Draft Preview 2021: Cornerbacks
SimBull has blended sports and the stock market to offer you a new way to invest in and profit off your favorite teams. Use your sports knowledge to buy low, sell high, and earn cash payouts when your teams win. Join the 2000+ early adopters who have started to invest in their favorite teams. The Stock Market for Sports is just a tap away – create a free account in seconds and start profiting from your sports knowledge!
March 26, 2021
by Steve Thomas
Welcome to another column in The Hog Sty’s draft preview series. Here’s what we’ve covered so far:
Next up is the corner group. I’ll review some of the top corners in this year’s class, with an eye towards players who might be a good fit for the Redskins Washington. The team currently has Kendall Fuller and new arrival William Jackson as the engrained outside starters, with Danny Johnson, Jimmy Moreland, and Greg Stroman as the most likely candidates for the role of the third corner on the field. Washington also has practice squad-level players DeMarkus Acy, Jordan Brown, and Torry McTyer. The addition of Jackson makes it unlikely that Washington will place corner at the top of its list of needs for the higher draft rounds, but nonetheless probably won’t pass up a highly rated player who falls to them.
Without further ado, let’s jump in.
Caleb Farley, 6’2” / 197, Virginia Tech: Farley is the consensus top-ranked corner in this year’s class. Farley spent four years at Virginia Tech, but missed the entire 2017 season as a result of a knee injury, and then voluntarily sat out the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, he only played 23 collegiate games in 2018 and 2019, and made 56 total tackles, including 43 solo, and 6 interceptions. He has not had his pro day yet but is expected to run the 40 yard dash in around 4.5 seconds or less. Farley was a high school quarterback who was recruited as a wide receiver before transitioning to corner in 2018, so he is inexperienced in this position. However, his combination of size, speed, athleticism, and man coverage ability makes him a very attractive pro prospect. Scouts are concerned about his injury history, as his 2017 knee injury was non-contact, and he also missed two games in 2019 with back spasms. Farley is going to be a first round pick and most likely the first corner off the board.
Patrick Surtain II, 6’1” / 203, Alabama: Surtain is the son of former Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs All Pro corner Patrick Surtain Sr. The younger Surtain stayed at Alabama for three years, playing in a total of 40 games, with 116 total tackles, including 82 solo, and 4 interceptions. He was named as a Unanmous All American in 2020. He reportedly ran his 40 yard dash in an unofficial 4.46 seconds at Alabama’s pro day this week. Like Farley, Surtain has the physical profile of an elite pro starter. He is not known as being overly quick and doesn’t have elite speed, but scouts view him as a physical player whose strength lies in press-man coverage. A minority of scouts have Surtain ranked over Farley because of his experience, lack of significant injuries, and family history.
Jaycee Horn, 6’1” / 205, South Carolina: Horn, who is the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, is a true junior who opted out of the second half of the 2020 season after Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp was fired. In total, he played 30 games between 2018 and 2020, making 101 total tackles, including 69 solo, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He was timed at 4.39 seconds in the 40 yard dash at his pro day. He has collegiate experience playing in the slot, but his size and physical attributes project him to be a starting boundary corner in the NFL. Horn is known primarily as a zone and press-man corner, but has not excelled in off-man coverage. Most analysts have Horn rated as a first round pick, but a minority have him slipping down into round two.
Greg Newsome II, 6’1” / 190, Northwestern: Newsome spent three seasons at Northwestern, playing in a total of just 18 games, making 71 tackles, including 55 solo, plus 1 interception. His problem in college was his significant injury history – he missed 9 games with an ankle problem as a freshman, another four games as a sophomore, and then suffered a groin injury in the 2020 Big Ten championship game. He also only played 4 games in 2020, so he is very inexperienced by elite prospects standards. Newsome ran the 40 yard dash in just 4.38 seconds at Northwestern’s pro day, which was significantly faster than expected. Newsome’s outstanding 2020 season is what put him on the radar as a top draft prospect. His body type is a bit lean for an overly physical corner, but his speed can make him a quality NFL outside corner starter if he can stay on the field. His durability and inexperience are his biggest downsides. Some analysts have given Newsome a first round grade, whereas others rated him as low as round 3.
