• Will Johnson CB1?: The rising Michigan junior looks like a potential top-five pick after a dominant first couple of seasons.
• How high will Travis Hunter go?: The Colorado star’s versatility on both ends will make him a very enticing prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
• Get a head start on fantasy football: Use PFF's fantasy football mock draft simulator to create real live mock draft simulations to get ready for your live draft!
Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
The 2024 NFL Draft only produced three first-round cornerbacks, the fewest in a class in five years.
Will there be more next April? Here are the 10 cornerbacks to know as we head into summer scouting for the 2025 NFL Draft.
(Please note: This isn’t necessarily a ranking of the top-10 prospects, rather a watch list.)
Check out our other 2025 NFL Draft summer watch list positional lists
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL | DI | EDGE | LB
Will Johnson, Michigan
Johnson immediately lived up to the five-star billing that he had coming out of high school. As a true freshman in 2022, he posted a 91.1 grade in man coverage which led all corners in the Power Five.
He followed that up by allowing just a 29.1 passer rating into his coverage as a sophomore, which was fifth among all cornerbacks in the country. On six targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze this past season, Johnson allowed just three catches while also coming down with an interception. He has the ideal size (6-foot-2, 202 pounds) and technique for the position and has all the makings of a potential top-five pick next April.
Will Johnson.
CB1 in 2025.
pic.twitter.com/a8FzsQAvEK— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) November 25, 2023
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
While Johnson’s first two seasons were special, Morrison’s weren’t too far behind. As a true freshman in 2022, he tied for the Power Five lead with six interceptions while his 29.2 passer rating allowed was third. In 2023, he was tied for eighth in that same group with 13 forced incompletions.
Morrison’s posted an 86.8 single-coverage grade since 2022, which paces all returning Power Five corners. On seven targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. over the last two years, he had more forced incompletions (three) than allowed catches (two). While there’s work to do as a tackler, Morrison has elite ball skills for the position and could be a top-10 pick next year.
The plays Benjamin Morrison made as a true freshman last season were SPECIAL☘️
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 28, 2023
Travis Hunter, Colorado
There’s versatile and then there’s Hunter. Not only did the cover athlete of EA College Football 25 serve as Colorado’s top corner in 2023, but he was also second on the team with 721 receiving yards. Hunter played 1,044 snaps in nine games, which was the most in college football.
Even though he practically never came off the field and was routinely matched up with the opposition’s best receiver, Hunter still impressed with three interceptions which put him second among Pac-12 corners. He’s a freak athlete and has the best ball skills of any corner in the country, which shouldn’t be surprising considering how effective of a receiver he is. While Hunter likely won’t start two ways in the league, he can still contribute sparingly as a receiver while focusing mostly on being a corner full-time.
Travis Hunter vs #17 TCU (2023)
(@TravisHunterJr)
• 11 Receptions
• 119 Receiving Yards
• 1 INT
• 1 Pass deflection (near INT)
• 3 Tackles
• 64 Snaps on offense
• 80 Snaps on defense pic.twitter.com/lyBEkcsVfZ— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 3, 2023
Tacario Davis, Arizona
The first thing you notice about Davis is his freakish size at 6-foot-4. That length allows him to significantly bother receivers at the catch point. The sophomore posted a 27.8% forced incompletion rate in 2023, fifth among Power Five corners. In single coverage, Davis forced more incompletions (14) than he allowed catches (11).
He moves very well for a corner his size which makes it very difficult for receivers to beat him.
.@TacarioD INTERCEPTS IT 💥
📺: Pac-12 Network pic.twitter.com/ap58jUxoTW
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 15, 2023
Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon
Muhammad led all cornerbacks this past season with 19 forced incompletions, 17 coming in single coverage.
While not the biggest at 5-foot-10, 183 pounds, the former Washington Husky has excellent burst for the position and brings a feisty, ultra-competitive approach to his game.
JABBAR MUHAMMAD WITH HIS SECOND PICK OF THE GAME!#CollegeFootball #Pac12pic.twitter.com/ylxU6369F8
— Fantom Sports Industries (@Fantom_sports) November 19, 2023
Denzel Burke, Ohio State
Burke was one of many draft-eligible Buckeyes who decided to return to Columbus for another season. The junior was absolutely dominant when left on an island in 2023. Burke only allowed 19.1% of his targets in single coverage to be caught, the eighth-best rate among all corners in the FBS. Of those 21 targets in single coverage, Burke had more plays on the ball (six combined interceptions and forced incompletions) than he allowed catches (five).
Burke has the length and speed required to cover receivers one-on-one and will be the veteran leader in a young but talented Ohio State secondary.
Denzel Burke has been excellent through two weeks of play. pic.twitter.com/XNUUO0drNF
— Buckeye Fett™ (@BuckeyeFett) September 11, 2023
Sebastian Castro, Iowa
Castro was named a first-team All-American by us this past season and is the top slot corner in college football. He was both the highest-graded and the most valuable corner in the nation in 2023, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. The fifth-year senior also led the country with 19 coverage stops and paced all Power Five corners with 16 run-defense stops.
While he might not be a lockdown outside corner like the others on this list, he’s still a highly instinctual and physical player who’s the newest star in Iowa’s secondary.
What a wild sequence here
Iowa State gets an INT (not in video) and the next play, Iowa picks it back off
Only this time it’s back to the crib for six from Sebastian Castro
— Your Sports Digest (@YourSportDigest) September 9, 2023
Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech
It’s hard to find anything to complain about with Strong’s stats this past season. The senior led all FBS corners in completion rate allowed (27.3%), yards allowed per coverage snap (0.24) and was second in passer rating allowed (11.8).
Strong has excellent mirroring ability with great footwork and quicks for the position.
ANOTHER interception for Dorian Strong!
🎥 @HokiesFB | @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/x4TLUKDBGA
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) November 11, 2023
Quincy Riley, Louisville
Among returning FBS cornerbacks, only Castro was more valuable than Riley this past season according to our wins above average metric. The fifth-year senior only allowed 23 of the 63 targets into his coverage to be caught, good for the sixth-lowest completion rate allowed in the FBS (36.5%).
Riley is a highly instinctual player with fantastic quickness and a smooth backpedal.
HE’S BACK!
Quincy Riley, one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC, is returning to Louisville for one more season🔥 pic.twitter.com/5btn9zYZhL
— Dalton Pence (@dpence_) January 12, 2024
Cobee Bryant, Kansas
Simply put, Bryant will do whatever it takes to make a play for Kansas’ defense. His seven interceptions since 2022 are tied for sixth among all corners in the country. The junior is also more than a willing run defender, earning an 88.8 grade in that aspect last year which was 11th among all FBS cornerbacks.
He’s a physical corner who is capable of making jaw-dropping picks and bone-crushing hits. If Bryant is more consistent in his fifth season, he has the talent to climb this list.
COBEE BRYANT WITH ONE HAND. #SCTop10
The best interception you will see this season 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/pTUoePyYUQ
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) November 26, 2023
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