Coming into the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s been a lot of hype around this cornerback class. This is for good reason as it is one of the strongest position groups available. It is a group with a lot of depth, but in this article, we are going to be narrowing it down to the top five corners in this draft.
2023 NFL Draft: Top Five Cornerbacks
1. Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Devon Witherspoon gets the nod as CB1 in a loaded cornerback class. Not only is he the top corner, but he’s someone who deserves to be a lock to come off the board in the top ten in this class. He’s not on the same level as a prospect as last year’s group with Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley, but he still has a good chance to develop into a very good corner in this league.
He brings an intriguing skill set to the table as he has the tools to excel in both man or zone coverage. In zone coverage, he has excellent instincts as he’s phenomenal at reading where the ball is going along with great closing speed to make breakups. These instincts make him very effective in the run and screen pass game as his ability to read, react, and fly to the football to make a play is the best in this class.
Witherspoon was also quite effective in man coverage, which Illinois ran a lot of in his career and especially last season. Although he doesn’t have great size or length, he still plays with good physicality. He also can change directions and stay on receivers’ hips not allowing much separation very well. He played an aggressive style of corner and it often paid off for him as he’s good enough to win almost every rep and not get burned.
Team Fits: Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles
For a guy 5-11 & 181 lbs, Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon hits like a Monday morning alarm clock pic.twitter.com/bD1RluzSbQ
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) April 17, 2023
2. Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Christian Gonzalez is a highly regarded prospect for a lot of analysts and for good reason. You simply don’t see many corners that can move the way that Gonzalez does at his size. He is 6′-1⅜”, 197 pounds, and changes directions more fluidly than any cornerback in the 2023 NFL draft class.
Not only does Gonzalez change directions very well, but he also has great makeup speed for when he’s ever out of position as he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash. This combination of size, fluidity, and makeup speed is rare at the cornerback position. It gives him the ideal physical profile to excel in press-man coverage, which is a valuable skill set in the NFL.
Gonzalez is also a player who has improved throughout his college career. He spent two seasons at Colorado where he was a solid player before transferring to Oregon where he starred in the Ducks defense.
Team Fits: Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals
3. Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
The biggest selling point for Joey Porter Jr.’s game is that he plays relatively mistake-free football for a corner. That’s not to say that he never gets beat because nobody is that good, but he does a good job of keeping receivers in front of him, ensuring that if he allows separation it’s not for an explosive play.
Another big selling point and a big reason he’s going to be a first-round pick is his size and length. He stands at 6-foot-2 ½ with 34-inch arms for a wingspan of 80 ⅞ inches, all of which are higher than the 95th percentile for corners. This allows him to match up well from a size and physicality standpoint against just about any receiver in the NFL.
Porter Jr. was very reliable over his career at Penn State as he was a three-year starter. He was at his best this past season as he allowed more than 25 yards in just one of his 10 games. Most teams avoided throwing at him and when he was targeted he showed good closing speed to make plays on the ball. This was showcased in the first game of the season against Purdue where he had five pass breakups.
Team Fits: Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens
4. Deonte Banks, Maryland
Athleticism is more important in corners than just about any position on the football field and Deonte Banks’ tape and combine performance certainly show that he’s an elite athlete. His RAS score is third of any corner since 1987 as at 6-foot-0, 197 pounds he ran a blazing 4.35-yard dash, plus had a 42-inch vertical (97th percentile for corners) and 136-inch broad jump (98th percentile).
Banks has a very good track in zone coverage at Maryland. He simply understands what his coverage assignment is and gets the job done consistently. He also does a good job of playing team defense as he communicates with his teammates well passing off receivers in and out of his zone.
In man coverage, he doesn’t have quite as good of a track record at Maryland. Banks’ PFF coverage grades in man coverage left a lot to be desired as he graded at 63.6 in 2022 and 50.6 in 2020. However, with his athleticism, he has the potential to develop into a very good man cover corner.
Team Fits: Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens
Beautiful rep by Deonte Banks pic.twitter.com/tu2D1baPH7
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) April 14, 2023
5. Cam Smith, South Carolina
There’s a bit of a gap between the top four corners and the rest, but there’s still a lot more cornerback talent that projects to come off the board in the late first to mid-second round. One of those players is Cam Smith who comes in as the fifth-ranked corner in this class.
Smith was somewhat inconsistent in his career at South Carolina, but he checks a lot of the boxes of what you want out of a cornerback prospect. First off he checks off the physical box as he has a good combination of size and athleticism and should certainly be able to hold his own athletically against the majority of NFL receivers.
Smith is also very technically sound as you can tell he’s not just an athlete, but someone who really knows what to play the position. This shows up in some of his man reps. Many times in his film he is tested in man coverage and he has perfect positioning and is able to get his arm in between the receivers hands at the perfect moment to cause a breakup.
Ultimately, Smith is someone who projects well to at least be a solid cornerback at the next level, which is worth a late first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Team Fits: Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints
Main Photo: Matt Krohn – USA Today Sports
