2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Cornerbacks

After a remarkable season that saw the Cleveland Browns make the playoffs for the first in just under two decades, the new leadership of General Manager Andrew Berry and Head Coach Kevin Stefanski has this team heading for greater heights. The Browns have been very active during the free agency period, adding much-needed pieces on defense. But, the work is not done. In just over a month from now, Cleveland will have another big opportunity to improve through the 2021 NFL Draft.

So, as we go through this next month before the NFL Draft, I will be getting you primed for what to expect in this year’s class. I will begin by examining each position class in the upcoming draft. I will give my top five prospects at each position group and look at the overall position class, while also focusing on how the group affects the Browns. The next position under the microscope is the cornerback class.

Joe Gilbert’s 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings Series: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Tight Ends, Wide Receivers, Offensive Tackles, Interior Offensive Line, Interior Defensive Line, Edge Rushers, and Linebackers

Top Five CBs

1. Patrick Surtain II, Alabama

Surtain is such a smooth operator in everything he does on the field. He is a corner with really good length at 6-foot-2 and has the fluid athleticism teams want in a No. 1 corner. He is so technically smooth. His feet are so patient and technically sound. He is never rushed or out of control. His feet stay in order, allowing him to quickly stop, start, or transition to a different stance. This technique and patience help him to almost never get beat on double moves. He shows a really good IQ on the field. He reads routes well and can get his body in the right position to cover the receiver all across the field. His mirror skills are top-notch. He shows the ability to play in both zone and man coverage. He is one of the most experienced corners in the class with so many starting snaps. He also has the size and solid tackling ability to help out in run defense.

Surtain is not the most physical corner. He can be a bit passive against the run, staying back rather than go in to help his teammates take down a tackler.

But, the coverage ability is what teams are drafting Surtain for next week. He is so technically sound and smooth, making him a player who should come in right away and produce immediately.

2. Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

Farley is a long corner at 6-foot-2 with explosive athleticism. He is a corner with fluid athleticism. His mirror skills are some of the best in the entire class. His speed and fluidity allow him to track receivers all across the field. He can run with any receiver because of his great speed. He is a versatile corner with the ability to play in man and zone coverage. He has the explosive closing speed to break on the ball in zone. One of his best attributes is his ball skills. He plays the ball so well, quickly locating it and either separating it from the receiver or picking it off himself. He has a good build at 6-foot-2, allowing him to match up with bigger receivers. His athleticism is such a big part of his game.

Farley did not play in 2020. He also is dealing with back injuries and had to have surgery for this injury. He has to check out medically to be considered.

But, Farley has supposedly looked well in the medical rechecks. His talent is so intriguing with the athleticism, size, mirror skills, and ball skills to be a No. 1 corner.

3. Jaycee Horn, South Carolina

Horn is one of the most physical corners in the draft class. He stands at 6-foot, 205 pounds with a good build. Horn would be the definition of a press-man corner. He is an aggressive, physical corner with the confidence to stand up against any receiver he comes across. He has excellent mirror skills with the feet, agility, and fluidity to cover players of all sizes and athleticism across the field. He is able to cover on the outside and in the slot, giving versatility to the defense. His ball skills are top-notch. He is physical at the catch point with the athleticism and strength to stop the catch from being completed. He is also not afraid to stick his head in the run game and make tackles for the run defense.

Horn can be too aggressive and physical. He can be too handsy, resulting in flags being called on him in coverage. His aggressiveness can cause him to get out of control and that shows up in his missed tackles.

But, Horn is a player teams want in their No. 1 corner. His confidence, aggression, mirror skills, ball skills, and athleticism make him a corner with a high ceiling.

4. Greg Newsome, Northwestern

Newsome is another smooth, fluid corner in this draft class. His feet and change of direction are excellent. He has fundamentally sound feet that never get out of whack or out of control. His feet and fluidity help him to change direction well. He can quickly transition from forward-looking to sprinting back for a deep route. He can easily break inside on in routes. His mirror skills are so good. He has good click and close ability to close on passes. He has excellent length and that helps him with his ball skills. He is really good at tipping the ball away or getting in the way of passes. He utilizes good athleticism and length to win the battle and knock down or pick off the oncoming pass. He is a corner with the versatility to play in both zone and man coverage.

Newsome is a bit slight at 6-foot, 192 pounds. This could affect him versus bigger receivers in the NFL. He also has suffered numerous injuries, which is a concern.

Nonetheless, Newsome is a smooth operator with excellent feet and a change of direction. He should be considered right with the top three corners in the class.

5. Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse

Melifonwu has one of the highest ceilings of any corner in the draft class. His combination of size at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and explosive athleticism is rare to find at cornerback. With his bigger size, he still totes very good fluidity. His explosion shows up most when he is in off coverage or zone coverage. He can quickly click and close on plays with the explosive speed to make a play on the pass. He has good speed to stay with receivers across the field and the recovery speed to quickly make up ground on receivers. His length and athleticism also show up in his ball skills. He is a strong player at the catch point, with the ability to break up passes or even pick them off. He is also willing and able to help out in run defense.

Melifonwu does not have a lot of experience in press-man coverage. This will be a key area for him to work on and show what he can do in the NFL.

But, the talent is hard to miss. Melifonwu has the size, athleticism, and skill set teams want in their corners.

Best of the Rest: Eric Stokes (Georgia), Asante Samuel Jr. (Florida State), Kelvin Joseph (Kentucky), and Benjamin St-Juste (Minnesota)

Thoughts on the cornerback class

I absolutely love this cornerback class. This may be the best position class in the entire draft. It has top-tier talent and a lot of depth. I believe there are four top-tier talents in Surtain, Farley, Horn, and Newsome. Those four should be considered within the top 15 picks of the draft. But, the first round also has two others who I would consider by the end of the round, Melifonwu and Eric Stokes. Day 2 should see a whole host of corners come off the board and be able to produce for their new teams right away. Overall, this is an excellent class with great talent and depth.

Impact of this cornerback class on the Browns

The Browns are in such a great position here. Cleveland needs talent and depth at cornerback and this class offers so much talent. The Browns could get their starting outside corner at No. 26 in form of Newsome, Farley, or Melifonwu. Or, the orange and brown could go on Day 2 to nab Eric Stokes or Asante Samuel. But, I expect the Browns to draft one corner with either their first or second round picks in the draft.