together yet on the field.
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