The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the inside cornerback position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's Take
The 2025 NFL Draft cornerback class might be the most interesting of all positions.
Sitting atop the class is two-way star Travis Hunter, who also could dabble in playing wide receiver, giving him dual-position flexibility.
And after Hunter, there are a number of talented, good-sized cornerbacks who have some varying issues because of injuries they suffered during the 2024 season.
Without having access to their medical information, it makes the 2025 cornerback class something of a crap shoot in terms of who might go where.
Some talented corners could slip because of their injury issues, while others might rise because they're actually healthy.
It could make for some volatility on draft day for the position.
Dale's Rankings
1. Travis Hunter, Colorado, 6-0 ⅜, 188 lbs. - Hunter is better suited to initially line up at cornerback in the NFL, in my opinion, since it's the more difficult position at which to find high-end talent. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner had 11 pass breakups and four interceptions, at cornerback, where he was first-team All-America, while also being on the second-team as a wide receiver. Hunter has excellent ball skills, and anticipates routes well thanks to his background as a wide receiver.
2. Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-10 ¾, 194 lbs. - Barron played nickel, safety and outside cornerback for the Longhorns and excelled at each spot. He might project best as a nickel corner in the NFL, but he has the skill set and size to play outside. Had 11 pass breakups and five interceptions in 2024, giving him eight interceptions in his career. Questions about his speed were answered at the NFL Scouting Combine when he blazed through a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. Just a really good football player.
3. Will Johnson, Michigan, 6-1 ¾, 194 lbs. - Has the size and physicality teams desire in a first-round cornerback. His ball skills are off the charts, with 10 interceptions in 32 career games, including three he returned for touchdowns. A toe injury cut his 2024 season short and Johnson didn't work out at the Combine. He also has a hamstring injury that will keep him from working out for teams until late in April. He's extremely talented, but questions about his overall speed won't be answered until then.
4. Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 5-11 ¼, 183 lbs. - Hairston had five interceptions in 2023 and then many of Kentucky's opponents stayed away from him in 2024, though a shoulder injury forced him to miss five games. The fastest player at this year's Combine (4.28-second 40), Hairston lacks some bulk, but he's got long arms and the closing speed to fit in a lot of different coverage schemes. His lack of bulk also shows up in run support.
5. Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina, 6-1 ½, 194 lbs. - Revel tore his ACL in September, but his combination of size and length (nearly 33-inch arms) is ideal for the position. Revel only had one interception in 24 college games, but he did have 15 pass breakups and five tackles for a loss the past two seasons. He's a solid tackler and recognizes things well. The big question is when will he be ready to return to the field?
Sleeper: Bilhal Khone, Western Michigan, 6-1 ¼, 190 lbs. - Khone has ideal size and speed – he ran a 4.43-second 40 at the Combine – to play in the NFL. He'll just be asked to make a big transition from the MAC. Khone needs to work on his tackling technique and he's been a little grabby in his coverage, but there are tools in the box that make him intriguing.
Matt's Take
It seems as though every one of the top cornerback prospects in this class has some sort of question or red flag. But a lot of those concerns, particularly medical and workout numbers, should get cleaned up in the coming weeks.
This also is a class with a lot of ability. There look to be starting cornerbacks all through the first two days of the draft and some guys on the third day that could really help their new NFL team.
Once again, I left Travis Hunter off this list (as I did with wide receivers). And like that list, Hunter would have been the top cornerback prospect. He's a very special player and athlete and might just pull off playing both ways in the NFL.
Matt's Rankings*1. Will Johnson, Michigan, 6-1 3/4, 194 lbs. -* Johnson was one of the premier players-at any position - in 2023 during the Wolverines' National Title run. Johnson's 2024 season was much more up and down, and injuries played a part in that inconsistency. He obviously has outstanding size and is a physical competitive player in both man and zone. Johnson has a fantastic feel for the position and consistently punishes opposing quarterbacks for their mistakes.
2. Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-10 3/4, 194 lbs. - The very recent success of Brian Branch, Cooper DeJean and Mike Sainristil could really help Barron's draft status. The reason? All of these mentioned players are not the prototypical outside cornerback. But instead, they are do-it-all glue players that are just very good at the game of football. Barron's 4.39/40 at the Combine won't hurt his stock either. The 2024 Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back) winner will be very desirable to all 32 teams.
