The most important qualities to play CB in the NFL are CLOSING SPEED, CONFIDENCE, BALL SKILLS & INSTINCTS. Corners have short memories & put good & bad plays behind them. A CB must transition out of his pedal, flip his hips & close on the ball & must have the ability to play the ball in the air like a receiver.
THOUGHTS: The opinions on the 2024 CB prospects vary widely. There have been some elite CB classes recently, but this one seems a bit worse than we’ve gotten used to at the top. Arnold, Mitchell, McKinstry, & DeJean are nice prospects, but there’s more of a fall off than most realize. CB is a very traits-heavy position, the Combine & Pro Days are crucial to the evaluation process.
CB ATHLETIC SCORES:
STORM DUCK 93.6
DECAMERION RICHARDSON 91.8
QUINYON MITCHELL 89.5
NATE WIGGINS 86.6
MAX MELTON 80.1
DEANTRE PRINCE 77.3
CHIGOZIE ANUSIEM 73.6
JARRIAN JONES 71.5
CAM HART 70.4
ELIJAH JONES 70.4
MY CB RANKINGS:
QUINYON MITCHELL TOLEDO 1st
TERRION ARNOLD ALABAMA 1st
NATE WIGGINS CLEMSON 1st
KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY ALABAMA 1st
COOPER DEJEAN IOWA 1st
KAMARI LASSITER GEORGIA 2nd
ENNIS RAKESTRAW MIZZOU 2nd
DJ JAMES AUBURN 2nd-3rd
RENARDO GREEN FL ST 2nd-3rd
MAX MELTON RUTGERS 2nd-3rd
MIKE SAINRISTIL MICHIGAN 2nd-3rd
4/4 CB CHECKLIST
TJ TAMPA IOWA ST 3rd-4th
ELIJAH JONES BOSTON COLL 3rd-4th
KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE MIZZ 3rd-4th
JARVIS BROWNLEE LOUISVILLE 4th
DJ James, CB, Auburn
4th Round (5’11 170lbs) PFF: 83.9
Play Style: Outside Zone CB
NFL COMP: MARCO WILSON
Athletic Ability: Good top-end speed to match WRs & good closing speed when out of position.4.42s 40-Yd
Strength: Light in the pants. Physical but lacks the desired strength when taking on blocks and battling for position downfield.
Explosion: Explosive athlete
Size: Uses length to control WRs off line of scrimmage
Competitiveness: Good
Key Diagnosis Skills:
Instincts: GOOD/HIGH FOOTBALL IQ
Run Support: Does a great job of triggering to support the run. Often opting to use his speed to beat blocks, he can get pushed around by linemen and bigger blockers. Can be ankle-biter at times. Doesn't want to tackle ball-carriers up top, especially the bigger, more physical runners.
Zone/Man Ability: In zone uses good vision to identify routes & uses burst to close on threats. While playing man, he opted to play press since his quick feet & fluid hips allow him to keep leverage & get in phase as he works down the field.
Range:
Hands: Very good ball skills to track the ball in the air w/ great timing on pass breakups.
Able to showcase coverage skills in both man & zone. While playing man, he opted to play press since his quick feet & fluid hips allow him to keep leverage & get in phase as he works down the field. Uses length to control WRs off line of scrimmage, shoots his hand through the catch point to break up passes. In zone has good vision to identify routes & uses his burst to quickly close on threats. Good top-end speed to match WRs & good closing speed when out of position. Coverage versatile CB with a physical mentality. High football I.Q. + instincts. 21 PBUs in 2 years at Auburn.
MET W/ RAIDERS, COWBOYS & 49ERS
89.8 Coverage Grade (2 INTs, 7 PBUs) (1 TD, 64.5 Passer Rating Allowed)
4.42s 40-Yd
Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College
3rd-4th Round (6’2 184lbs)
Play Style: Press CB
Athletic Ability: 4.44s 40-Yd; 1.54s 10-Yd Split. Average athlete overall who is a fluid mover but has just average overall speed & explosiveness. In coverage, Jones displays excellent instincts & awareness
Strength: THIN FRAME
Explosion: 42.5” Vertical; 10’9” Broad
Size: USES LENGTH TO ADVANTAGE
Competitiveness: TOUGH
Instincts: GREAT
Run Support: Won’t offer much
Zone/Man Ability: Is a slender press-man cb w/ Cover 3 potential. His press is more irritating than disruptive, but does a solid job of tracing routes & attacking throws. Jones has excellent instincts & awareness—especially in zone or off-man when his eyes are toward the QB. He can read the QB & peel off wr & flow to the ball.
Range: Turns head & finds football when tracking deep routes. Excellent overall ball skills.
