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Top Prospects In The 2024 NFL Draft: Cornerbacks

The 2024 NFL draft has different flavors of Cornerbacks all throughout the draft. Nate Gosney's "My Guys" list breaks his favorites down.
2024 nfl draft

The 2024 NFL draft possesses a very divisive top-end cornerback group, every analyst seems to have a different cornerback one. Whether it is Cooper DeJean, Nate Wiggins, Terrion Arnold, or Quinyon Mitchell, draft media have different viewpoints on which flavor of cornerback they like. For this list, I will be breaking down players in the later rounds that fall under my philosophies.

Note: This list is curated as more of a favorites list; or a “my guys” list, not exactly the absolute best players from each position.

Kamari Lassiter

The round two cornerback group is just as deep as the round one grouping. Kamari Lassiter is one of the spearheads who is considered at the top of the tier two group. and though this is fair, the team that drafts Lassiter will likely get a strong starter for years to come. At 5’11 186 with a poor RAS, many will simply cross Lassiter off their board listing him as an athlete who is not ready for the NFL.

When watching the film of Lassiter, you come to realize quickly that his athletic profile does not define his playstyle. The Georgia Bulldog has very sound feet which is one of the things that did show up in his testing. This allows him to mirror shiftier receivers and gives him the ability to play from the slot. Beyond his general sound technique, he plays the run very well. He couples this very sound tackling technique, having only four missed tackles during his 2024 NFL Draft campaign. This is extremely impressive considering his size.

With Lassiter, you are getting a player who can play the run, mirror receivers well, and tackle precisely. The main cause for concern with Lassiter is as mentioned earlier, his size and general play speed. The effort is obviously there, but he will get beat at times due to his poor athletic profile. You do not want a guy like Lassiter playing against DK Metcalf on Sundays. That being said, if you’re playing him against more route-savvy receivers who do not have that top-end speed, the 2024 NFL Draft prospect will be great.

Cam Hart

Cam Hart is one of the better cornerbacks who is not getting enough attention throughout this 2024 NFL Draft process. At 6’3 202lbs, he is nearly the exact opposite of Lassiter in the size aspect. Beyond his size, Hart can play either man or zone, having experienced both throughout his college career. He shows a very strong ability to knock catches out after they hit the hands of the opposing receiver, jarring balls loose. The Notre Dame cornerback plays with an immense fire that shows up in the run game. His competitive fire showed up very well against the #1 receiver in this class, Marvin Harrison Jr. He would be a perfect fit in a Gus Bradley-esque system, as they value size and zone coverage ability.

When you talk about a prospect with size and experience, why is he only at 96 on the 2024 NFL Draft Consensus Big Board? This is because of his lack of twitchiness. He has very good build-up speed, but when matching up against quicker guys he can struggle. The lack of twitch, coupled with two shoulder surgeries throughout his career, leads teams to be hesitant about his availability. Overall, getting a day-one starting outside cornerback in the late third, or early fourth round is immense value. Though he may struggle against the quicker, more agile defenders, any coaching staff selecting him should know to use Hart to his strengths, not his weaknesses.

 

Josh Wallace

The ultimate sleeper of this 2024 NFL Draft cornerback group, would have to be Josh Wallace from Michigan. Wallace may not possess great size or speed, being 5’11 185lbs, with no 40-yard dash. The lack of testing times for Wallace further backs up NFL scout’s concerns about his long speed. So what is the appeal for the 293rd player on the 2024 NFL Draft Consensus Big Board?

First and foremost, playing at the highest level, on a championship team gives Wallace good opponents that he matched up against. This was needed as he was once at UMass. While there, he was voted three-time team captain. This is very impressive, especially for an underclassman cornerback. Beyond the intangibles, he shows great effort against the run. He also communicates very impressively when passing off routes in zone, which is a trend in all of Jesse Minter coached defensive players. For his coverage ability, he has very sound footwork and awareness, getting his head around when the ball is thrown his way.

The main few knocks on the day-three/priority UDFA is that he does not try to take away the football. Sure, he will knock it down, but he struggles to actually go for the interception. Three interceptions on 29 pass breakups. Furthermore, the pure lack of NFL athleticism is really what brings Wallace down the board for many. If it has not been a trend enough, I tend to like technically sound cornerbacks who play the run. Speed does not matter as much to me. Overall, a late-day three flyer on Wallace is more than worth it.

A good leader who played against great competition and has shown the ability to really be an integral piece of a championship team sounds like a selection in the 2024 NFL Draft to me.

Main Image: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

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