3. Shavon Revel, East Carolina, 6-1 7/8, 194 lbs. - Revel tore his ACL in September, which is still looming. But other than that, it is really difficult to find faults with Revel as a prospect. Obviously, he has fantastic cornerback size. But this player moves like a much smaller man on the field with rare explosion, and he consistently gets his hands on the football. Once he's clean medically, NFL teams should love Revel.
4. Maxwell Hairston, Memphis, 5-11 1/4, 183 lbs. - Hairston isn't the biggest, strongest or most physical. But he is one of the fastest and he consistently gets his hands on the ball. And Hairston plays the game with tenacity. He fits well in zone or man systems and is an extremely fluid mover.
5. Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State, 6-1 1/2, 197 lbs. - Thomas' speed is pretty average, but he makes up for it with excellent size and length and rarely gets beat over the top. He is a physical corner and is very competitive at the catch point, but Thomas has lacked great ball production. He's best in press man coverage, which makes Thomas very desirable. Ole Miss' Trey Amos just missed this top five.
Sleeper: Zah Frazier, UTSA, 6-2 7/8, 186 lbs. - What obviously stands out first about Frazier is that he is nearly 6-foot-3. He is also lean, but very long with an 80 1/8-inch wingspan. Frazier also ran a 4.36/40 in Indianapolis. Needless to say, there are a lot of tools here to work with. Frazier is a very sure tackler and had six interceptions. As you can imagine with his height, Frazier's change of direction abilities is questionable, and he probably doesn't fit every defensive scheme. But prospects like him just don't grow on trees.
Mike's Take
There's projected first-round talent available at cornerback, but there's also intriguing depth for teams in need at the position but unwilling to make a first-round investment.
And there's speed to burn.
"The guys who ran, they ran fast," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah assessed after the cornerbacks workout at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "There's a lot of Day-2 talent at the cornerback position.
"I think we're gonna see a nice clump of guys in that range."
A "nice clump" of guys who can run.
Mike's Rankings
1. Travis Hunter, Colorado, 6-0 ⅜, 188 lbs. -The debate rages on about the position but not the player. "He needs the slash," Jeremiah maintained. "He needs to be the corner-slash-wide receiver. How teams are gonna view him and use him is different depending on who you talk to. But everyone agrees, special talent. I think he's the best corner in the draft. I think he's the best wide receiver in the draft. And I can honestly tell you I've never seen that happen before as we enter the draft process."
2. Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-10 3/4, 194 lbs. - His official 40-yard dash time at the Combine was 4.39. So the speed is now officially intriguing along with Barron's coverage ability, physicality and versatility in the secondary. The NFL Network's NFL Comparison (physical skill set) is Detroit's Brian Branch, who wasn't selected high enough, after further review (second round, 2023). Barron won't have to wait that long.
3. Maxwell Hairston, Memphis, 5-11 1/4, 183 lbs. - "When you watch him play, you understand the excitement," NFL Network analyst Charles Davis maintained. That excitement is evident in abundance after Hairston clocked a 4.28 40 in Indianapolis. Hairston's Combine put an exclamation point on a standout week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. He also has ball skills (Hairston had an SEC-leading five interceptions, including two pick-sixes, in 2023). "Mad Max" is cleared for takeoff.
4. Will Johnson, Michigan, 6-1 3/4, 194 lbs. - Johnson's only played 18 games the past two seasons, but that history with periodic injuries is the only blotch on his resume. Three of his six interceptions over the past two campaigns were returned for touchdowns. And his NFL Network NFL Comp is NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain. Johnson plays with physicality against the run and in press-man coverage.
5. Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State, 6-11/2, 197 lbs. - Thomas has the size and length to play press-man outside and the athleticism to play the slot, where he worked at the Senior Bowl. He can get down the field and he can come up and tackle. In either area, he's a competitor. And he won't turn 21 until July.
Sleeper: Darien Porter, Iowa State, 6-3, 195 lbs. - The wake-up call on this sleeper might well have been Porter's 4.30 40 at the Combine. Still, he's relatively unpolished as a cornerback after switching from wide receiver following the 2021 season, his third of six at Iowa State. "There's a lot to work with there but that's going to require some development," Jeremiah noted. In the meantime, Porter can apply his kick-blocking skills (four in his career) on special teams (he also worked as a gunner on punt coverage at the Senior Bowl).