Hands: ABOVE AVERAGE. ELITE BALL SKILLS
Scheme-dependent cornerback w/ excellent length & above-average ball skills to harass & overtake lesser WRs when it's time to make the catch. Is a slender press-man corner with Cover 3 potential. His press is more irritating than disruptive, but does a solid job of tracing routes & attacking throws for forced incompletions & ints. Long arms help him compete against more muscular WRs when it's time to stop the catch, but won't offer much in run support. Comes out of his pedal too upright.
QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 48.3
MET W/ COWBOYS. PLAYED W/ GB DEF COORDINATOR
4.44s 40-Yd; 1.54s 10-Yd Split
42.5” Vertical; 10’9” Broad
Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
3rd-4th Round (5’9 182lbs) PFF: 81.4
Play Style: Slot/Nickel Man/Press CB
NFL COMP: MIKE HILTON
Athletic Ability: 4.47s 40-Yd; 1.51s 10-Yd Split
Strength: Lacks the size & strength necessary to take down bigger backs.
Explosion: 40” Vertical; 10’11” Broad Jump
6.99s 3-Cone; 4.01s 20-Yd Shuttle
Size: Lacks the ideal overall size for NFL CB.
Competitiveness: TOP NOTCH TOUGH
Instincts: Instinctual player who has a good understanding of the threats in his area.
Run Support: Aggressive player vs the run. Triggers quickly & closes ground on the ball-carrier. Shows good physicality when taking on blocks.
Zone/Man Ability: Fluid backpedal w/ short, smooth steps under control. Shows quick transitions & very good closing speed. Can be slow out of breaks. Fits better in zone.
Range: When he trusts his breaks, he can quickly drive & close on the ball. He does a great job of flipping his hips & has the top-end speed to run w/ wrs deep. An instinctual defender who does a great job of identifying routes.
Hands: TERRIFIC, IS A FORMER WR
TOUGH, VERSATILE NICKEL w/ GREAT LEADERSHIP. Reliable & tough w/ the athleticism & upside to keep getting better as a nickel cb. Former wr who plays w/ surprising field awareness & attention to detail as a zone defender. He has twitch & footwork to stay connected w/ routes in man, needs more experience at cb to better recognize & feel routes. Has top-notch ball skills w/ 6 ints (2 for scores) in ‘23 & has no problem stepping up & being a run defender. Isn’t there yet but should keep improving & could become a starting nickel. He also played in cover units on special teams throughout his time with the Wolverines.
QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 77.2
4/4 CB Checklist; I’m a HUGE FAN!!
4.47s 40-Yd; 1.51s 10-Yd Split
40” Vertical; 10’11” Broad Jump
6.99s 3-Cone; 4.01s 20-Yd Shuttle
Jarrian Jones, CB, Florida St
4th-5th Round (6’0 190lbs) PFF: 90.1
Play Style: Dual-Role Man/Press CB
Athletic Ability: 4.38s 40-Yd; 1.53s 10-Yd Split. 40 Time doesn’t show up on tape.
Strength: Strong upper body to stay glued to pass-catchers w/ an innate ability to toe the line of being physical, or drawing a flag.
Explosion: 39.5” Vertical; 10’9” Broad Jump Not an explosive athlete when changing direction or triggering downhill. Closes space quickly.
Size: He’s athletic & big enough to play both inside/out & his cerebral intelligence stands out when identifying offensive concepts.
Competitiveness: Competitive demeanor from snap to whistle.
Instincts: A cerebral athlete on the perimeter, the instincts in his game pop off the screen. Consistently in the right spot & leverage is never lost.
Run Support: Nightmare to block against the run & has a dynamic ability to blow up smoke & tunnel screens. Struggles w/ tackling overall.
Zone/Man Ability: Fits better in zone. In man, Jones does a nice job in isolated opportunities, or communicating & passing off when faced with bunches or stack formations. Stays low in his backpedal w/ short, quick tempo to change rapidly. Does a nice job of staying hip-to-hip running across the formation w/ smaller, shiftier wrs. In zone, Jones is a high-level communicator w/ the long speed & instincts to make plays on the football
Range: Shuffles in a rhythm, anticipating the route break. Struggles to make up vertical separation when beaten. Unable to mirror & match release w/ consistency.
Hands: Seemingly always in phase & not shy in mixing it up w/ the ball in the air to establish positioning.
Urgent cornerback w/ good size & above-average aggression in all aspects of his game. All gas from snap to whistle, can be clunky matching release & has a hard time through sharp breaks w/o allowing glaring separation. Chase speed is average & might require help over the top. Anticipates breaks from shuffle & effective from zone w/ decent burst when playing forward. Aggressive run support & battles for position in coverage. Limitations might be mitigated & his strengths maximized as nickel cb playing forward from zone-heavy cover scheme.