Eric Stokes, 6’1” / 185, Georgia: Stokes is a redshirt junior, having played 3 seasons in four years, with 31 games, 78 tackles, including 60 solo, 1 sack, and 4 interceptions, In 2020, Stokes played 9 games and made 20 tackles, including 14 solo, plus all 4 of his interceptions, and earned First Team All-SEC honors. Stokes is a burner, having run the 40 yard dash in 4.24 seconds, which in most draft years would be good enough to lead the entire class. He’s principally known for his zone coverage skills, but has also played in man coverage. Some think his tracks speed did not translate to the field. Most draft analysts place Stokes in round 2.
Asante Samuel Jr., 5’10” / 184, Florida St.: Samuel is the son of former First Team All-Pro corner Asante Samuel Sr, who played 11 seasons for three different NFL teams. Samuel Jr. spent three years at Florida St., playing 31 games between 2018 and 2020, making 97 tackles, including 71 solo, plus 4 interceptions. In 2020, he played 8 games and made 30 tackles, including 22 solo, and 3 interceptions, and earned First Team All-ACC honors. Samuel ran the 40 yard dash in 4.5 and 4.52 seconds at his pro day this past Monday. He is a bit undersized by outside corner standards, but is known as having quality man coverage skills, but lesser comfort in zone coverage situations.
Ifeatu Melifonwu, 6’2” / 212, Syracuse: Melifonwu is another redshirt junior, having spent 4 years at Syracuse. In total, he played 23 games in between 2018 and 2020, making 88 total tackles, including 73 solo, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions. In 2020, he played 10 games and made 54 tackles, including 43 solo, 1 sack, and 1 interception. He was named a Third Team All-ACC selection in 2020. Melifonwu ran the 40 yard dash in 4.48 seconds at the Syracuse pro day. He’s viewed as being a better fit for a team that plays a zone scheme, but has had some success in press-man coverage. Melifonwu is ranked as high as a second round pick by some but much lower by others, so he’s a bit of a draft day mystery.
Paulson Adebo, 6’1” / 190, Stanford: Adebo stayed at Stanford for 4 years, but did not have any playing time in his 2017 freshman year and then opted out of the 2020 season. As a result, he played just 22 games in two seasons, making 97 tackles, including 69 solo, and 8 interceptions. Adebo earned First Team All-Pac 12 honors in both 2018 and 2019. He ran the 40 yard dash in 4.42 seconds and 4.51 seconds at Stanford’s pro day. Adebo is known as a good athlete with strong agility. Obviously, his relative lack of experience is a negative, but he’s known as having good overall skills, including ball skills, but is most likely an outside-only corner in the NFL. Most project Adebo as a third round pick in the draft.
Aaron Robinson, 5’11” / 193, Central Florida: Robinson played his freshman year in 2016 at the University of Alabama, then transferred to Central Florida. The transfer caused him to have to sit out the 2017 season, but he played at Central Florida from 2018 – 2020. In total, Robinson played 30 collegiate games, including 4 with the Crimson Tide in 2016, with 103 tackles, including 76 solo, and 1 interception. In 2020, he played 9 games, making 41 tackles, which included 31 solo. Robinson earned Second Team All-ACC honors in both 2019 and 2020. His pro day isn’t until March 26, but his 40 yard dash time is projected to be in the 4.5 range. Robinson projects as a slot corner in the NFL. Scouts see a touch, competitive player with decent athleticism, but lacking in top coverage and ball skills. He’s also a bit small by NFL corner standards to play on the outside. Some draft analysts project him as high as the second round, or even sneaking into round one, while others view him as a fourth round pick.
Elijah Molden, 5’10” / 191, Washington: Molden spent a full 4 years at the University of Washington, playing a total of 36 games, with 153 tackles, including 100 solo, and 5 interceptions. However, thanks to the Pac 12’s hand-wringing, irrational, panicked response to the China Virus pandemic, Washington only played 4 games in 2020, in which Molden made 6 tackles, including 21 solo, plus 1 interception. Washington’s pro day isn’t until March 30, but Molden is expected to run the 40 yard dash in the low 4.5 second range. He viewed as a good tackler with outstanding instincts in pass defense, but most see him as being limited to a slot or nickel role in the NFL due to his lack of ideal size. Molden is most likely a mid-round pick.
Other names to watch out for include, in no particular order:
- Trill Williams, 6’2” / 198, Syracuse
- Kelvin Joseph, 6’1” / 197, Kentucky
- Thomas Graham Jr., 5’11” / 196, Oregon
- Shaun Wade, 6’1” / 194, Ohio St.