TOP 30 VISIT W/ COLTS, GB
QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 31.2
4.38s 40-Yd; 1.53s 10-Yd Split
39.5” Vertical; 10’9” Broad Jump
Jarvis Brownlee, CB, Louisville
4th Round (5’10 194lbs) PFF: 77.9
Play Style: Outside Man/Press CB
Tough, gritty player who excels against the run & good coverage. Quality competitive toughness enables him to play much larger than his size. Needs to improve his hand use down the field while in man coverage. Has good foot quickness & instincts. However, his lack of size & high-end athleticism will force him to make the transition to nickel at the next level. FAVORITE PLAYER FROM CB GURU. BULLY AT EVERY PHASE.
TOP 30: IND, TEN, ARI
Athletic Ability:
Strength:
Explosion:
Size:
Competitiveness: Most competitive player in this draft class.
Instincts:
Run Support:
Zone/Man Ability:
Range:
Hands:
QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 93.3
4.48s 40-Yd
TOP CBs FROM SCOUT:
14. NEHEMIAH PRITCHETT AUBURN
13. KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE MIZZOU
12. DJ JAMES AUB (PATIENT MAN CB)
11. TJ TAMPA IOWA ST
10. MAX MELTON RUTGERS
9. ELIJAH JONES BOSTON COLLEGE (ELITE BALL SKILLS)
8. ENNIS RAKESTRAW JR MIZZOU
7. RENARDO GREEN FLORIDA STATE
6. KAMARI LASSITER GEORGIA
5. COOPER DEJEAN IOWA
4. KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY ALABAMA
3. NATE WIGGINS CLEMSON
2. TERRION ARNOLD ALABAMA
1. QUINYON MITCHELL TOLEDO
QUICK NOTES ON CBs RANKED 12-30:
MARCELLAS DIAL, CB, SOUTH CAROLINA
DOMINANT PRESS MAN TAPE
STRAIGHT LINE EXPLOSIVENESS
TIGHT IN HIPS
JOHNNY DIXON, CB, PENN STATE
DEFENDS OUTSIDE FADE ROUTES
POOR ATHLETE
AVERAGE RECOVERY SPEED
LACKS LENGTH, SLIM MARGIN FOR ERROR
QWAN’TEZ STIGGERS, CB, CFL
NFL PLAYER
WELL BUILT
COMPOSED IN MAN COVERAGE
DAEQUAN HARDY, CB, PENN STATE
TURNS & LOCATES BALL WELL
LACKS SIZE & LENGTH
POTENTIAL FIESTY SLOT CB
CAM HART, CB, NOTRE DAME
TIGHT HIPS, SLOW
POOR MIRRORING & CANT PLAY MAN
POOR ATHLETE
KAMAL HADDEN, DB, TENNESSEE
POTENTIAL SAFETY
EXCELLENT BALL SKILLS
READS WRS BODY MOVEMENTS EXTREMELY WELL
LACKS SPEED
PHYSICAL & COMPETITIVE IN COVERAGE
LACKS RUN SUPPORT EFFORT
MJ DEVONSHIRE, CB, PITTSBURGH
PLAYED PURE PRESS MAN
IMPACTFUL AT CATCH POINT
TERRIFIC AT MIRRORING ROUTES & CHANGES DIRECTIONS
NOTICEABLY LONG ARMS
PUNT RETURNER
FITS THAT SEATTLE CB MOLD
ANDRU PHILLIPS
CANT TACKLE
GRABBY
NOT FLUID OR STICKY
CAELEN CARSON, CB, WAKE FOREST
HIP FLUIDITY SOLID BUT STRUGGLES TO FLIP HIPS AND RUN
LACKS BALL SKILLS
JOSH NEWTON, CB, TCU
DAY 1 CB3
PRESS CB BEEN THROUGH THE FIRE
LIMITED UPSIDE
DECAMERION RICHARDSON, CB, MISS ST
MOST PHYSICAL, COMPETITIVE CB IN THIS CLASS
EXCELLENT TACKLER W/ GOOD LENGTH
ELITE ATHLETIC TRAITS
UNCOMFORTABLE PLAYING BALL IN AIR. UNABLE TO POSSIBLY
0 INTS, 3 PBUs ALL TIME IN COLLEGE
HEAVILY PENALIZED
KHYREE JACKSON, CB, OREGON
PRESS CB MADE IN LAB
LACKS RECOVERY SPEED
25 Yr Old ROOKIE